To Touch and to Be Touched: Interconnectedness and Participatory Sense-making in Play and Dance Improvisation

Abstract

This article addresses the notion of touch and its constitutive role in the participatory sense-making process (de Jaegher and Paolo 2007) of play and dance improvisation. It is argued that touch is always relational, as it continuously changes the contours of self, other(ness), and world(ing). It is therefore surprising that touch traditionally has received little attention in philosophy. Phenomenology and the enactive account however do hint to the vital role of touch in embodied interaction. The first part of the article consists of a discussion of key concepts, such as the duplicity of touch, the enactive account, participatory sense-making (de Jaegher and Paolo 2007), and intercorporeality. A short research overview is provided on the role of interpersonal touch in daily life. In the second part of the research I shift to the artistic practice. I discuss the Touch Project, a play|dance improvisation project that is part of my artistic research and that explores the notion of touch in a creative and experimental setting. Through an embodied inquiry, I explore how touch contributes to an embodied, relational knowing. The article concludes with some practical suggestions on enhancing body-mind awareness and encouraging playfulness through the use of interpersonal touch. It offers touch exercises that can be used in an educational setting to promote interconnectedness and a sense of community.