Dancing Histor(y)ies
Dancing Histor(y)ies – binding Communities and Heritage through dance is a European project aimed at linking communities and cultural heritage through dance.
Financed under the "Creative Europe" program (Project ID: 101099222), the project focuses on promoting archaeological sites through performing arts and aims to identify an innovative, effective, and replicable model for the enhancement of cultural sites actively involving local communities in artistic production and conscious heritage enjoyment, also promoting the international circulation of European artists. The project intends to create a common and adaptable general model to be disseminated and exploited at the European level, aiming to combine the tangible cultural heritage of the sites involved with the intangible heritage of local communities and their stories, fused together through the creativity of dance.
ilDance’s role in the project is to facilitate workshops with the local community and to create artistics works to be performed at festivals organised by the institutional partners in five heritage sites located in Italy, Spain, Greece and Serbia. The works will be created in residencies in Sweden and the partner countries and artistically utilise knowledge which will be generated in a research process during the first stage of the project and through the community-workshops.
For both the artistic work and the community workshops, ilDance aims to feature the perspective of queer and other under-represented communities in this very sensitive context of cultural heritage.
The core objectives of Dancing Histor(y)ies are the design, testing and assessment of a model for the valorisation of heritage sites through performing arts, community engagement and territorial development. The project aims to promote and enhance international dialogue and cooperation amongst different cultural organisations; create an innovative model for the fruition and valorisation of heritage sites; involve local communities in the artistic production and in the heritage fruition and understanding; promote the international circulation of European artists.
The aspiration of the Dancing Histor(y)ies model is to provide a tool that supports the fusion of the tangible heritage of local heritage sites with the intangible heritage of local communities and their stories, brought together creatively via dance. The project will combine these diverse experiences as they develop from different partners, towards an overall common, but demonstrably adaptable model, to be disseminated and exploited at EU level.
Read more about Dancing Histor(y)ies on the project’s website.
2024 Co-creation process and performances
‘Still Moving Bodies’ - Viminacium, Serbia, 26 June 2024
Still Moving Bodies was created specially and specifically for the archeological site in Viminacium with influences from past and present cultures which were and are so vivid in that region. Aloni was drawn to Roman military history in Viminacium in relation to the frequent presence of war in more recent Serbian history. This interest flourished when Aloni and the creative team learnt about Serbian traditional songs and music, and how they feature so powerfully lament and reminiscence to what has been taken away or destroyed by war. The main process of learning about song and music was made possible through the collaboration with the incredible students and teachers of the music school ‘Stevan Mokranjac’ in Požarevac. Additionally, Aloni and the team were really inspired by the immense Roma culture in the area of Viminacium and what powerful dynamic occurs in the interaction and exchange amongst the multiple cultures.
The costume designer of Still Moving Bodies, Amanda Wisselgren, spent time with the students and teachers at the design school in Belgrade and they exchanged knowledge and references both about costume design for performing arts and the extraordinary textile and garments in Serbian culture.
‘One Day We Will Be Statues’ - Mérida, Spain, 5 July 2024
For the creation of One day we will be statues, choreohrapher Israel Aloni was drawn to the presence of the history of gladiators in contemporary culture in Merida. The interest of nowadays community in reliving the monumental event of gladiator fights was particularly fascinating to Aloni from the perspective of queerness and the representation of the male figure as the object of admiration in the public space. Additionally, Aloni was immensely inspired by the incredible wealth of knowledge, passion and experience of Fuensanta Blanco, for the incredible art of Flamenco. Aloni finds that how Blanco takes on a significant role in the region of Extremadura in regards to both maintaining and evolving Flamenco is really inspiring. Furthermore, Aloni tried to work with the sphere between the historical heritage of the gladiators and the current vitality of Flamenco.
‘Living in Tophet’ - Tharros, Sardinia, 12 July 2024
One of the biggest inspirations for Living in Tophet has been the immense historical and mystical power of the Tophet at the archeological site. Additionally, Aloni and the team were inspired by the extraordinary tradition of the barefoot running men and walking women in Cabras. Whilst demonstrating and practicing very different belief systems and cultures, Aloni was fascinated by the similarity in the powerful spiritual devotion emanated by the people of Cabras through their keeping of this unique tradition over 400 years, and the rituals and ceremonies held for Baal and Tanit at the Tophet in Tharros.
Read more about the co-creation process and the artistic concept here.
Still Moving Bodies - Teaser by Uros Stepić
Dancing Histor(y)ies partners
Institutional Partners:
- Associazione Enti Locali per le Attività Culturali e Di Spettacolo (IT)- Consorcio Patronato del Festival de Merida (ES)- I Borghi Srl (IT)- Arheoloski Institut / Institute of Archeology (RS)- Etaireia Koinonikis Paremvasis kai politismou / EKPOL (GR)Artistic Partners:
- 420PEOPLE (CZ) - Polski Teatr Tańca / Polish Dance Theatre (PL)- Аrt Link Foundation / Derida Dance Center (BG)- Aloni & Brummer Productions AB / IlDance (SE)Technical partners (with specific competences in research, training, dramaturgy and territorial) development:
- Technologiko panepistimio kyprou / Cyprus University of Technology (CY)- Asociación AEI Cluster del Turismo de Extremadura (ES) - Kulturális Örökség Menedzserek Egyesülete / Association of cultural heritage managers (HU) - Mapa das Ideias (PT)
Dancing Histor(y)ies is co-funded by the European Union. ilDance’s participation and activities in the project are made possible with the support of the Swedish Arts Council and Förvaltningen för kulturutveckling Västra Götalandsregionen.
Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Creative Europe. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.