Integrating breath as an innovative action of awareness in both an internal and external form of communication with the body. / Ifigeneia Christodoulou (2022)

“Breath is more than a mechanical event – it is a literal and metaphorical doorway into change and healing” (Tufnell, 2017, p 44). Integrating breath as an innovative action of awareness in both an internal and external form of communication with the body. This project will be looking at choreographic inquiries; it will explore how the action of breathing affects performer’s awareness when dancing and responding to improvisational scores. This research practice also outlines the development of movements’ quality and quantity when the choreographer / researcher – Ifigeneia Christodoulou is creating set dance choreography influenced by the notion of breathing as a creative methodology when improvising in a studio stetting space. The choreographic research began by utilising the act of respiration as a phenomenological method towards creating authentic scores, influenced by the natural or forced breathing within the choreographer’s contemporary dance movements creation. How can the action of breathing affect the somatic approaches when performers are exploring practical movements relating to the body and mind? What takes the attention of the performers into that moment to utilise this action? Correspondingly, as a researcher/ performer and choreographer, I was curious to explore movements, improvisational scores, visual images, as well as methods that would introduce even more qualities to this research practice rather than the notion of breathing as a single settled natural act when dancing and moving. This research aims to generate a connection between the dance movements (dancers transferring their weights and travelling around the space) and a variety of techniques of breathing (engaging in different rhythms and textures of breath). Yet, the final practical illustration and improvisational sequences result in the aforementioned concept. Furthermore, the performance aim to demonstrate each individual theory of how breath works as a vocal instrument and as an invention of body movements, based on these research methods, which will be mentioned and explored in the upcoming content.