Conscious Dance Practices/Soul Motion: Difference between revisions

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{{DISPLAYTITLE:Biodanza}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Soul Motion}}


'''Biodanza''' is a system of movement, dance, and experiential exercises designed to support human development, emotional integration, and connection to life. The name comes from the Greek '''bios''' (life) and '''danza''' (dance), meaning “the dance of life.”
'''Soul Motion''' is a conscious movement and dance meditation practice that explores embodiment, relational awareness, and creativity through guided improvisational movement. It emphasises presence, curiosity, and connection with self, others, and the living world.


Biodanza is practiced worldwide through regular classes, workshops, and long-term training programmes. It emphasises affectivity, vitality, creativity, sexuality, and transcendence as core dimensions of human experience.
Soul Motion is practiced internationally through classes, workshops, retreats, and professional training programmes, and is known for integrating movement improvisation with mindfulness, relational inquiry, and expressive arts.


== Origins ==
== Origins ==
Biodanza was created in the '''1960s''' by '''Rolando Toro Araneda''' (1924–2010), a Chilean psychologist, anthropologist, poet, and painter. Toro developed Biodanza while working with psychiatric patients, university students, and community groups, drawing on research in psychology, biology, anthropology, and education.
Soul Motion was developed by '''Vincent Martínez-Grieco''' in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Martínez-Grieco is a dancer, choreographer, and movement teacher whose background includes contact improvisation, contemplative practice, and expressive movement.


The system evolved as a response to social fragmentation and emotional repression, proposing movement, music, and human encounter as essential forces for restoring health and meaning.
The practice emerged from a synthesis of dance improvisation, somatic awareness, and relational inquiry, with an emphasis on dance as both personal exploration and shared, participatory experience.


== Core principles ==
== Core principles ==
Biodanza is founded on several key principles:
Soul Motion is grounded in several guiding principles:
* '''Presence''' — cultivating awareness of sensation, impulse, and choice in the moment.
* '''Relationship''' — exploring movement in relation to others, space, and environment.
* '''Creativity''' — valuing improvisation and authentic expression over fixed form.
* '''Integration''' — bridging inner experience and outward action.


* '''Vivencia''' — an intense, lived experience in the present moment, integrating sensation, emotion, and movement.
Rather than focusing on performance or technique, Soul Motion prioritises lived experience and embodied listening.
* '''Affectivity''' — the capacity to connect, bond, and empathise with others.
* '''Integration''' — harmonising body, emotions, instincts, and identity.
* '''Human connection''' — cultivating trust, belonging, and relational presence.
 
Rather than focusing on technique or performance, Biodanza prioritises experience, feeling, and authentic expression.


== Practice ==
== Practice ==
A typical Biodanza session consists of a sequence of guided movement exercises performed to carefully selected music. Exercises alternate between:
Soul Motion sessions involve guided movement explorations supported by music, verbal prompts, and spatial awareness. There is no choreography; participants are invited to follow sensation, curiosity, and relational impulses as they arise.


* activation and relaxation,
Common elements of a session may include:
* individual and group movement,
* solo movement and self-attunement,
* expressive and integrative phases.
* partner and group improvisation,
* exploration of space, proximity, and boundaries,
* integration through stillness, reflection, or creative expression.


There is no choreography to memorise. Movements are simple, natural, and accessible, supporting participants in reconnecting with their innate capacity for movement and expression.
Teachers often draw attention to how movement choices reflect inner states, habits, and relational patterns.


Verbal guidance is minimal; emphasis is placed on music, movement, and direct experience.
== Movement landscapes ==
Soul Motion uses a conceptual framework often described as '''movement landscapes''', which support navigation between different modes of experience. These landscapes may include:
* inner awareness and personal movement inquiry,
* relational and social dance,
* collective and environmental connection.


== Lines of vivencia ==
These frameworks function as orienting maps rather than prescriptive structures, encouraging exploration and adaptability.
Biodanza organises its exercises around five fundamental '''Lines of Vivencia''':


* '''Vitality''' — joy, energy, and the instinct for life.
== Teacher training ==
* '''Sexuality''' — pleasure, desire, and sensual presence.
Soul Motion offers an international '''teacher training programme''' for movement facilitators. The training typically spans several years and includes:
* '''Creativity''' — expression, innovation, and imagination.
* immersive residential modules,
* '''Affectivity''' — love, empathy, and emotional bonding.
* supervised teaching practice,
* '''Transcendence''' — connection beyond the individual self.
* mentoring and peer learning,
 
* personal process and creative inquiry.
These lines represent innate human potentials and guide both class design and long-term development.
 
== Music and movement ==
Music plays a central role in Biodanza. Selections are chosen for their emotional resonance, rhythmic clarity, and capacity to evoke specific states of being. Movement is seen as a biological and emotional response to music rather than an aesthetic act.


