As choreographer of a college dance company, creating dances from dreams is the

locus of my work and simultaneously the medium for my personal journey. The

imagery that I find most compelling to explore comes from dreamtime. Dance

images that evolve out of my own dreams will be the central focus of this

presentation and are taken from dance theatre performances that developed as

I explored my most vivid dreams through a dance-based active imagination

process. The intention of sharing a variety of dream dance photographs is to

demonstrate the creative potential of pursuing the central image of a dream through dance and, thereby, embodying the unconscious through choreography. Jung (1961) supports this perspective, “the modern artist . . . seeks to create art out of the unconscious” (p. 195). Regarding creativity, Jung (1959/1989) explains: “Like all psychic life the creative process stems from the unconscious” (p. 787).

By choreographing dances from dreams, images of inner life are transported into the outer realm. This requires a discerning process of releasing that which has completely personal associations and focusing on those images that are still particular but more universal in nature, without losing the passion of the inspiration. In this way, the process of creating the dance maintains its foothold in the unconscious from whence it sprang, while making the images accessible to the larger audience. When depicting his own way of working with images, Jung (1961) states: “To the extent that I managed to translate the emotions into images—that is to say, to find the images which were concealed in the emotions—I was inwardly calmed and reassured” (p. 177). Jung used the forming aspect of art to process his dreams: “Since I did not understand this dream-image, I painted it in order to impress it upon my memory” (p. 183).

As Jung explains, “image is psyche” (1957/1969, p. 50) and “the psyche consists essentially of images” (Jung, 1926/1981, p. 325). By embodying the image, the choreographer transforms the dream image into a dance image, connecting the audience to a universal language that is central to all dreams. The collective unconscious is the uniting factor that enables us to connect with each other’s dream images regardless of cultural or social differences. Presenting dream-based dances offers the greater community a way into a deeper awareness of the many creative possibilities accessible during dreamtime.

Nightmares offer enormous creative potential.  By depicting them through dance, the audience is suddenly made aware of that which has been repressed and denied. Jung discussed the startling aspect of these dreams that arrive unbidden: “the archetypal contents of the collective unconscious can often assume grotesque and horrible forms in dreams and fantasies, so even the most hard-boiled rationalist is not immune from shattering nightmares and haunting fears” (Jung, 1944/1993, p. 33). Nightmares offer high levels of energy that can be creatively focused to identify and deal with confusing emotions and threatening memories, which speaks to the value of portraying these dreams through dance. 

Archetypal dreams have a numinous quality, which can be both terrifying and compelling. These dreams take us beyond our personal experience, into the history and mythology of all time. Jung (1956/1960) tells us that “such a dream is highly impressive, numinous, and its imagery frequently makes use of motifs analogous to or even identical with those of mythology” (p. 254). Because archetypal dreams offer this connection to the collective unconscious, depicting them in a public forum—such as a dance concert—extends their impact beyond the personal into the communal, enabling others to experience their magnitude.

There is a relationship between dreams and dance. The image that defines the dream drives the dance.  Such attention to dream images motivates and informs the creative process. Nightmares and dreams of an archetypal nature hold the potency for creative expression through the medium of dance. Their strong emotions and profound images make them more readily remembered and demand processing of various kinds, including artistic expression. Archetypal dreams and nightmares can transform into powerfully compelling dream dances.

References:

Jung, C. G. (1960). Recent thoughts on schizophrenia. In R.F.C. Hull (Trans.), The

collected works of C.G. Jung (Vol. 3, pp. 250-255). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (Original work published in 1956).

Jung, C. G. (1969). Alchemical studies. In R.F.C. Hull (Trans.), The collected works of

C.G. Jung (Vol. 13, pp. 1-349). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (Original work published in 1957).

Jung, C. G. (1981). Spirit and life. In R.F.C. Hull (Trans.), The collected works of C.G.

Jung (Vol. 8, pp. 319-337). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (Original work published in 1926).

Jung, C.G. (1989). Foreword to Kankeleit.  In R.F.C. Hull (Trans.), The collected works

of  C.G. Jung (Vol. 18, pp. 786-787). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1959)

Jung, C.G. (1993). Psychology and alchemy. In R.F.C. Hull (Trans.), The collected works

of C.G. Jung (Vol. 12, pp. 1-483). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1944)

Jung, C. G. (1961). Memories, dreams, reflections. NYC: Vintage Books.

Creating Dances from Dreams: Embodying the Unconscious through Choreography

Jeanne M. Schul