MA Dance & Somatic Wellbeing: Connections to the Living Body is a progressively unique masters degree programme offering professional development opportunities through teacher training and academic writing in the field of Dance and Somatic Movement Education. The course explores creative improvisational movement with somatic awareness, phenomenological research, and qualitative research methods underpinned by a diverse range of key theorists and pioneers in the field including Emilie Conrad, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Janet Adler, Thomas Hanna, Don Hanlon Johnson, Andrea Olsen, Sondra Fraleigh, Maxine Sheets-Johnstone, Martha Eddy, Caryn McHose, Kevin Frank, and many others.  A career as a somatic movement educator brings one into the forefront of progressive learning toward human development in varied contexts such as personal coaching, health and wellness, spiritual practice, community development, youth and aging communities, and endless entrepreneurial avenues toward socially responsible sustainable business practices.

Taught in 9 modules the course takes place over two years making it ideal for people working full or part time and who have family, job, and community involvements.  Students meet with teaching staff every 4-8 weeks for 3-6 days at a time.  In between experiential taught modules, students are required to engage in personal somatic movement practice, perform research through reading and other media sources, and fulfil writing and other practical assignments.  MA students are fully enrolled in the graduate level academic programme of the School of Art and Design at the University of Central Lancashire and have full access to all student library and IT facilities.  This course is academically approved as a masters degree course through the University of Central Lancashire that runs a number of internationally accredited undergraduate and post graduate courses.

Somatic awareness in movement is developed through inner-directed body awareness of sensation, breath, and feeling on many levels.  This masters degree supports students to develop their own somatic movement practices and methodologies in order to teach somatic awareness through movement in support of individual and community facilitation.  Students will study individual and group improvisation, kinesthetic awareness through proprioception and interoception, and applied somatics philosophy to dance, movement studies, and personal discovery. 

Staff and students respect the value of self-authority and self-knowledge alive in every living being, and by teaching within this value system. Teachers create opportunities to enhance consciousness through embodied action. Sessions are taught in the spirit of self-discovery and supportive witnessing, as staff model and support students in their ability to self-regulate.  In turn, students become teachers who support self-regulation in their students and clients through co-creative resonant processes. 

MA Dance & Somatic Wellbeing is an Approved Somatic Movement Training Program of: The International Somatic Movement Education and Therapy Association (ISMETA). MA graduates will have fulfilled educational requirements to qualify for professional ISMETA membership as a Registered Somatic Movement Educator (Abrams & Williamson 2011). Full membership requires fulfilling an extra number of teaching/facilitation hours post graduation.

Course Length: part time 2 years
Year of Entry: 2011
Start Month: October 2010

Course Content
Study focuses on different elements of practice such as the body as fluid movement, consciousness of skeletal muscular structures for support, movement and metaphor, verbal and non-verbal creative expression, and supportive witness practices. Concepts of bodily support are explored and studied in relation to community and individual practice. Philosophical perspectives pertaining to somatics and movement studies are introduced in the first year and developed further during the second year. The second year focuses more fully on qualitative research methodologies and synthesizing knowledge developed through experiential learning into potentially publishable written research findings. Cross curricular learning is encouraged throughout and facilitation skills are studied in relation to individual, client-based sessions.

See recent staff and student publications:

Williamson, A. (2009), ‘Formative support and connection: somatic movement danceeducation in community and client practice’, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices 1: 1, pp. 29–45, doi: 10.1386/jdsp.1.1.29/1

Williamson, A. (2010), ‘Reflections and theoretical approaches to the study of spiritualities within the field of somatic movement dance education’, Journalof Dance and Somatic Practices 2: 1, pp. 35–61, doi: 10.1386/jdsp.2.1.35_1

Cohen, S. (2010), ‘Sightless touch and touching witnessing: Interplays of Authentic Movement and Contact Improvisation’, Journal of Dance andSomatic Practices 2: 1, pp. 103–112, doi: 10.1386/jdsp.2.1.103_1

Weber, R. (2009), ‘Integrating semi-structured somatic practices and contemporary dance technique training’, Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices 1: 2, pp. 237–254,doi: 10.1386/jdsp.1.2.237_1