Dance as Elicitive Motion: A Different Way to Unfold Peace, 5Rhythms as Inner Peacework

August 15, 2015

MA in Peace and Conflict Studies
By Rosalie Kubny, Dance Therapist (to-be), Austria

How does 5Rhythms Dance work as inner peace work? I started my inner and outer journey of writing a master thesis about 5Rhythms Dance with exactly this question. During my master thesis writing process, I discovered academically and quite physically the transformative potential of 5Rhythms Dance. I found that 5Rhythms Dance is inner peace work because it creates inner space for the unfolding and experience of inner peace. Inner peace is a moment of reconnection with the self – an inner healing. Regarding the context of peace and conflict studies, which I did my masters degree in, you have to start to go on an inner journey of healing and transforming conflict within yourself first before you can contribute to conflict transformation in the outside. Or as Roth (2004) said: “Whether the war is in your head, between your legs, or between heads of state, to create peace you have to be at peace – within yourself.“

I chose to write about and to practice 5Rhythms Dance because it is a method that makes me visible here on earth. 5Rhythms Dance is a method that guides me to a moment of stillness. Every time. With that, there is always a new beginning.

Click image below to read the full thesis paper!

Kubny_Master Thesis word