Course Schedule: Wednesdays 10.00-12.00
The course has two related objectives. One is to offer physical and mental rest and recuperation.
The other is to enhance scientific intuition and dialogue.
It is important to us to create an environment where students can find a physical and mental break from the intensity of being a student in our demanding scientific setting, together with finding social and emotional bonding and support between students (including professors) through relaxed playful, non competitive, physical communication and some words too.
The second and related objective is to enable a state of non-linear, intuitive, imaginative, embodied mind. In this state new pathways are created in the brain, different parts of the brain communicate better with one another and enable the connection between different ideas, sets of data and modes of thinking and perception. We believe that this state is a fertile ground for new scientific intuitions.
We see our course as a trans-disciplinary practice that can be viewed as a soft skill, or a night
science skill. Scientists often speak of different nonscientific activities or situations that they feel aid their science. Our course is an attempt to consciously cultivate these situations in a
methodological way through exploring basic presence in the embodied here and now.
In movement improvisation we explore our physical presence, movement and communication
through different scores - structured improvisations.
During the two-hour class, the body-mind of the student learns first to relax and simply be. This relaxation is achieved by lying down on the studio floor and paying attention to breath, weight and the multitude of body sensations. The student, through improvised movement, begins to discover what her/his body-mind happens to do, what movement or pose feel good, feel right. This mindful improvisation creates a sense of wellbeing, promotes health and integration and awakens curiosity, creativity and awareness of general and deep patterns of reality, perhaps subconsciously initially.
Some scores explore our inner sensations and experience through solo movement guided by
observing different sensations and actions, sometimes with the aid of anatomical information. We play with initiating movement from deferent places in the body. We might look at an image of a scapula and then move from our own scapulas. Another exploration is our experience of moving in relationship with gravity, playing with the infinite number of pathways from lying to standing.
There is no correct movement, there is the movement that happens. If the movement is pleasurable it is probably better than if it is not. Pleasure and displeasure are qualitative yet very precise measurements of psycophysiological well being. It is our most ancient and always available measurement tool. The time spent this way offers mental and physical recuperation and is beneficial for student’s wellbeing.
Some scores play with ‘contact improvisation’ – How do two bodies share weight and find flowing and effective movement together, leaning on each other, rolling on one another, lifting and flying.
It’s really fun and it teaches us skillful movement in the gravitational field and skillful and playful communication through the body.
Other scores explore group compositions in space. Here we deal with the group as a whole, creative expression, relationship of individual and group, the relationship between words and movement and the experience of seeing one another and being seen.
During the 4 semesters that the course has taken place some simple improvisation structures have emerged that felt effective in promoting creative unconventional scientific dialogue.
In one structure after some time of group improv relating to compisition in space we start talking about whatever topic someone introduces, we talk and listen while moving. Some are walking some lying or rolling on the floor, some sitting ,some still, some moving. The ideas spoken exist in the context of the being and moving in space. One does not have to respond to what is said. There are silences between the words. The words influence the movement in unconscious and conscious ways and the movement affects the words in conscious and unconscious ways. We are familiar with ‘brainstorming’. This is a different way, perhaps ‘brainunfolding’
Input from students that took the course:
Alon, PhD student in Biology: For me, Sensescience was a place to let go of the tasks and the rush
of the lab in a way that enabled me to be more connected with the essence, the motivation and the
broader picture of my scientific journey.I Ioved it and I highly recommemd! The dancing part was
pleasant and not scary as you may think :).
Julia, PhD student in Biology: I’m happy to be a part of this wonderful group. As a strong supporter
for a multidisciplinary approach on campus, I appreciate the opportunity of a great learning journey,
between the body and mind within a research context.
Gur, PhD student in Physics: In the framework of movement and body practice combined with
anthropomorphic and abstract scientific discussions, the course provides a unique platform of
connection with the scientific creative process. The course was extremely fun, while at the same
time providing a very unique set of soft-skills for scientific thinking.