Voice, Breath and Expression

For many dancers, movement and voice are explored separately.

My research asks what might happen if breath, sound and movement become part of the same embodied practice.

Voice begins with breath. As breathing changes, movement changes too. Through vocal exploration I have been investigating how humming, resonance and simple vocal sounds influence presence and expression during movement.

Reading Chloe Goodchild (2003) encouraged me to think about voice differently. Rather than seeing it as something used only for speaking or singing, I began exploring voice as another way of listening to the body. This shifted my attention away from trying to create a "good" voice and towards discovering an authentic one.

Rather than aiming for a beautiful sound, I am interested in how voice influences movement quality, presence and expression.

Studio Reflection

Today's exploration began with listening...

to the breath...

before allowing any sound to emerge.

I introduced a gentle hum while moving...

At first it felt unfamiliar...

almost uncomfortable.

As I continued, I noticed my movement becoming softer and less controlled.

The more I listened to my breath...

the easier it became to allow the voice and movement to work together.

There were moments when I stopped listening...

and immediately I found myself trying to control the movement again.

Returning to the breath brought me back into the body...

It reminded me that voice is not something I add to movement...

It is already part of it.

This left me wondering...

What happens when we stop trying to control the voice... and simply allow it to emerge...?

References

Goodchild, C. (2003) The Naked Voice. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

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