The Sonic Body
2009

The Sonic Body is a larger framework aimed at exploring intersections across sound, listening, embodiment and movement. It researches how bodily orientation, social behavior, place-making and inhabitation are influenced through experiences of sound and listening, as well as acoustic arenas or constructs. From inward listening to outward listening, deep to shallow listening, as well as gestures of attunement and interruption, participating dancers and collaborators work at bringing sound into the body and its expressive potentiality.

What happens to the body while listening, and in what ways does sonic experience influence subjectivity? Are there particular forms of movement that might be explored by way of listening, suggesting paths of bodily orientation, positionality, disposition?

The Sonic Body was originally developed as a workshop held as part of Tanz im August dance festival in Berlin (2009). The workshop was open to local artists, performers and choreographers, and aimed at focusing on the sound of dancing. By setting up a range of microphones and different recording techniques, participants were invited to explore ways of listening to dance and how their own bodies sound. This led to reflections on dance as a predominantly visual expression, and how representations of the body shift through a concentration on sound.

Activities include Tanz im August dance festival in Berlin (2009); experiments in collaboration with BJ Nilsen, for Deutschland Radio (2009); workshop and exhibition, Pieter Gallery, Los Angeles (2010); exhibition at Image Music Text, London (2011) & Rome & Center for Contemporary Art, Brétigny (2011).