HWS News
11 June 2025 HWS Hosts 11th Annual Somatic Dance Conference and Festival
Public Film Screening and Dance Concerts Highlight Four-Day Celebration of Movement, Collaboration and Community
The Department of Dance and Movement Studies at Hobart and William Smith will host the 11th annual Somatic Dance Conference and Performance Festival from June 19–22. This year’s theme, Kinetic Threads of Collaboration and Community, brings nearly 50 dance artists, educators and scholars from across the country and around the world to the HWS campus for workshops, performances and exchange.
Conference Director and Professor of Dance Cynthia Williams notes that the festival offers three events open to the public:
Dance Film Screening — Thursday, June 19 at 7 p.m. in the Fish Screening Room, Gearan Center for the Performing Arts
Dance Concert I — Friday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m. in Deming Dance Theatre
Dance Concert II — Saturday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m. in Deming Dance Theatre
The festival gathers practitioners from a range of somatic disciplines including Body-Mind Centering®, Eastwest Somatics/Shin Somatics® Methods, GYROKINESIS®, Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis, Pilates and Yoga. Presenters represent a broad network of institutions including Arizona State University, Chapman University, Florida State University, Hamilton College, The Ohio State University, UNC Charlotte, Skidmore College, University of Rochester, Pacific University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Texas Christian University and Towson University, among others.
HWS faculty Michelle Iklé and Cynthia Williams will lead sessions at the conference. Iklé will present “Somatojazzology,” examining jazz dance pedagogy through a somatic and historical lens. Williams will offer “Lemniscates in Translation,” exploring connections across Body-Mind Centering®, Laban/Bartenieff Movement Analysis and Gaga Movement Language.
Current HWS students Campbell McCormick ’28 and Joy Nguyen ’26 are assisting with summer research for the conference. Recent graduates Derrielle Faulkner ’25 and Jillian VanLare ’25 will support backstage concert production.
The conference also welcomes back alumni Alexandra Bilodeau ’20 and Drew Scammell ’18 as performing artists and choreographers.
Dance Concert I features eight works—solos, duets and ensemble pieces—that explore themes of nature, identity, improvisation and contemporary issues.
Dance Concert II presents eight new pieces, including an aerial solo, multimedia works and explorations of language, cultural hybridity and international identities, grounded in Laban Movement Efforts.
Each concert will conclude with a talk-back session between artists and audience members.
Admission is free, and reservations are encouraged:
Members of the HWS community who are interested in attending conference sessions may contact Professor Cynthia Williams for the full schedule.
