Jana Kubánková Embodied Violin

How can dance improve movement comfort and artistic freedom of violin playing? In this research, I deal with application of dance therapy and somatic principles to music instrument playing and pedagogy. Can we get to this lively experience of violin stop being an external object and becoming a natural part of our body? Or either we become a violin, a music itself through our whole bodies?


I came with many particular plans what to do.  As every step in new environment, I come with the plan and the place has its own. This place is talking to me through very inspirational spirit, making me curious and silent, stop pushing the plans. What will change from my plan? The topic? The way I research? My goals? Are there even any now? How will this place print in my violin playing and movement? I empty myself to create space for these new incomers. 

Emptiness is an invitation to start something new.

Residency blog posts

My first week

Focus. This is the word of the beginning.

Everything around attracts my attention. Not just wooden floor at the studio as well as in my room, not just the garden, even when covered by ice, but more all the seemingly small details of this place. Ornaments in the bathroom. All the different plates with flowery patterns. Each different. Sticky notes of past and present people going through this place with their energy and creative spirit. A cat. White one. Scents of kitchen carrying different tastes and cooking habits of inhabitants. Sound of the house. Sounds of the outside. All the stimuli start my focus. But do they really ? I need my senses already open to see, hear, to enjoy this sensual poetry. My focus starts with opening of my senses. But not just for attention caused simply by being at new place. Much more for curiosity and fascination. And this is, what I wish my focus is like during my creative process here. Not just openness of senses for attention. But also curiosity and fascination.

At the studio, I work with direct focus. I take my violin and simply walk around the room with direct focus to discover the space. I start supporting myself with playing simple rhythm and changing of directions connected with music signal. It helps me to discover the place together with the instrument in my hands, get in pace and release. It somehow reminds me the beginnings on an instrument. Direct simple movements with no rhythmic and dynamic changes. Just focus on elementary playing movement principles, their directions. Simple warm-up exercise for space adaptation and getting connected with the instrument, for other players and teachers comes out of this work.

For compensation, my body needs to experience different movement. I start experimenting with shaping while having my violin on different body parts. Where I can go with this to still feel violin as my part and not as a requisite? How far can I go to feel safe for my wooden fragile instrument? What all can I do and still manage to play at least something really simple?

At this point, it is clear for me, that I just started working on…maybe a performance? Embodied violin is my research, a way of playing to be free in movement and expression, my life journey. Now maybe also a small solo piece…


I am researching movement characteristics of left and right hand on violin. The way they make the sound go out of the instrument and live through the minds of others. I research this element through violin playing first. Then without my instrument, with hands only. Simple repetition by body part that is responsible for particular sound, articulation

Sometimes it is just a finger, moving from the last joint. Sometimes the movement affects further parts, traveling through the arm further. I let the movement sequence to the whole body and observe, what happens. Last, I go backwards in movement process from the whole body to the starting movement.

What does it bring?  Did it make a difference in my hand movement?

I feel more support from the body in meaning of no interference by any additional tension from other body parts and more natural connectivity in my hands and arms movements.

Embodied Violin

How can dance improve movement comfort and artistic freedom of violin playing? In this research, I deal with application of dance therapy and somatic principles to music instrument playing and pedagogy. Can we get to this lively experience of violin stop being an external object and becoming a natural part of our body? Or either we become a violin, a music itself through our whole bodies?


I came with many particular plans what to do.  As every step in new environment, I come with the plan and the place has its own. This place is talking to me through very inspirational spirit, making me curious and silent, stop pushing the plans. What will change from my plan? The topic? The way I research? My goals? Are there even any now? How will this place print in my violin playing and movement? I empty myself to create space for these new incomers. 

Emptiness is an invitation to start something new.