Dance, Somatics and Spiritualities

'What makes this anthoplogy so unique and fascinating to read is not only the tremendous openness with which the editors approached the subject, thus inviting and allowing for such a diverse collection of individual sacred narratives to emerge; it abounds with mulit-faceted gems. It is also the variety of presentation styles, ranging from personal narratives interwoven with articulated scholarship, philosophical reflections, various research approaches, imaginary dialogues and interview conversations that turns this work into a rich and colourful fabric woven by the hands and hearts of its 33 contributors from across various cultures. '

-- Maria Luise Oberem, Ph.D. in Psychology, MA in Dance/ Movement Therapy (USA), (BC-‐‑ DMT), MA in American Studies and Political Science

'Finally exists a book that offers a range of perspectives that looks academically at the numinous in dance without belittling or aggrandizing the subject. With a preface by Don Hanlon Johnson, editors Amanda Williamson, Glenna Batson, Sarah Whatley, and Rebecca Weber have pulled together an impressive anthology of essays on a topic often overlooked. Questions considered by dancers, somatic therapists, dance scholars, and anthropologists include the following: What is spirituality? How does it manifest in a body atuned to the nuances of movement? How does a dancer reclaim the sacred from a culture that marginalizes it in favor of secularization? Linda Hartley writes about Authentic Movement. Daria Halprin writes on the body as entry to embodied knowing. Sondra Fraleigh looks at the actions of consciousness. Bradford Keeney discusses N/om and Bushman healing dances. Twenty substantive narratives on embodiment, mindfulness, Balinese dance and more make a juicy collection and a significant contribution to a field largely neglected.' 

-- Cheryl Pallant, teacher at University of Richmond, Virginia, and author of Contact Improvisation: an Introduction to a Vitalizing Dance