How can habitual movement patterns in dance be deconstructed and reimagined to create innovative, functional movement patterns that expand the dancer’s expressive and physical potential? / Adrienn Vass (2025)

We are all habitual creators; we engage in the same routines every day, often without thinking, like making a cup of tea while daydreaming about our upcoming summer vacation. What happens when everything we rely upon begins to change, and the familiar, ordinary movement patterns need to be adapted to suit the new situation? Due to neurodiversity, life is sometimes changeable, and one must constantly adapt. However, there are situations when an external force changes everything. In both situations, the mind and body continually seek the easiest ways to adapt and move, creating new habitual movement patterns. These habits become ingrained in us. I have started working with people who have Parkinson’s, have had a stroke, or have suffered any other type of brain injury. While observing them during classes, I noticed that, although they were moving, their habitual movement vocabulary did not change; they tended to stay within their comfort zones. As a neurodiverse person with dyspraxia, I initially believed that my movements had reached their maximum potential. However, when I began teaching individuals with mobility issues, I realised I relied on the same movement patterns. This insight sparked my research question and motivated me to explore further. How can habitual movement patterns in dance be deconstructed and reimagined to create innovative functional movement patterns that expand a participant’s expressive and physical potential? To start my research, I investigated habitual movements and what constitutes an everyday pattern. To support this exploration, I created two research-sharing events with fellow Trinity Laban Dance Conservatoire dance students. These gatherings helped shape the primary question for my six-session dance class, held outside the university at the Putney and Richmond Unitarian Church. The sessions were free and open to everyone. To deepen my understanding of the question, I employed autoethnographic research and participated in a two-week intensive dance course led by Thomas Hauert, director of the ZOO dance company. His methodology focuses on habitual movement and strategies for breaking those patterns. I created my Final Project Showcase at the Bonnie Bird Theatre at Trinity Laban Dance Conservatoire to finalise my method and present my findings. This performance effectively supported my conclusions by incorporating all aspects of theatrical presentation, including lighting, live music, video projection, and live improvisation.