19.10.2024, HZT in Berlin-Wedding
Documentation / Report
by Mira Jochimsen
What is dance mediation? What is the role of a dance mediator? What is mediated – or one could also ask: between whom is mediated?
With these questions in mind, I registered in mid-October 2024 for the workshop ‘Dance mediation as a career path’. After completing my studies in Dance Performance at Stockholm University of the Arts, I am at the beginning of my career in Berlin and am interested in exploring different career paths in the dance field. The workshop aroused my curiosity to learn about the concrete and practical side of dance mediation, to exchange ideas with people who work in this field and to gain an insight into how diverse and individual dance mediation can be.
In this documentation text I record the impressions and insights I gained from the workshop.
The workshop consisted of two parts. One was led by Bahar Meriç . Bahar is a choreographer, facilitator, project initiator and the artistic director of Future Move e.V. The other part was led by Be van Vark, a choreographer, lecturer, project initiator and artistic director of Tänzer* ohne Grenzen e.V. . The group of attendees consisted of a mixture of Future Move e.V. participants, students and alumni of the HZT and people from the independent performing arts scene and related fields who were interested in dance mediation.
Dance mediation as a physical experience
Trying things out was an essential part to both parts of the workshop. We explored dance and movement exercises in the group, both with and without music, with and without aids, outdoors and indoors, with language, sounds, words and in silence. From the position of learners, we ourselves came into contact with the different facets, challenges and possibilities of dance mediation: to a certain extent, we experienced them in our own bodies.
We are spread out in the Uferstudios courtyard. Half of the group have their eyes closed. It’s easier to listen with your eyes closed. There is a chorus of hissing, whistling, smacking and clicking noises. The sounds come from all directions and I try to locate the sound assigned to me. As I try to pick out details in the chorus of voices, I perceive both the polyphony of the group as well as the specificity of the voice directed at me. With my eyes closed, I walk hesitantly in the direction I suspect my partner’s sound is coming from. The closer I get, the louder and clearer it becomes. The other sounds fade into the background. When it is very close, I open my eyes. The group has rearranged itself anew in the space.
What can be experienced here in an exemplary way is something quite commonplace: becoming aware of our own sensory perception. It places the focus on something that is always there, but to which we usually pay little attention. In this simple yet complex task, we become aware of our sensuality, our basic human tools. It is about the distances between us, about the experience of proximity and distance on both a spatial and interpersonal level. Making noises allows us to enter into relation in a playful and humorous way.
One person stands in the middle of the room, in an upright position and with their eyes closed. They are completely still, the only movement is that of their breath. The rest of the group gathers around them in a circle. We all hold long, thin plastic tubes in our hands. Based on associations with the theme ‘balance’, we previously balanced these everyday yet very dissimilar objects on our own bodies. Then, one by one, yet collectively, we place the plastic tubes on the body of the person in the middle. We try to estimate the weight of the tubes and where their point of balance is. Where can we lean or place them on the body without them falling down? Where have the others placed the plastic tubes, can they support each other, balance on each other? Does balance have anything to do with an equal distribution of weight?
Here, the props become tools with which we become aware of our own bodies. By trying to balance out the plastic tubes, I feel my own sense of balance is automatically addressed and my corporal understanding of gravity, weight and balance come to the fore.
Through these impressions, I can understand dance mediators as figures who impart knowledge and experience. It is about transmitting something. These skills and experiences can be explicit or implicit, specific or everyday. They can range from learning particular steps in the dance studio to taking part in guided perception exercises in public space. It’s about facilitating processes in which we find focus and awareness.
Dance mediation as a social practice
During her workshop, Be spoke about the challenges of creating a sense of community in projects with large groups, while at the same time allowing the individual to be seen and made visible. She explained that she considers mediation to be successful when the participants can ‘own’ the proposed material and feel that they are taken seriously. Gaining the trust of the participants as a leader is, for Be, the prerequisite for this process.
We discussed with Bahar where, how and on the basis of which values dance mediation actually takes place. It was about questions of participation, autonomy, acceptance and empowerment and about how dance mediation can reach different target groups. In the initial name-game, in which each person introduced their name together with a movement, which was then repeated by the whole group and after a few rounds came together to form a choreography, we explored how we can and want to meet in dance spaces. How we address each other, empathize with each other and how we relate to one another.
