Comfort Study

Comfort Study is based on a warm-up movement practice from Skinner Release technique.  The crew of dancers who initially explored what became Skinner technique all had day jobs, so they would meet in the evenings after work.  Of course, since they would have been working all day, when they asked what their bodies wanted, the answer they would keep coming to was “nothing” or “rest”.  This didn’t make for the most interesting movement practice, but ignoring the sensations they were having felt somehow disrespectful to the body.  They then found something amazing happened when they shifted the question from a global “what does my body want” to the more immediate “what does this thing i am sensing want.”  With the assumption that each sensation that was drawing attention somehow wanted a global shift of the body to “get what it wanted”, they were able to find flows of movement that were unforced, pleasurable, and surprisingly dynamic.
This score has a similar process to Sarah Shelton Mann’s Sensation/Action Flow, where, starting from a sensation, one intuitively and immediately acts on this sensation. Action then redirects attention and creates new sensation, which leads to new action.  While it may start contemplative and reflective, the aim is for an immediate and uninhibited flow of sensation and action with one thing flowing into the next without concern for resolution.
Where in Sense/Action Flow, the response to sensation is open ended, in Comfort Study the response to sensation is more specific. with each sensation that comes into awareness, one physically asks and answers the question, “What would make this part of the body more comfortable?” The sensation is a call to move towards comfort of this part of the body. Assume that sensation is a call to move towards comfort and do so. Work with first impulse without hesitation. As each new sensation arises continue the process with the new sensation until there is a continuous flow of movement towards comfort. Movement may be soft or hard, accelerate or decelerate, may call for stretch, release, activation, effort, ascension or descent, move through space or into relative stillness. Assume that sensation calls for a change in whatever comes to mind – trust the first thoughts. For example one notices speed of movement … assume that this is a call to decelerate or accelerate, again with the idea of what the sensation wants, what will make it more comfortable.

If a sensation is in a specific body part, the “answer” may be to move that body part, use that body part, organize the body around that body part, or something non-linear like move another body part or shift the global state of the body. 

Sensation may also be more global. 

If thought occurs, feel the sensation of the thought and act on that sensation.

Do not become attached to completing actions … if a new sensation comes mid action, without hesitation reorient to giving that new sensation what it wants, what would make it more comfortable.  When a sensation comes to awareness, don’t stop ongoing action in order to focus on the sensation, as this will just result in sensation of stopping.  Sense during movement and respond by modifying the flow of movement.

Sensation may want to disappear to be more comfortable.  It may want to amplify.  It may want to focus more narrowly or spread or move through the body.

Allow imagination and impulse.

Trust what arises.

This is not meant to be a mental reflective process, but a very physical and immediate one.  One does not intellectually notice sensation, think about the sensation, and then act. Instead one notices sensation and ongoing movement and re-channel and modify movement  very immediately and impulsively.  There is not a rush, but one tries to not let identity or thinking get in the way of or inhibit movement. Do not give time to evaluate or to figure out … One asks and answers physically, with the body, not the mind! Just notice sensation and alter the flow of movement towards comfort. Assume that sensation is a call for redirection and change.