This was one of my favourite projects. It was the first time I presented specific movement tasks alongside the theoretical work.

After many years of working with children, adults and animals, one sees things that are surprising.

Children totally forgetting what you say but copying exactly what you do. Adults students stagnating despite consistent effort and training. Animals calm completely after a change in their owner’s attitude.

One of my favourite examples was overlooking a trampoline class. A student attempting a double front flip lands safely on their back until receiving instruction from the coach. Suddenly their coordination breaks, and they flail. Why?

Not everything is meant to be conscious, that much is clear. But what is the “unconscious”, and what does it do?

This project attempted to answer that question through movement explorations, and looking at three models of the unconscious: from Iain Mcgilchrist, Carl Jung and Moshe Feldenkrais.

Each of these perspectives shared a piece of a broader puzzle.

From the symbolic or metaphoric thinking of the unconscious, which is communicated in dreams to the broad and meaningful perception of the right hemisphere to the habitual and parasitic tendencies of the musculature.

To accompany the theoretical exploration, movement tasks on improvisation in dance and acrobatics were shared. Some examples from David Bantje here.