Author(s)

Qi Meng ¹

Affiliation(s)

¹ Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China

Corresponding Author

Qi Meng

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the emergence of embodied knowledge in the pre-movement phase of Yunbu training within Kunqu Opera, focusing on the somatic processes that precede visible motion. By centering on the micro-moment immediately preceding the dancer's first step, the study introduces the concept of somatic perception to articulate a kinaesthetic state in which breath, gravity, and spatial awareness converge in preparation for action. Building on the notion of kinaesthetic intention, the research proposes that the dancerly body is not simply activated through external movement, but generated internally through a sequenced alignment of attention, sensation, and embodied awareness. The study adopts a hybrid methodology integrating fieldwork with the Southern Kunqu Opera Troupe, high-resolution video microanalysis, and somatic reflection. Through this approach, a five-phase preparatory sequence is identified that marks the internal structuring of the dancer's body prior to visible motion. This often-overlooked kinaesthetic threshold critically shapes performer intentionality and facilitates the nonverbal transmission of embodied aesthetic knowledge. By revealing the latent structures beneath visible technique, the paper contributes to current discourse on embodied cognition in traditional performance. The findings offer a transferable conceptual framework for analyzing pre-movement cognition and propose new directions for theorizing nonverbal pedagogy in dance and theatre training. 

KEYWORDS

Kunqu Yunbu; Somatic Perception; Kinaesthetic Intention; Embodied Training; Dancerly Body; Nonverbal Transmission; Pre-Movement Cognition

CITE THIS PAPER

Qi Meng, Pre-Movement Cognition and Somatic Alignment in Kunqu Yunbu Training: Toward a Theory of Dancerly Formation. Art and Performance Letters (2025) Vol. 6: 18-24. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.23977/artpl.2025.060204.

REFERENCES

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