Mabel E. Todd

Mabel Elsworth Todd (1880 – 1956) was a pioneer in the study of the body, posture and movement. She was the originator of what is known as “Ideokinesis”, a form of somatic education that became popular in the 1930s among dancers and health professionals. To develop a better use of the body, Mabel Todd used visual images based on an understanding of anatomy, social and cultural stereotypes, and the physical forces at play. This subtle work between body and thought was continued by Lulu Sweigard and Barbara Clark, then André Bernard, Pamela Matt, Eva Karczag… today a reference point for so-called somatic practices and a source of inspiration for many dancers.

Mabel Todd’s work and research were published in her book “The Thinking Body” (1937), translated for the first time into French by Elise Argaud and Denise Luccioni, published by Editions Contredanse, under the title “Le corps pensant“.

Resources website: www.tbi-media.org