BARRE:  

Core  Concepts  in  Somatic  Dance  from  Martha  Eddy*

(with  one  of  many  examples  inserted  in  each  box)
                               BREATHE      ALIGN          REFLECT          RELATE                  EXPECT
Common   Balance ROM:   Coordination Facile Motivation  to  
Dance   Range  Of   Expression Dance
Concerns  => Motion   (dynamics)
Core  Somatic  
Education  
Concepts*:
Breathe   Breathe  your   Reflect  on  the   Vary  breath   Breathe  into  the  
Breath into  the  five   center  of   in  &  out  breath   rhythms  to   ‘possible’  &  sense  
(critical  to  being   diaphragms levity  up  &  off   as  you  move   achieve  a   your  desires  
alive  and  central   feet  to  roof   the  lower  back   or  remember   choreographer’s   within  your  dance  
of  mouth**;;   for  improved   a  movement   style,  or  for  your   or    movement  
in  movement  
also  in   spinal   coordination   own  expanded   process.  Exhale  
performance) relévé. flexibility  &   challenge.   expression.  Note   and  go  for  it!
alignment how  breath  affects    
ways  of  relating.
Exhale  &   Move  in  all   Reflect  on   Shift  spatial   What  are  the  
3D  Spatial   fall  in   3D  to   how  to  stop,   planes  to   angles  that  
Awareness different   increase   reverse  or   communicate  –   motivates  you?
(learning/re-­ directions;;   ROM  &  to   adjust  the   gesture  sideways   Practice  moving  
repeat    falls   support  joint   angle  or   for  open-­minded   horitzontally,  
membering  to  
while   &  postural   sequence  of     inquiry,  forward   vertically  and  
occupy  all   inhaling;;   alignment. movement   for  decision   sagitally  to  seek  
space) compare. phrases. making.   effectiveness.***
Slow  down   Slow  down  to   Explore  in   Slow  down  to   Slow  down  and  
Slowing  Down   to  feel  your   feel  small  or   slow  motion;;   find  what   feel  inside  &  
to  Feel body  and   large   reverse  the   rhythms  would     outside:take  time  
(taking  time  for   listen  to   kinesphere   action.   support  the  point   to  answer:  why  am  
proprioception   what  your   movement  in   Reflect:  what   you  intend  to   I  doing  this  dance?
body  says   each  joint’s   do  you  learn   relate  
&  kinesthesia) about   ROM   from  this?
balance.
Relax  to   Relax  to   Relax  enough   Relax  and  relate   Build  a  foundation  
Relax  into   yeild  &   release   to  open  up  to     to  audience for  choosing  to  
Gravity  and   then  push   superficial   a  new  style  or   members;;   dance.  Relax  &  
Release   through   muscles,  find   coordination   increase  your   expect  things  to  
Tension extremeties   small  inner   and  then   tension  and  see   go  well  and  to  
(finding  neutral   to  find   muscles  by   reflect  on  it.   how  your   change  –  let  go  
uprightness;;   aligning  your   Choose  to   audience   (into  gravity  and  
flow  and  ease  in   then  fall  to   joints  for   remember  or   responds. forces  beyond  
movement) stimulate  the   optimal  ROM. to  let  it  go. your  control).
inner  ear.
Novel   Explore   Explore  use  of   Reflect  on   Find  an   Expect  to  reach  
Coordination   different   different  joint   what  you  Have   improbable   your  potential  by  
(learning  newly,   points  of   sequencing  to   NOT  changed. dynamic  and   exploring  new  
creating  neural   balance  on   increase   Change  that! celebrate  that  with   motivational  
your  feet. ROM. someone! patterns.
pathways)
                                       BREATHE          ALIGN                      REFLECT           RELATE                EXPECT
*See  next  page  for  explanation  and  history  of  this  chart
Please  do  not  reproduce  without  permission  of  the  author  ©2008/  Feb  2015  Martha  Eddy  
drmarthaeddy@gmail.com  www.DynamicEmbodiment.org  212-­864-­5188
 BREATHE          ALIGN            REFLECT          RELATE      EXPECT
History  and  Philosophy  of  Eddy’s  BARRE  CHART
1. The  BARRE  chart  presents  a  philosophy  and  system  of    Somatic  Movement  
Dance  Education  developed  by  Martha  Eddy,  CMA,  RSMT,  EdD  that  emerged  
through  her  development  of  BodyMind  Dancing®.  The  intention  is  for  it  to  
assist  in  planning  dance  sequences,  improvisation,  lessons  or  curricula.    

2. The  vertical  column    “Core  Concepts  of  Somatics”  are  derived  from  Eddy’s  
systematic  case  review  of  36  systems  within  the  field  of  Somatic  Movement  
Education  &  Therapy  over  the  course  of  14  years  of  research  and  35  years  of  
life  experience  as  a  student  and  leader  of  somatic  study.  Resources:  A  short  
history  of  somatic  education  and  dance  in  the  Journal  of  Dance  and  Somatic  
Practices  Volume  1  #1  2009  and  Mindful  Movement  (Intellect  Press  2016).  

3. Eddy  identiifed  five  common  dance  concerns  (the  horizontal  subline)  from  her  
lifetime  of  dance  training,  her  affiliation  with  the  International  Association  of  
Dance  Medicine  and  Science  and  work  with  students  over  decades.    She  has  
field  tested  these  in  her  30  years  developing  and  teaching  BodyMind  DancingTM  
and  Moving  For  Life  DanceExericse  For  Health®  for  people  dealing  with  
illnesses  or  physical  challenges  or  simply  wanting  to  exercise  safely  yet  
vigorously.  (also  trademarked  as  Moving  On  From  Cancer®)

4. BARRE  emerged  as  third  dimension,  forming  a  matrix.    So  this  chart  can  be  
envisioned  three-­dimensionally  as  a  cube.  BARRE  highlights  five  somatic  
concepts  specific  to  dance  -­  breathing,  aligning,  relaxing,  relating  and  
expecting  the  best.  The  chart  provides  examples  (one  per  box  –  there  could  be  
hundreds)  for  exploring  the  BARRE  Concepts  of  Dance  Somatics.    Every  
dancer  can  explore  her  or  his  own  combinations  of  somatic,  dance  and  somatic  
dance  concepts.  Feel  free  to  share  them  at  bodyminddancingoffice@gmail.com.

5. All  facets  of  the  above  are  taught  in  Eddy’s  professional  certification  programs  
for  Certified  Teacher  of  BodyMind  Dancing,  Moving  For  Life  Certified  
Instructors,  and  Dynamic  Embodiment-­Somatic  Movement  Educators  and  
Therapists.  These  are  linked  to  undergraduate,  masters,  and  doctoral  degree  
programs  throughout  the  United  States.  
**  Bonnie  Bainbridge  Cohen  of  Body-­Mind  Centering®  works  with  feet,  pelvic  floor,  thoraco  
diaphraghm,  vocal  diaphragm  and  horizontal  fibres  of  brain  (corpus  collusum  or  falx)  
***Warren  Lamb’s  Laban  derived  systems  of  Action  Profiling  and  Movement  Pattern  Analysis  
suggest  horizontal  for  exploring,  vertical  for  intending,  and  sagittal  for  committing.  

Please  do  not  reproduce  without  permission  of  the  author  ©2008/  Feb  2015  Martha  Eddy  
drmarthaeddy@gmail.com  www.DynamicEmbodiment.org  212-­864-­5188