Functional Awareness

Anatomy in Action for Dancers

Nancy Romita and Allegra Romita

Innovative approach to anatomy and dance training, where anatomy meets artistry
Founded on over 30,000 hours of experience training dancers
Improves dance technique by enabling dancers to recruit effort efficiently

Functional Awareness

Anatomy in Action for Dancers

Nancy Romita and Allegra Romita

Description

Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers is where anatomy meets artistry. Each chapter provides explorations in embodied anatomy in an engaging manner with the use of images, storytelling, and experiential exercises. It is an accessible introduction to the relationship between daily movement habits, dance training and anatomy. The information is founded on over 30,000 hours of experience teaching and training dancers to generate efficient exertion and appropriate recuperation. Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers employs somatic practices along with explorations in experiential anatomy to awaken the body-mind connection and improve movement function. The book applies the Functional Awareness® approach to improve dance technique and provide skills to enable the dancer to move with balance and grace in the classroom, on stage, and in daily life.

Functional Awareness

Anatomy in Action for Dancers

Nancy Romita and Allegra Romita

CONTENTS
Homage
Acknowledgments
Introduction
1. Relationship of Habit to Dance Training
2. Skeletal Center of Gravity to Promote Easeful Balance: Moving out of Habit and into a Balanced Standing Posture
3. Anatomical and Kinesthetic Imagery: Impact of Thinking on Doing
4. Deep Muscles of Postural Support
5. Motions of the Trunk and Elegant Use of Spiral
6. The Pelvis as Conduit from Head to Feet
7. Ways of Walking: How Gait Affects Dance Training
8. Breath as the Deep Core Support for Dancing
9. Core Support
10. Expressivity of Arms
11. Recuperation and Restoring Balance
Glossary of Terms in Human Anatomy
Bibliography
Further Readings
Index

Functional Awareness

Anatomy in Action for Dancers

Nancy Romita and Allegra Romita

Author Information

Nancy Romita, Senior Lecturer, Towson University, and Allegra Romita, Yoga Instructor, Prana Power Yoga

Nancy Romita is a Registered Somatic Movement Educator, co-founder of Functional Awareness®: Anatomy in Action, and Director of the Alexander Technique Mid-Atlantic Teacher Training Course. She has taught at the 92ndStY, American Dance Festival, Connecticut College, SUNY Purchase, UMBC, Peabody Conservatory of Music, Stevenson University. She is currently faculty at Towson University where she has been teaching experiential anatomy and kinesiology for over 16 years. She has presented at NDEO, ACDA, IADMS, CORPS de Ballet. Her collaborative research with Johns Hopkins Medicine was presented at the 2013 & 2014 PAMA and IADMS conferences in 2014 and 2015. Nancy Romita has been active in somatic work, performing, and choreographing for 35 years.

Allegra Romita is a Certified Movement Analyst and the co-founder and curriculum designer for Functional Awareness® Anatomy in Action. Allegra is a certified teacher in Vinyassa Flow Yoga. Allegra Romita completed her yoga teacher training in 2008. She trains in Thai Massage Sacred Bodywork. She also completed the Certificate in Dance Injury Rehabilitation from West Side Dance Physical Therapy in New York City.

Functional Awareness

Anatomy in Action for Dancers

Nancy Romita and Allegra Romita

Reviews and Awards

"Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers offers a blend of anatomical information with an underlying theme of moving with ease in both dance and daily activities. A delightful, engaging resource for dancers and dance educators, this book invites the reader into each chapter with a story and presents pertinent information that is practical and immediately applicable." - Rebecca Nettl-Fiol, Professor of Dance, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

"With beautiful illustrations and photographs, reflective questions, suggestions for applications to dance and to everyday life, and with an emphasis on mindful practices, the book is lucid and accessible." - Karen Kohn Bradley, School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies, University of Maryland

"As a dance instructor, I cannot wait until the book is released so that I can make this required reading for my students while referencing it for my own practice. Bravo!" - Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, Towson University

Functional Awareness

Anatomy in Action for Dancers

Nancy Romita and Allegra Romita

From Our Blog

Strategies for reflective practices in dance training

Reflective practice has the capability to facilitate deeper experiential understanding to enhance performance. It can release the dancer from the traditional 'watch and repeat' mode of dance training. Reflective practice and experiential learning is the crux of the process utilized in the Functional Awareness®: Anatomy in Action approach to somatic movement training.

Posted on September 12, 2016

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Breath: the gateway to expressivity in movement

In many forms of dance the breath support for movement is not an integral part of training. It is not perceived to be important in the same manner that stretching, strengthening, and balance warrant focus. Little coaching and training time addresses breath support in most Western dance forms. We propose breath support is at the heart of expressivity and artistry in movement phrasing.

Posted on August 16, 2016

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