Laughter Somatics is the morning class format in which choreographer, performer, educator and Feldenkrais practitioner Antoinette Helbing shares her somatic approach to laughter as a connective physical practice. Antoinette developed this practice over the past 7 years alongside her research on laughter as choreographic material – which lays ground for a series of works. Those pieces  – the solo The Laughing Game and the group piece The Laughing Crowd stem from this practice. After a short shaking practice that helps the participants transition into a state of openness, calmness and readiness we’ll practice a part of a Feldenkrais Awareness Through Movement lesson (ATM). Feldenkrais, as a somatic learning method, practices embodied self-reflection through movement. Basic movement patterns are explored in unfamiliar configurations to observe and unravel patterns of movement, thought, emotion and action. The methods inherent non-goal approach – encouraging the participants to practice playfully and curious – prepares for giving up on the wish to do well. In laughter nothing can be measured in terms of good or bad. Thereafter a set of physical voice exercises will prepare to use the voice as movement and give movement a voice – through laughter. Those voice exercises are touching upon both – breathing exercises as well as singing together.Only for the last section we will practise laughter – hopefully by then having entered a soft, gentle, non-judging and fully connected state. Core of the practice are tools that trigger laughter for “no reason” – putting the action of “laughing” in the centre of all attention – leaving the social and psychological aspects of laughter as much as possible aside. The exercises and methods applied, take point of departure in laughter yoga as it is practised widely in India. This practice will guide the participants into a state of pure and genuine laughter – which then can more and more be manipulated, distorted, synthesised and exaggerated.

The classes are an invitation to extend the perception of what laughter is or could be – the participants will be diving into an embodied journey through laughter’s force of nature – learning to control the uncontrollable and letting go of control when it’s not needed. Laughter as a form of pre-lingual communication is deeply rooted in being human – regardless of cultural or social background. All of us are forming and reforming our individual laughter constantly throughout our lives – and we basically accumulate a collection of laughter choreographies over time. In a way all of us are creating a self-portrait through laughter – without necessarily being aware of that.