May 2023. In Collaboration with Mykyta Kravchenko and Soma Majsternia.
Dancing the Problem is a research project where dance and performance are the main artistic tools to articulate problems in contexts of violence, war, or crisis. Since 2015 I have researched the relation between danger and dance in Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Germany, Korea and currently in Ukraine, collaborating with artists in dance laboratories, performances, and publications generating embodied knowledge capable of bridging the gap between art and the realities of war and crisis.
Participants: Iryna Polishchuk, Oleksandr Puliaiev, Svitlana Oleksiuk, Dara Balashova, Anna Montytska, Roman Feshchak, Artem Prysyazhniuk, Maria Leonenko, Alla Kravchenko, Maryna Makarenko, Zelenina Antonina, Mykyta Bai-Kravchenko, Maria Kondratieva.
My research methodologies have been developed in the field of dance and performance generating knowledge in the form of body practices, dance pieces, publications and participatory events for sharing and exchange. My model is called Dancing the Problem and has existed since 2015. It is rooted in the belief that movement and dance can serve as powerful vehicles to address complex issues of physical danger, war, or emotionally charged contexts. During this residency at SOMA (Lviv, Ukraine) we have developed artistic tools capable of bridging the gap between art and the realities of war-stricken areas so the participating artists are empowered to redefine the limitations of what art can do within the context of war. The research methodology unfolds in two distinctive phases. In the first phase, emphasis is placed on experimentation through body practices, immersing participants in an exploration of the unknown and embracing conditions of danger and risk. This artist’s laboratories serve as temporary collective structures where participatory events, experiences, and body-based practices are the very essence of knowledge creation. This approach emphasizes the tangible and experiential aspects of knowledge, making it a deeply embodied and transformative process. The second phase of the artistic research is dedicated to integration and articulation. Here, the insights gathered from the experimentation phase are shared and reflected upon with audiences, embracing experiential learning, collective collaboration, and embodied knowledge. The project contributes to the research community by providing a novel, interdisciplinary approach to artistic research, expanding the scope of how we think about violence, war and crisis. This exploration into the problematic realms of knowledge and experience adds to the ongoing discourse on art’s role in society. The reflections and findings are then disseminated through archives of dances, live performances, a website and publications.
It was a profound experience in which we delved into the transformative potential of art to give voice to the unspeakable. In many ways, living under conditions of war and instability can create an atmosphere of paradoxes
and uncertainties that challenge our perceptions of life itself. Through this research project, our aim was to explore how we could approach these paradoxes and uncertainties through the language of dance and movement. As I facilitated the research frame for the artists to “dance their problems,” I aimed to enable them to externalize their inner emotions and conflicts, and translate them into artistic expressions. The project was designed to serve as a platform for artists to develop tools capable of bridging the gap between art and the realities of war-stricken areas. By engaging with their hardships and challenges in a creative and poetic manner, the participating artists were empowered to think beyond the known boundaries, redefining the
limitations of what art can do within adversity.
THEOROS by Diego Agulló 