Skinner Releasing Technique

Skinner Releasing Technique (SRT) created by Joan Skinner (USA) is practised and taught worldwide. Emslie, M.A. (2021) describes it as "a somatic movement, dance and creative practice with a core underlying principle of releasing blocked energy, held tension, and habitual patterns of body mind. It enables us to move with greater freedom and ease whilst awakening creativity and spontaneity".[1]

"By focusing on personal, kinaesthetic experience of essential principles of movement, SRT may enhance any movement style whilst fostering artistic sensibility and creative unfoldment" [2]

SRT is unusual in that technical aspects of moving and dancing, such as posture and alignment are experienced as creative explorations that take form as spontaneous movement. Technical and creative aspects of practice are indistinguishable.

Joan Skinner created an Introductory Level of SRT, as well as an Ongoing Level and there is a children's pedagogy in existence. The introductory Level consists of 15 classes and the Ongoing Level is that of 12 classes. The Ongoing classes allow participants to slip deeper in to practice and they are more spacious than the introductory Level classes. There is also an Advanced Level. Skinner described the shift from Ongoing Level to Advanced Level as being "'when things start dissolving ... there is only consciousness left".[3]

Whatever the level of classes, the pedagogies consist of key activities that are, Checklists, Image Actions, Partner Graphics, Partner Dances/Partner Movement Studies, Movement Studies (with an image) and Totalities.[4]

  1. ^ Emslie, Manny A (2021). Skinner Releasing Technique A Movement and Dance Practice. UK: Triarchy. pp. Back Cover.
  2. ^ "About SRT". Skinner Releasing Network. Retrieved 2021-10-25.
  3. ^ Emslie, Manny A (2021). Skinner Releasing Technique A Movement and Dance Practice. UK: Triarchy Press. p. 13.
  4. ^ For more information on these activities see Emslie, M.A. (ed) (2021) Skinner Releasing Technique A Movement and Dance Practice. Triarchy Press. Glossary pp. 275–278