The Batdorf Technique

The Batdorf Technique logo

Deep physical awareness and embodied performance practice.

The Batdorf technique includes performance training - theatre, movement, dance - integrated with training in juggling deep physical awareness. It is a training process that is especially useful to performers but also can be used to enhance one’s yoga, fitness or meditation practice.

At the beginning level it focuses on a thorough practice of learning to feel multiple sensations in the body simultaneously and in doing so, begin to recognize ‘numbness’ and dissociation and ways to move around physical and emotional blocks.

Batdorf Technique students from 2017. Photo by Jordan Lafrennier.
Batdorf Technique students from 2017. Photo by Jordan Lafrennier.

Interoceptive Awareness in Performance (IAP)

IAP is a training system that increases ones presence and emotional range and was developed by Erika Batdorf through over 28 years of performance and training research. It includes an exciting and safe inclusion of emotional discovery while developing interoceptive awareness - the ability to feel sensations from the involuntary systems of the body; breath, blood flow, temperature, pain and pleasure. IAP gives the practitioner simple and concrete tools to ‘stay present’ and reawaken ones physical awareness alone and with others. It is not therapy, but very useful alongside therapeutic work and eventually leads to the development of compelling performance work. The technique organizes the practitioners’ access to specifically located awarenesses (blood, breath, gravity, pain/pleasure, temperature) that can eventually be felt simultaneously. This level of the work is useful and exciting to almost anyone with a practice that they feel they would like to deepen - yoga, running, meditation and performance work. It is also very useful to stimulate creative ideas.

At the advanced level, it can help performers and people working with others, to increase their presence and modulate their emotional expression. At this level it is called:

Kinesthetic Transference in Performance (KTP)

KTP trains performers to juggle exteroceptive (conscious muscular skeletal movement), sensory (smell, taste touch, listening and seeing) and interoceptive awareness, allowing for the development of compelling performance work. The technique organizes the practitioners’ access to specifically located awarenesses (blood, breath, gravity, pain/pleasure, temperature…) while doing other things - working with structured movement, memorized text, making eye contact. This can eventually be consciously modulated to vary the kinesthetic state (physiologically based emotion) being communicated to the audience or scene partner.

KTP systematizes the full scope of a performer’s work from the early stages of interoceptive awareness to the complicated juggling of this somatic work with layers of external structure (sensory input, exteroceptive muscular skeletal movement, eye contact, memorized text, choreography, blocking, singing…). KTP is structured so that the practitioner can apply the work to any performance material or medium.

Batdorf students

Train with Erika

The Annual Batdorf Spring Intensive takes place June 3-7 2024 in Toronto.

A weekend retreat for intermediate TBT folks June 14-16, 2024.

The program is accepting applications soon: learn more here.

Erika is also available for workshops and private coaching.

For more detailed inquiries about the Batdorf Technique, contact Erika at erika@batdorf.org .