Zhenevere Sophia Dao
Post-Daoist & Neo-Romantic
Cultural & Existential Philosophy
& Counter-Capitalist Imagination
Mythosomatics
My little flames kip up everywhere,
trying to burn us with sameness,
but you say, “
You poor, poor ocean,
you mess of endless stars.”
ZSD
Photo by Willa Roberts, August 2024
Mythosomatics
Physical Theaters of Expression & Sensation
"Mythosomatic" is a word I believed I'd coined in 2019, but since that "coinage," I have seen it crop up in at least one other expression apparently independent of my own.* The word is of course a compound blending of two words, "mythos," meaning extraordinary and ultimate purpose, and "soma," meaning the felt intelligence of sensation. Mythosomatics in my expression describes the entire oeuvre of the mythopoetic physical movements or "theaters"—the forms and series—that I have choreographed over the past twenty-five years. These choreographies represent embodied ontologies, states of human belonging or physical theaters of feeling that collapse the distinction between emotion and awareness, prayer and art, body and nature.
The 5 Mythosomatic Dances
The 5 Mythosomatic Dances are inspired by Neo-Romantic ideas regarding the scope and quality of feeling. These are short modern dances or "preludes" expressing 5 diverse themes of ontological power, each corresponding to one of the themes of SOMA & CIVILIZATION: Origin & Essence ("Acreation"); Power & Emotion ("Empathos"); Fragility & Sensation ("Sentos"); Eros & Transformation (work in progress); and Paradox & Mystery (work in progress). The 5 Mythosomatic Dances are currently being taught throughout the 2023 year. Information about classes can be found on the Homepage of this website.
*Joshua Schrei, of The Emerald podcast, apparently uses the word "Mythosomatics."