named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
CoLaboratories (CoLabs)
International research ensembles of dancers and movement practitioners who investigate somatic communication using movement scores and somatic exercises to develop relational intelligence and interpersonal coordination.
Ensemble Research Practice Training
Training programs held in locations such as Wallkill, NY and Sydney, Australia to develop new CoLabs and advance somatic research methodologies.
ISSC Leadership Seminar
Virtual gatherings for leadership development and coordination within the ISSC network.
Rewilding Presence: Ecology, Politics and Dance Research
Public talk series and research initiative exploring the intersections of somatic practice, ecology, and political engagement.
activities · 3 groups
What they do
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Dance Performance and Community Engagement 1 activity
- Hosts public and research engagement eventsOrganizes virtual and in-person events including general interest meetings, research days, public talks, and trainings to engage dancers, researchers, and the public in somatic communication practices and research findings.
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Community Wellness Movement Classes 1 activity
- Offers community-based movement classesProvides movement classes in Pawling, New York, supported by a community grant, with shared instruction offered over a 7-month period ending in December 2026.
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Uncategorized 3 activities
- Conducts somatic research through CoLaboratoriesOperates an international network of CoLaboratories that conduct research on somatic communication using movement scores and collaborative practices, with sites in the United States, Europe, and Australia. Research focuses on embodied attention, relational intelligence, and the relationship between physical micro-actions and nonverbal communication.
- Facilitates international CoLaboratory ensemblesOperates and supports a global network of CoLaboratories—research dance ensembles—that engage in somatic exploration and collaborative knowledge generation. By 2020, seven CoLabs were established across the U.S. and Europe, with reactivation in Italy, Poland, Germany, and France by 2024 and planned expansion to Australia and multiple U.S. locations in 2025.
- Trains practitioners in somatic communication and relational intelligenceOffers training programs in somatic embodiment, movement scores, and relational intelligence required for participation in CoLaboratories. Programs include in-person ensemble trainings, virtual workshops, and leadership seminars for dancers and mind-body practitioners globally.
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financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$6K
Contributions & grants$471%
Program service revenue$6K99%
Investment income$00%
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$7K
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits—
Grants paid out$3K
balance sheet
Total assets$3K
Cash—
Investments—
Liabilities—
Net assets$3K
2 years on record · 2024–2025 · YoY revenue +15.6%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025
Who runs it
board members · 1
- Leighhanne Kowalsky — Director
relationships · 17
Who they work with
- Bath Spa University Partner — Collaborated with ISSC on a research day for dancers and researchers.
- Berlin, Germany Partner — Hosts CoLabs associated with ISSC
- CoLab Working Group Partner — Collaborative research group engaged in somatic communication studies
- CoLab working groups Network — Network of collaborative research groups engaged in somatic research under the ISSC umbrella.
- Creative Practice and Embodied Knowledge Partner — Supported an ISSC-facilitated research day at Bath Spa University.
- Gesellschaft für Tanzforschung Partner — Collaborated with the organization to present research at the Tanz Resonanz symposium.
- Hudson Valley, New York Partner — Hosts CoLabs associated with ISSC
- Leighann Kowalsky Partner — Global Coordinator collaborating with the Institute for the Study of Somatic Communication Inc.
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development Partner — Hosted a somatic research training and facilitated interdisciplinary dialogue between ISSC facilitators and neuroscience researchers.
- Seattle, Washington, USA Partner — Hosts CoLabs associated with ISSC
- Sophia Reichert Partner — Directed the online CoLaboratory launched in 2021.
- The Pawling Community Foundation Partner — Grants funding and partners with ISSC to support movement classes in Pawling, NY.
- Third Rail Projects Partner — Collaborates with ISSC through co-collaborator Zach Morris on arts community development in Pawling.
- Vienna, Austria Partner — Hosts CoLabs associated with ISSC
- anthropology Partner — Collaborates with anthropologists to develop a multicultural theory of embodied communication.
- cognitive science Partner — Collaborates with cognitive scientists to study somatic communication and develop training programs.
- neuroscience Partner — Collaborates with neuroscientists to understand the mechanisms of embodied communication.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- Collaborative Laboratory Model for Somatic Researchmethodology: collaborative-laboratory-modelBy organizing structured group inquiry through collaborative laboratories (CoLabs), the organization advances somatic communication research because collective, practice-based engagement enables deeper exploration of embodied knowledge and relational dynamics than individual study.
- Embodied Attention as Foundational to Communicationmethodology: embodied_attentionBy training attention as a physical, relational capacity, the organization enhances interpersonal intelligence because somatic awareness enables nonverbal coordination and deeper resonance, challenging the mind-body split in traditional communication models.
- Embodied Practice as Cross-Cultural Methodological Innovationmethodology: practice-based cross-cultural methodology developmentBy developing dance ensembles grounded in movement-based, somatic practices, the organization creates research methodologies that transcend cultural dominance because embodied communication accesses relational and cognitive dimensions beyond verbal or national frameworks.
- Interdisciplinary Translation Between Somatic Practice and Sciencemethodology: interdisciplinary_translationBy creating dialogue spaces between somatic practitioners and neuroscientists, the organization generates shared understanding across fields because translating embodied knowledge into scientific contexts legitimizes somatic inquiry as rigorous research.