Mabel Elsworth Todd

Who was Mabel Elsworth Todd?

Mabel Elsworth Todd is known as the founder of what later came to be known as 'Ideokinesis', a form of somatic education that first came to prominence in the 1930s amongst dancers and health professionals. Todd's ideas involved using anatomically-based, creative visual imagery and consciously relaxed volition to create refined neuromuscular coordination. Lulu Sweigard, who originally coined the term Ideokinesis, and Barbara Clark furthered Todd's work.

Todd's work was originally published in her book 'The Thinking Body', which is now considered by modern dance schools to be a classic study of physiology and the psychology of movement. Her work influenced many somatic awareness professionals of her day, and is often cited along with The Feldenkrais method for its focus on the subtle influence of unconscious intention and attention.