Research Training in Somatic Communication within Ensemble Practices
Facilitated By: Nita Little
April 21st-24th, 2025
This 3.5 day Training Workshop in Somatic research is meant to instill specific research skills for participants intending to study the physicality of Somatic Communication through Improvisational Ensemble Practices by means of methodologies established by Nita Little* for the Institute for the Study of Somatic Communication (ISSC).
The ISSC seeks to develop Relational Intelligence and other transferable skills of Somatic Communication in dancers, affiliate researchers, and ultimately everyday humans for the benefit of peoples in all walks of life. This Training Workshop is meant for dancers to extend their research beyond choreographic choice-making to find that Somatic Communication offers emergent relations of immediate coordination and surprise. Outcomes will include a deeper understanding of the potentials for Co-Creative Practices where new knowledge and data might emerge, as well as access to establishing CoLab research groups under the resource umbrella of the ISSC.
The workshop format will involve theoretical and practical work, including training that involves listening, moving, reading, and practicing research interview techniques with one another. We will investigate the language of embodied states that support somatic communication within contact improvisation and ensemble practices, offering dancers a shared language base from which to anchor their research inquiry.
Learning Outcomes will include:
+ a deeper understanding of the potentials for Co-Creative Practices where new knowledge and data might emerge.
+ shared language from which to begin research inquiry.
+ research practices and tools that are specific to dancing, improvising, and inquiry.
+ materials that outline our work together.
+ access to establishing CoLab research groups under the resource umbrella of the ISSC.
+ access to a worldwide network of dancer/researchers collectively investigating new ways that dancers bring dance values and potentials into the broader world.
+ access to establishing CoLab research groups under the resource umbrella of the ISSC.
* supported by ISSC researchers including Anne Sophie Reichert.
Who is this for?
Intermediate and Advanced dancers and dance researchers
Sample Schedule:
Arrivals are on Monday April 21st between 9am-11am
11am-12pm Tour and Orientation:
12p Lunch & Session 1
Sample Full Day:
Breakfast
AM Session (3-4 hours)
Lunch (90 minutes – 2 hours)
PM Session (3-4 hours)
Evening Rest, Group Activities, or Evening Session
Departures are on Thursday April 24th between 3-5pm.
“Nita’s teaching and presence have informed my embodiment – the way I move, the way I direct my attention, and the moment-to-moment choice making about how and who I am in the world. Her teaching is generous, sharp, honest, and…magical.”
– GS
“Nita’s work invited me to recognize the collective field of consciousness that exists continually and simultaneously alongside (as) the field of individuality. I noticed with our attention often focused on the individual experience we may be unaware of the collective experience we generate in any moment. I experienced during the exercise ‘Follow the one you Lead’ that by putting our attention outside of ourselves (moving when someone else moves or stops) while being responsible for ourselves(being in charge of our movement) I saw we all were in continuous movement or stopping, who was doing what at any moment was a symptom of our collective attention rather than a defined statement of our individuality. In this moment of communion with the group- I felt a profound sense of always belonging. “
– JL
“I need places like this to dig deeper into ideas that then live in my body from then on – less of a mental carryover into my practices, but more of a habit of being that carries over. That’s what I love about this class in particular is that I feel like I am cultivating these deeper habits of existing that then I can’t help but bring into my creation.”
– IB
About Nita Little
Nita Little investigates embodied attention within movement practices with a concentration on the technicities of both creative and relational practices. Through ensemble dance improvisation practice and performance she works toward a future that recognizes our environmental entanglements and values many forms of embodied communication. A dance researcher, theorist/artist, and one of the founding developers of Contact Improvisation (CI) she teaches around the globe, guiding one of its forward leading edges. She began 50 years ago, working with Steve Paxton on materials that became CI (1972) and was a participant in the earliest performances and teaching that helped it to become significant within dance and dance communities. Within CI’s first year she developed a curiosity about the relationship of the (physical) mind and relational events. Now, she investigates ecological actions of embodied attention, particularly with respect to somatic communication between humans and beyond.
Nita received her PhD in Performance Studies with a focus on the articulation of presence and creative actions of attention (2014). Her life work is inclusive of mindbody training, performing, choreographing, researching and writing about the ethics, politics and entanglement of somatic relations. With a world-wide audience for her teaching, dance making, and lecturing, she is an activist for relational intelligence and an advocate for dancers as embodied researchers. She looks forward to returning to direct the internationally active Institute for the Study of Somatic Communication (ISSC, 2016), a network of laboratories populated by dancer researchers and associate research experts from diverse fields. She lives near Seattle, in the USA. During the years of worldwide retreat she initiated online classes of “Relational Intelligence” and “Composing Emergence” as well as private coaching which continue. Currently she tours throughout the year and may be found on 6 continents. She invites you to get her monthly newsletter available by signing up at: www.nitalitte.com
Instagram: @NitaLittleCI
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nita.little
A note on food
We pour a lot of love into every aspect of our food system, and pride ourselves on being able to accommodate a wide range of dietary needs. We serve meat and dairy daily, and always have vegan and gluten-free options available. If you send us your dietary preferences in advance, we will do our best to make sure there is good food for you at each meal! All living accommodations have access to a full kitchen (separate from the main/commercial kitchen). We will provide breakfast groceries for you to prepare and eat on your own. Lunches and dinners are communal shared meals with participants helping 1 hour per day either with meal prep or clean. Drinks include: coffee and tea, dairy and non-dairy milk, lemon and lime juice for water, red and white wine.
Retreat Location
WildHeart is located on 46+ beautiful acres in the Hudson Valley. Retreatants will have the option to stay in a single room, double room, dorm, or camping in either our main retreat center or in private two-bedroom cabins. All options have access to shared kitchens and bathrooms. Daily events will take place in the studio, shared common spaces, and outdoors. Retreatants are welcome to enjoy the lawns, walk in the forest, and swim and boat in the lake during their stay! More info about directions and transportation options HERE.
Registration
Program Costs
By offering a variety of housing options, and two free BIPOC spots, we hope to make this retreat financially accessible to all! Beyond that, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need financial assistance to attend: contact@wildheartcenter.art
These prices are all inclusive! You receive all retreat content and facilitation, housing, food and drinks, and access to the land, lake, and studio spaces.
$635 Single-occupancy (private room in a shared house)
$515 Double-occupancy bedroom (per person)
$470 Dorm (a bed in our spacious 5 person dorm)
$425 Camping (bring your own tent and equipment)
$365 Commuter (meals included)
$275 Commuter (meals not included)
$999 Support Price (for those who can pay extra to help us build the dream!)
Refund Policy
In advance of 2 weeks – full refund (less bank processing fees)
Within 2 weeks – no refund
(This policy stands even in case of sickness so we encourage participants to plan accordingly.)
COVID Policy
To protect the group, please don’t come if you have any symptoms of illness or had contact in the last 3 days with anyone who has COVID
BIPOC Spots
We are offering 2 free spots for BIPOC folx. Please email contact@wildheartcenter.art to get the registration code for one of these spots.
