Functional Awareness Anatomy in Action for Dancers

Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers is where anatomy meets artistry. Each chapter provides explorations in embodied anatomy in an engaging manner with the use of images, storytelling, and experiential exercises. It is an accessible introduction to the relationship between daily movement habits, dance training and anatomy. The information is founded on over 30,000 hours of experience teaching and training dancers to generate efficient exertion and appropriate recuperation. Functional Awareness: Anatomy in Action for Dancers employs somatic practices along with explorations in experiential anatomy to awaken the body-mind connection and improve movement function. The book applies the Functional Awareness® approach to improve dance technique and provide skills to enable the dancer to move with balance and grace in the classroom, on stage, and in daily life.

Nancy Romita is a Registered Somatic Movement Educator, co-founder of Functional Awareness®: Anatomy in Action, and Director of the Alexander Technique Mid-Atlantic Teacher Training Course. She has taught at the 92ndStY, American Dance Festival, Connecticut College, SUNY Purchase, UMBC, Peabody Conservatory of Music, Stevenson University. She is currently faculty at Towson University where she has been teaching experiential anatomy and kinesiology for over 16 years. She has presented at NDEO, ACDA, IADMS, CORPS de Ballet. Her collaborative research with Johns Hopkins Medicine was presented at the 2013 & 2014 PAMA and IADMS conferences in 2014 and 2015. Nancy Romita has been active in somatic work, performing, and choreographing for 35 years. Allegra Romita is a Certified Movement Analyst and the co-founder and curriculum designer for Functional Awareness® Anatomy in Action. Allegra is a certified teacher in Vinyassa Flow Yoga. Allegra Romita completed her yoga teacher training in 2008. She trains in Thai Massage Sacred Bodywork. She also completed the Certificate in Dance Injury Rehabilitation from West Side Dance Physical Therapy in New York City.