Drawings of the figure by Leonardo da Vinci
Mythosomatic Movement
Physical Theaters of Myth & Sensation
"Mythosomatic" is a word I believed I'd coined in 2019, but since that "coinage," I have seen it crop up in at least one other expression apparently independent of my own.* The word is of course a compound blending of two words, "mythos," meaning extraordinary and ultimate purpose, and "soma," meaning the felt intelligence of sensation. Mythosomatics in my expression describes the entire oeuvre of the mythopoetic physical movements or "theaters"—the forms and series—that I have choreographed over the past twenty-five years. These choreographies represent embodied ontologies, states of human belonging or physical theaters of feeling that collapse the distinction between emotion and awareness, prayer and art, body and nature.
The 5 Mythosomatic Dances
The 2023 online SOMA & CIVILIZATION program marks the introduction of the 5 Mythosomatic Dances. These 5 dances, inspired by Neo-Romantic ideas regarding the capability of feeling, are short dances or "preludes" expressing 5 diverse themes of ontological power, each corresponding to one of the themes of SOMA & CIVILIZATION: Origin & Essence ("Acreation"); Power & Emotion ("Empathos"); Fragility & Sensation ("Sentos"); Eros & Transformation (work in progress); and Paradox & Mystery (work in progress). The 5 Mythosomatic Dances are currently being taught throughout the 2023 year. Information about classes can be found on the Homepage of this website.
*Joshua Schrei, of The Emerald podcast, apparently uses the word "Mythosomatics."