This is where the viewpoint of mediating between something appears. The mediators take up the position in the middle, the position in the space in between. This is where the question of accessibility and access comes into play, as well as participation and inclusion – these critical issues address where dance takes place in Berlin and which audiences it appeals to. Here, dance mediators take on the role of those who question social spaces and norms and those who work to break down exclusionary barriers and make dance accessible to a wider audience. Dynamic processes in groups, both on a small and large scale, play an important role here.
Dance mediation as a catalyst
For me, the impact of dance mediation can be felt in numerous ways. The arc that spans its various areas is its preoccupation with the so-called soft skills. These are skills and values that are inherent to dance, but which often remain invisible. Dance mediators bring elements such as creativity, teamwork, the understanding and appreciation of difference and empathy to the fore and make them visible and tangible. Dance mediation brings contexts, people and fields of expertise together; like a catalyst, it sets social processes in motion.
Statement on dance education
by Bahar Meriç
Dance creates spaces of encounter in which diverse perspectives meet and enter into a common exchange. Through dance, diversity is not only bolstered but also experienced as an enrichment. The shared physical and emotional experience connects people with each other and breaks down barriers.
Especially in times when right-wing ideologies promote exclusion and depreciation, and crises increasingly challenge young people, strategies and spaces for encounter and dialog are essential. Art and cultural institutions, youth facilities and community initiatives are spaces in which dance takes place in a wide variety of ways. With Future Move e.V.’s career guidance program for young people, we bring these actors together so that they can exchange on ideas and, in particular, critically engage with each other. Here, dance can be a platform to reflect on and question power relations in order to implement social transformation.
Dance promotes democracy by offering people with diverse perspectives access to spaces that are otherwise inaccessible due to discriminatory structures and social norms. Dance offers an opportunity for participation and self-empowerment, especially for young people who feel excluded or left behind by society.
This requires a comprehensive understanding of participation that actively includes all those involved in the process and sees not only young people as participants, but all those involved as co-creators.
The term Partizipation (EN: participation) is often used synonymously with the term Teilhabe (EN: involvement). These terms differ significantly in their meaning. The use of one definition over the other shows from which perspective and with which (self)-understanding we view social processes.
Involvement implies a structural dimension and refers to having access to various areas of social life, such as theater, dance, art and other fields of activity. Gaining access does not automatically mean that active co-creation is taking place. In my understanding, co-creation implies involvement in decision-making processes or in influencing outcomes, even beyond the artistic work.
In order to enable “real” participation, it is essential that those who initiate and shape participation processes, such as project leaders, choreographers, cultural managers and especially dance mediators, make their working methods comprehensible and consciously open them up to their participants. To do this, we need to question our own reservations, prejudices and internalized beliefs, reflect on our privileges and change our behaviour. Only then can we enable inclusive and fair participation for all.
To achieve this, we must actively break down barriers, make marginalized perspectives visible and integrate them into decision-making processes in the long term. Participation means sharing power and giving participants a say in decision-making and the ability to influence outcomes, as well as trusting participants to make the right decisions for themselves and their communities.
Dance education is a two-way exchange in which individual knowledge is recognized as a valuable resource and the perspectives and unique experiences of all participants are seen as enriching. This recognition of individual expertise promotes trust and self-esteem and creates an atmosphere of equality and respectful exchange. In this way, dance creates a creative space in which not only new knowledge is imparted, but also existing knowledge is appreciated and passed on.
The interconnections of discriminatory behaviors are complex. In order to understand this complexity, a conscious examination of intersectional perspectives on an individual, structural and social level is required. Therefore, in addition to artistic activity, dance mediation also means critically examining structures, changing them and creating new ones.
With Future Move e.V., we have established a multi-perspectival network of young people and actors from the fields of education, social work, dance, theater and cultural education. Our aim is to learn together and from each other continuously and in the long term.
