Themes
“Critical moves. Steps we must take” is what the sociologist and former dancer Randy Martin demands. In his view, collective movements possess a political potential and therefore a force that can shape society.
Dance could be regarded as a successful model of global action: The dance scene is characterized by international networking, mobile protagonists, flexible production methods, as well as the interdisciplinary and transcultural orientation of its art form. Dance is deemed sustainable due to its sensuous, corporeal access to the world, something often neglected in daily life, which is predominantly affected by images and language. These features stand in blatant contrast to its poor reputation and low position in the ranking of art forms. The working conditions of dancers and choreographers continue to be precarious, and there is currently no autonomous national representation of its interests in Germany. For this reason, the Dance Congress assesses the political capacity of dance also in view of its own structures, discusses its innovative, global and utopian approaches, and examines how they can be sustainably rooted in the awareness of society.
The Congress in structured in four thematic complexes, within which different content-related paths can be pursued: Dance and Politics looks into the political, community-forging and transcultural potentials of dance as an art form, as well as into the strategies aimed at establishing an enhanced infrastructural foundation. Creation and Reflection pursues aesthetic and methodological debates, examines choreographic modes and addresses medical aspects. Dance (Hi)Stories is dedicated to the cultural historical implementation and archiving of this fugacious art form, without which an enduring public presence would be inconceivable. Life Courses traces the stages of a dancer’s career, from the first contact with dance in school, via education and research, to the transition during a later phase in life in which one is no longer dancing.
Dance and Politics
Creation and Reflection
Dance (Hi)Stories
Life Courses
Dance could be regarded as a successful model of global action: The dance scene is characterized by international networking, mobile protagonists, flexible production methods, as well as the interdisciplinary and transcultural orientation of its art form. Dance is deemed sustainable due to its sensuous, corporeal access to the world, something often neglected in daily life, which is predominantly affected by images and language. These features stand in blatant contrast to its poor reputation and low position in the ranking of art forms. The working conditions of dancers and choreographers continue to be precarious, and there is currently no autonomous national representation of its interests in Germany. For this reason, the Dance Congress assesses the political capacity of dance also in view of its own structures, discusses its innovative, global and utopian approaches, and examines how they can be sustainably rooted in the awareness of society.
The Congress in structured in four thematic complexes, within which different content-related paths can be pursued: Dance and Politics looks into the political, community-forging and transcultural potentials of dance as an art form, as well as into the strategies aimed at establishing an enhanced infrastructural foundation. Creation and Reflection pursues aesthetic and methodological debates, examines choreographic modes and addresses medical aspects. Dance (Hi)Stories is dedicated to the cultural historical implementation and archiving of this fugacious art form, without which an enduring public presence would be inconceivable. Life Courses traces the stages of a dancer’s career, from the first contact with dance in school, via education and research, to the transition during a later phase in life in which one is no longer dancing.
Dance and Politics
Creation and Reflection
Dance (Hi)Stories
Life Courses