Embodied Threads Zero–One Breath Map

Breath as the First Thread of All Movement

Zero — The Womb, the Pause, the Ground State

Nervous system downshifts
Stillness that holds energy without collapse
Receptive, weight-aware, connected to floor or space
No demand, no push — simply presence

One — The First Motion, the Becoming, the Commitment

Breath as choice: the decision to move
Inhale or exhale cues the body’s initiation
Carries direction, quality, and intention
Born from Zero’s readiness

Teaching Across Levels · Zero–One Breath
    
      
          Level
          Zero Cue
          One Cue
          Imagery / Frame
        

      
          3–4 Early Creative Dance
          “Seed sleeping in soil”
          “Sprout reaching for sun”
          Storytelling breath: garden, animals waking
        

          5–6 Ballet Foundations I
          “Ready space before music”
          “First count with the music”
          Breath launches plié or tendu
        

          6–7 Ballet Foundations II (A)
          “Feet quiet on floor”
          “Breath starts the phrase”
          Match breath to simple phrasing
        

          8–9 Ballet Foundations II (B)
          “Air holding your arms still”
          “Breath shapes arms open”
          Link breath to named port de bras
        

          9–10 Ballet Foundations III (A)
          “Pause at the end of a step”
          “Breath begins the next”
          Breath as the bridge between steps
        

          11–12 Ballet Foundations III (B)
          “Anticipation before the story”
          “Breath launches the story”
          Play with Zero length & dynamic intention
        

          12–15 Intermediate Flow
          “Suspension as choice”
          “Breath declares the movement”
          Partner Zero/One timing games
        

          12+ Advanced Flow
          “Grounded presence before action”
          “Breath as first cause”
          Choreographic & philosophical application
        

    
  

Core Cues for All Levels

“Zero is not nothing — it’s everything before something.”

“Let the breath decide the moment.”

“Every step has a Zero, every Zero has a step waiting.”