Introduction to dance mediation as a participatory practice
by Be van Vark
Participation means co-creation. In dance, it means involving people – regardless of age, background, skills or experience – as creative contributors. There is no universal recipe for participation. How a participation-oriented project is designed depends on the group and the personalities of the participants. For co-creation to succeed, you need motivation and purpose, a sensitivity towards self-perception and the perception of the group, as well as the ability to read the group. My personal motivation within participatory work lies in the question: Who do we want to be together?
My aim is to experience and create community, to promote collective action and negotiation. For me, the best way to manifest this is through dance: dance is thinking with the body. The physicality of dance empowers people to make decisions and makes shared, utopian spaces possible.
Empirical experience
What works? Dance works. Dance contributes towards social and political formation. In dance, we practice democracy – and democracy must be practiced. In dance, we create our own worlds: we are constructively critical, attentive, tolerant, open, playful, listening and able to compromise. There is something at stake: we all pull together, look in the same direction and seek to achieve the same thing. We learn for society through dance. Dance offers impetus for change: it stands for something, not against something. It invites people to form communities from a positive standing point, to eat and laugh together and to awaken the desire to actively shape their own lifestyles. Dance encourages us to feel, to touch and to be touched – both individually and in a group. In movement, we open ourselves to our surroundings, affirm our existence and enter into a relationship with the world. We perceive, experience and create – we are present, we are rooted. Concretely, dance invites us to instantiate the world in which we want to live in, instead of being passive spectators of our own lives. It is about dealing with each other and with oneself, about dealing with the body and language. It is about being courageous and getting involved.
Accessible formats as well as an openness towards the expertise of participants are crucial. Often, I find the topic together with the group, or alternatively I bring a question or a topic and based on this the project is developed with the group. It is important to know who you are dealing with. If people have never been asked, never been involved in creative processes, there needs to be a secure foundation from which participation can take place. Drawing on their life experiences provides the participants with the building blocks from which to create. Good preparation is essential – including the drawing up of alternative plans (Plan A, B, C…). The workspace is also important: be it indoors or outdoors, large or small, clean or cluttered, urban or rural. In rural areas in particular, the often-lacking infrastructure requires extra planning. The so-called “third space” is a helpful concept – not only metaphorically, but also concretely. Working in an unfamiliar space encourages people to break out of fixed systems and roles, to question rigid structures and to create space for something new. Joint rituals can act as anchors within the group. Examples are check-ins at the start of each session, a collective warm-up, eating together, or feedback and discussion rounds in which everyone has their say. A way of working that engenders connection is important, for example through improvisation. There are methods such as “copy and paste” or synchronized movements in which the group’s heartbeats are aligned. It’s about responding to the creation process in a playful and flexible way without knowing in advance where the joint journey will take us. Chaos is part of the process. Trust in the process. Chaos allows things to happen with ease, fun and humor. Unexpected paths open up. Participation needs encouragement and affirmation. What we focus our attention on is what we give space to unfold.
Everyone wants to be seen. It is important to make clear that everyone’s contribution to the project is needed for its success. Everyone should be visible, be heard and be part of the greater whole. This creates a sense of safety and the desire to take ownership of a project and to shape it together.
It’s important to draw attention to positive outlooks to counteract existing negative thought patterns and self-perception and to encourage participants to take self-empowering action. Participants can take responsibility, for example for individual scenes or the space. Everyone is allowed to show themselves and share their vulnerability. This creates trust and allows the group to grow together.
Co-leading projects is helpful. It’s important to be able to pass the ball back and forth, to support each other and share responsibility. Alliances and networks with like-minded people from other fields, such as activists and scientists, are also useful. Shared memories form a community. What we practise on a small scale sets the premise for the bigger picture.
This way of working is based on a culture of recognition: different experiences and backgrounds are seen as an enrichment. Truthfulness and professionalism are reflected in the participants. Respectful interaction and joint decision-making form the foundations of success. An acronym that helps us is WAIT: **Why Am I Talking?** It’s a reminder to create space, allow others to have ideas and replace a no with a yes to move the process forward.
With these conditions and methods participation can successfully take place. The participation in creative projects is transferable to shaping one’s own life and by extension actively shaping civil society. A contributor once said about our work: “We are creating something beautiful from our differences.” This has become a guideline within my participatory practice.