ABSTRACT
This chapter explores how dance improvisation can be used in addressing the growing tide of young people affected by mental health issues. It focuses on the phenomenon of Hikikomori in Japan where thousands of young people are choosing to withdraw from any kind of engagement, either educational or social. It considers the impact of digital technology as a power for good but also its detrimental impact on social and emotional cohesion, and the importance on embodied, somatic practices in offering some means of addressing the looming disembodied crisis.
