Dancing Notes (2021- ongoing)

Dancing Notes emerges from a profound question about human resilience: how do we rebuild ourselves after experiencing the unimaginable? This ongoing research project delves into the psychological aftermath of World War I, tracing an extraordinary chapter in the history of healing where dance, movement, and creative expression became unlikely instruments of recovery.

The investigation begins in the scarred landscapes of Flanders, Scotland, and France, where the physical and psychological wounds of the Great War left indelible marks that persist to this day. Through extensive archival work in war hospital collections, the project reconstructs the experiences of traumatized soldiers and the pioneering medical professionals who sought to understand and treat what they termed "Shell Shock" - a condition we now recognize as PTSD.

At the center of this story lies the remarkable innovation of Craiglockhart Hydropathic hospital in Edinburgh, which became a laboratory for experimental psychological treatment during and after the war. Rather than viewing trauma as something to be simply endured or suppressed, the practitioners at Craiglockhart developed a radically holistic approach that recognized recovery as requiring the reconstruction of human connection, creativity, and purpose itself.

The hospital's revolutionary treatment philosophy, known as "Ergo therapy," utilized purposeful activity as a mechanism for psychological healing. Soldiers suffering from nervous exhaustion participated in carefully choreographed dance routines designed to rebuild both physical coordination and emotional expression. They engaged in musical sessions that fostered collective healing through shared artistic creation, and participated in drawing exercises aimed at reconstructing cognitive functions while providing outlets for processing their trauma.

What emerges from the archives is a vivid picture of men learning to reconnect with their own bodies and minds through structured movement therapies. The dance notation booklets that survive from this period reveal the specific choreographies used in treatment, while personal "Engagement" journals document the intimate journey from isolation back to human connection. These artifacts capture something profound about the delicate process of rebuilding one's sense of self through creative expression and social interaction.

The visual archive that forms the backbone of Dancing Notes comprises photographs, maps, medical documentation, and personal materials that together illuminate this extraordinary period in medical and social history. These materials reveal not just the clinical approaches to treatment, but the lived experience of both patients and practitioners as they navigated uncharted territory in understanding trauma and recovery.

The project operates at the intersection of medical history, movement studies, social history, and trauma theory, drawing connections between historical practices and contemporary understanding of psychological healing. What becomes clear through this interdisciplinary lens is how the innovative practitioners of the early 20th century intuited connections between body, mind, and creative expression that modern neuroscience is only beginning to fully comprehend.

The contrast examined in Dancing Notes is stark and profound: the extreme violence of mechanized warfare set against the gentle, careful work of rebuilding human capacity for connection and creativity. The research reveals how therapists understood that healing required more than medical intervention - it demanded the active reconstruction of meaning-making abilities, social bonds, and the fundamental human capacity for artistic expression.

As an ongoing project, Dancing Notes continues to expand its understanding of these historical innovations while exploring their relevance to contemporary approaches to trauma treatment. The findings illuminate timeless questions about resilience and reveal how creative expression, community connection, and embodied practice remain essential components of psychological healing across historical periods.

The work ultimately stands as both historical investigation and contemporary meditation on the profound human capacity for renewal. It documents how, even in the aftermath of unimaginable trauma, carefully structured care combined with creative expression can help restore not just individual well-being, but the fundamental human capacities for connection, meaning, and hope.