Dispokinesis

Dispokinesis supports musicians and performing artists on their way to individual artistic expression. it is used both preventively and therapeutically.

Dispokinesis was developed around 1950 in the environment of the Sweelink-Conservatory, Amsterdam. At its core are the Original Shapes of Posture, Breathing and Movement (German: “Urgestalten”), developed by G.O. van de Klashorst, based on his studies in human sciences and the evolutionary development of man, such as functional anatomy, neurophysiology, developmental psychology and (findings on) psychomotor learning processes.

Another key element are special exercises focussing on instrumental and vocal technique apart from teaching and practicing posture, breathing, and movement, Dispokinesis teaches the professional musician to reflect on his expressivity and become aware of his patterns.

Dispokinesis aims to provide each musician with an individualised set of self-help exercises with the objective of gaining. Professional musicians of all instruments and voice ranges can be certified as dispokineticians to accompany such a process. Dispokinesis is this ideally tailored to the needs and realities of musicians. It is effective both for prevention as well as treatment of health problems related to musical performance, stage fright issues, up to focal dystonia.

What is Disposition?

Already in 1931, the Leipzig-based violinist and musicologist Prof. Siegfried Eberhard stated that “Disposition is the innate knowledge of original and natural posture and movement.” What does this mean for musicians specifically?

“Disposition” describes the natural interaction between mind and body, a free transfer of the inner image of sound into movement. However, this primal disposition can get lost in the course of an individual’s development and can be replaced by artificial motor patterns. The reasons for this are numerous:

  • education, bad role models
  • Blindly following instructions (without reflecting them)
  • unsuitable furniture or professional equipment
  • psychological factors such as stress
  • pressure to be successful, ambition,
  • fear and many more things can be the origin of this loss.

By applying the Dispokinesis approach to one’s music making, it is possible to re-gain one’s original disposition.