ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the term 'embodiment' and refers en route to Birmingham Royal Ballet dancers in 1994 learning and performing Ashton's Enigma Variations. It focuses on the historical project offered to second-year students at Trinity Laban and their experience of performing Graham and Robert Cohan choreography. The chapter considers the restaging of Siobhan Davies's Bank for London Contemporary Dance School's (LCDS) postgraduate company, EDge in 2015. Consciousness-body or embodiment occurs only at that point of fusion between thought and action or learning and doing. Performing Ashton's choreography for Enigma Variations includes attending to nuances of his distinctive style, but also an awareness of the Edwardian society he portrayed. The chapter expresses that the opportunity to learn and perform historical modern dance repertory from specialist practitioners is an important stage in the training and performance experience of present-day and future dancers.
