PSR Danceolitics

online lab & print publication DANCEOLITICS
(planned as Laboratory on Dance and Politics -> due to pandemic restrictions converted to printpublication)

Artists involved: Kasia Wollinska (editor in collaboration with Simone Willeit/Uferstudios), as authors/contributors: Olympia Bukkakis, Sabine Cmelniski, Claire Cunningham, Luca De Vitis, Bouchra Lamsyeh, Anka Herbut, Christelle Ahia Marie-Laure Kamanan, Wanda Gaimes & Pedro Marum, Ysaline Rochat, Olia Sosnovskaya, Mateusz Szymanówka, Nir Vidan, Proofreading: ChloeChignell, Design: Maximilian Mauracher, David Rindlisbacher, 3D Herwig Scherabon

Originally conceived as an international live laboratory and workshop on political activism in, through and by dance(ers), due to the varying travel restriction and hazards of lockdowns, Uferstudios in agreement with Kasia Wollinska (editor) decided to alter the Performance Situation Room #4 to a more planable, sustainable and (in times of altered public presence) durable format: a reader, that was both prepared via digital means, as well as disseminated in both print and online publication.

Main goal of the planned workshop – transferred into publication - was to exchange and multiply on choreographic means of political activism and agenda making. Intentionally set from the perspective of artist and practitioners, rather than academics, we tried to filter a gaze and a practice that does not stem from an observers position, but is intrinsically embedded in their own subjective practice and created, performed and incorporated through ones owns body(ies): rather than observing the “political” on stage and in art, we asked how does a incorporated praxis of political behavior look like and feel like, once conceived, performed and observed by dancers and choreographers. How do they understand the political impact moving bodies have and feel/perform and experience?

We briefed all contributors on the concept and gathered them all in an online meeting in order to exchange on perspectives planned and topics to be treated. Rather than streamlining all contributions towards a main-narrative, we encouraged the writers to really take their biographical and professional experience as spring off for their chosen topic. Within the choice of contributors we were attentive to observe artist not only with a high awareness of political engagement in art but also with different cultural backgrounds and visibilities, reaching form people coming form countries with acute socio-political tensions or marginalized communities Rather than harmonizing the inputs we intentionally allowed eclecticism of topics/times/agendas treated, allowing thus a mosaic of political engagement through the lens and by the action of moved and dancing bodies. Thus the publication DANCEOLITICS covers choreographers perspectives on politics from Belarus, to Israel, from artist (and spectators) with disabilities, from Poland to BIPoC, from Berlin to visits to the 1930ies, from critical rave to socialist art.

The collaboration with editor Kasia Wollinska was marvelous. She managed to engage with all contributors on such a close level, in order to really come by with very striking and intimate texts, that touch by their very sincere and wide perspective on limits and powers of dance and moving bodies. Her skills in refining thoughts through language and her very professional organizational skills shall not go unmentioned.

The publication spans over 198 pages, print run 4000 copies. Originally, we intended a live book- launch event in January with consequent online dissemination. The launch has been altered to be a hybrid live/online event postponed to early March 2022, and a bigger campaign for the online launch will follow consequently.

View the publication through link in the upper right column.

View the experience report by Kasia Wollinksi in the upper right column.