Dance and Stillness; A danced inquiry to the experience of stillness

We explore the subject of stillness: specifically thestillness that occurs in the midst of movementturbulence or chaos. It is found in the midst ofmovement - it can also be conceived as that whichframes or holds all movement. A principal focus isto distinguish the therapeutic value of thisstillness. A Christo-centric philosophy and worldvieware ground to the work and the research methodologyis hermeneutic phenomenology. Within this framework achoreographed dance work and written exegesis areequal parts of the whole. The choreography for thedance work employs a neo-classical-contemporarytechnique particular to the choreographer. The dancework was choreographed on and presented by fourdancers. These four dancers and four 'watchers' werethe research participants. As the dance work evolvedit was presented 'in process' and the participantsinterviewed subsequent to the showings. Informationwas sought about the essence of the danced/watchedexperience with particular attention being given tothe felt experience of stillness. This is a story anda journey - being the vehicle for the central themeof the thesis to be best elucidated.