The Dancer Revisiting

The Dancer Revisiting is a project that aims to bring artists and children together through play. It is part of the larger project, The Artist Revisiting (Kunstneren tæt på), which seeks to create new artistic productions by having professional artists meet different children through play.

The project is based on the idea that the creative process of artists and the play of children share many similarities, such as curiosity, imagination, and creativity. By letting these elements come together, the project aims to create a new strategy for authentic meetings between artists and children.

In the fall of 2020, The Dancer Revisiting brought together the skills of Swinging Europe, Holstebro Dansekompagni and I, as well as Isenvad Børnehus, Klokkekilde Børnehave (Spilophuset Hammerum), Ejsing Friskoles Børnehave, Østbyens Børnehus (Herning), Margrethe Reedtz Skolen i Ryde and Ejsing Friskole. The project was made possible with financial support from Den regionale kulturaftale, Herning Kommune, Kulturaftalen i Midt- og Vestjylland, Færchfonden, and Nordea Fonden.

During The Dancer Revisiting, three professional dancers from Holstebro Dansekompagni visited different kindergartens and primary schools to introduce children to dance through play. The dancers also interacted digitally with a kindergarten and a school class. Based on their interactions with the children, the dancers developed a series of improvisational frameworks that were recorded live on video in Deep Forest Art Land with an orchestra consisting of musicians from Swinging Europe’s previous project, The Jazz Musician Revisiting. The project ended with the publication of the video recordings and a documentary about the project.

The project was led by myself Morten Mosgaard as artistic director. The project also gave more room for the dancers’ ongoing reflection on their meetings with the children. It allowed the artists and children to create new things and explore their creativity in a way that was intuitive and authentic.

Key takeaways from the project:

• This project shows the power of play in fostering creativity and innovation.
• Artists can find inspiration from working with children, and the children’s perspectives can lead to new ideas and approaches.
• Institutions and schools can benefit from giving children more agency in their own development and learning.
• The project highlights the importance of flexibility and adaptability when working in a constantly changing environment.
• The success of the project shows that authentic meetings between artists and children can be achieved through simple yet intuitive approaches.

Overall, “The Dancer on Genvisit” was a unique and inspiring project that brought artists and children together in a meaningful way. The project demonstrated the value of free play and the importance of taking a child-centered approach to art. I hope to see more projects like this in the future, as they have the potential to inspire and engage both artists and children.