The term “somatic” comes from the Greek word “soma,” which means “body.” Somatic practices focus on the perception and understanding of bodily intelligence. Instead of emphasizing only physical movement, these practices invite individuals to develop a deep awareness of the sensations, images, and thoughts that arise during the exploration of the body and movement.
There is a tendency to integrate other somatic practices into dance (Somatics into Contact), rather than investigating its intrinsic somatic aspect. Although such practices can enhance the quality of the dance, exploring “Somatics in Contact” should not mean directly adopting one of these into CI, as Contact Improvisation is, in itself, already a somatic practice.
The somatic aspects of CI should be examined from within the practice itself, with its own perspective, vision, and language. The founders of this discipline intentionally did not set strict boundaries, leaving the practice free to express and evolve, encouraging a continuous spirit of research. A research that, through the process of improvisation, manifests in the dance itself. To dance is to research.