== Teacher training ==
Graduates are authorised to teach Soul Motion classes and workshops and participate in an ongoing professional community.
Biodanza is taught by facilitators who complete structured, multi-year '''Biodanza Teacher Training''' programmes. These programmes are offered through officially recognised Biodanza schools and follow a common international curriculum, while allowing for regional and cultural adaptation.


== Global community ==
== Community and reach ==
Biodanza is practiced in many countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. International organisations coordinate training standards, research, and collaboration among schools and facilitators, supporting a global community rooted in shared principles and practice.
Soul Motion is practiced in many countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. The international network is supported by Soul Motion International, which coordinates training, teacher support, and global events.


== Relationship to conscious dance ==
== Relationship to conscious dance ==
Biodanza is considered one of the foundational practices within the broader conscious dance and movement field. It differs from improvisation-based practices by using a structured sequence of exercises, while sharing common ground in embodiment, emotional awareness, and non-verbal exploration.
Soul Motion is part of the broader conscious dance and movement field and shares affinities with practices such as contact improvisation, Open Floor, and other improvisation-based movement modalities. It is distinguished by its strong emphasis on relational awareness, creative process, and participatory dance.


== External links ==
== External links ==
* International Biodanza Federation: https://www.biodanzainternational.com/
* Official website: https://soulmotioninternational.com/
* Biodanza Australia: https://biodanza.com.au/
 
* Biodanza UK: https://www.biodanzaassociation.uk
[[Category:Conscious Dance Practices]]
* Biodanza Biocentrica: https://biocentrica.com.au
[[Category:Dance Meditation]]
* Biodanza Spain: https://escuelasdebiodanza.es
[[Category:Somatic Practices]]
* IBFed Biodanza: https://www.biodanza.org
[[Category:Movement Improvisation]]

Revision as of 12:05, 6 February 2026


Soul Motion is a conscious movement and dance meditation practice that explores embodiment, relational awareness, and creativity through guided improvisational movement. It emphasises presence, curiosity, and connection with self, others, and the living world.

Soul Motion is practiced internationally through classes, workshops, retreats, and professional training programmes, and is known for integrating movement improvisation with mindfulness, relational inquiry, and expressive arts.

Origins

Soul Motion was developed by Vincent Martínez-Grieco in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Martínez-Grieco is a dancer, choreographer, and movement teacher whose background includes contact improvisation, contemplative practice, and expressive movement.

The practice emerged from a synthesis of dance improvisation, somatic awareness, and relational inquiry, with an emphasis on dance as both personal exploration and shared, participatory experience.

Core principles

Soul Motion is grounded in several guiding principles:

  • Presence — cultivating awareness of sensation, impulse, and choice in the moment.
  • Relationship — exploring movement in relation to others, space, and environment.
  • Creativity — valuing improvisation and authentic expression over fixed form.
  • Integration — bridging inner experience and outward action.

Rather than focusing on performance or technique, Soul Motion prioritises lived experience and embodied listening.

Practice

Soul Motion sessions involve guided movement explorations supported by music, verbal prompts, and spatial awareness. There is no choreography; participants are invited to follow sensation, curiosity, and relational impulses as they arise.

Common elements of a session may include:

  • solo movement and self-attunement,
  • partner and group improvisation,
  • exploration of space, proximity, and boundaries,
  • integration through stillness, reflection, or creative expression.

Teachers often draw attention to how movement choices reflect inner states, habits, and relational patterns.

Movement landscapes

Soul Motion uses a conceptual framework often described as movement landscapes, which support navigation between different modes of experience. These landscapes may include:

  • inner awareness and personal movement inquiry,
  • relational and social dance,
  • collective and environmental connection.

These frameworks function as orienting maps rather than prescriptive structures, encouraging exploration and adaptability.

Teacher training

Soul Motion offers an international teacher training programme for movement facilitators. The training typically spans several years and includes:

  • immersive residential modules,
  • supervised teaching practice,
  • mentoring and peer learning,
  • personal process and creative inquiry.

Graduates are authorised to teach Soul Motion classes and workshops and participate in an ongoing professional community.

Community and reach

Soul Motion is practiced in many countries across Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Oceania. The international network is supported by Soul Motion International, which coordinates training, teacher support, and global events.

Relationship to conscious dance

Soul Motion is part of the broader conscious dance and movement field and shares affinities with practices such as contact improvisation, Open Floor, and other improvisation-based movement modalities. It is distinguished by its strong emphasis on relational awareness, creative process, and participatory dance.

External links

Retrieved from "https://wiki.danceresource.org/index.php?title=Conscious_Dance_Practices/Soul_Motion&oldid=1673"