Martha Eddy began her work with Linda Lantieri and Tom Roderick who created NYC’s Resolving Conflict Creatively Program. She was a staff developer in the schools and continue to help with trauma recovery in schools post 9/11 with the Inner Resilience Progam of Tides. Dr. Eddy’s role was to invite the body into the conversation – with awareness of body language, yoga, the teaching of dances from different cultures, somatic approaches to the healing arts and more. A few of Dr. Eddy’s School Violence Prevention and Anti-Bullying resources are available here:
The Center for Kinesthetic Education has lectures and outlines for movement techniques for K-12 classrooms, videos on BodyMind Centering, information of Peaceful Play, and much more.
Brian McCormick Interviews Dr. Eddy on using Dance to Diminish Bullying. https://www.dancestudiolife.com/banishing-bullying/
Dr. Martha Eddy teaches Conflict Resolution and Violence Prevention Using Dance at 92Y. Learn more or register here.
Learn more about Dr. Martha Eddy’s work on her website and in her talk Socially Conscious Body at Hamshire College.
Her book Mindful Movement has a section in the Chapter on Social Somatics. Somatic Awareness is bringing the attention of the mind to the body and allowing the body to speak. This work is at the heart of Dr. Eddy’s approach to conflict management and transformation. Find out more about the potency of body awareness in both stress reduction and in human communication and how it is formative in violence prevention.
One aspect of the somatic approach to Embodying Peace can be read about here: Laban Movement Analysis and Conflict Resolution.
Another key resource in dealing with a bully, whether a peer or a someone with authority, comes from Movement Expert and Choreographer Ellen Goldman, CMA. She has written a book called the Geometry of Movement: A Study of the Structure of Communication. This book describes The Defense Scale of Rudolf Laban and its impact in Human Movement as well as how it can be used in interaction. This is a central component of Dr. Eddy’s work along with her system of Active Witnessing (see Dancing Conflict in the Journal of Dance Education Dec 2016).
For global perspectives on these topics Martha is truly honored to be part of a consortium of leaders in compassionate dignity work http://www.humiliationstudies.org/education/teamlong.php#eddy
For a complete report on her research “The Role of Physical Activity (martial arts, sports, dance, somatic awareness and physical theatre) in Educational Violence Prevention for Youth” go to a university library to borrow this detailed dissertation depicting model movement-based anti-violence programs in LA, Oakland, Boston, NYC and the south side of Chicago.
We welcome the sharing of more resources and your questions.
Embody Peace 