Soft Choreographies
Soft Choreographies

Summary/Abstract: The article discusses characteristic dramaturgical and ethical strategies that appear in thefield of experimental dance for families. It describes selected works of Anna Wańtuch(Contact Families Show) and the Holobiont collective (_on_line__) in which children andtheir guardians are invited to participate in a creative process. Moreover, kids do notimitate adults, but are encouraged to act and perform according to their own wishes andconditions. Both projects practise care and affectionate relations, value the process as anelement of production, and are inspired by change. The article argues that these interactiveperformances can be described as examples of what Mette Ingvarsten calls ‘softchoreography’, i.e. a choreography that produces a safe space for a dialogical meeting andparticularly stresses the importance of being attentive and responsive to the different needsof others. It proves that dance works that embody non-hierarchical social systems and donot objectify young audiences have enormous emancipatory potential and can be treated asspeculations about possible, more inclusive futures.

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