GrenzenLos – Tanz als Begegnung mit Grenzen und Möglichkeiten

In the organizer's words:

In GrenzenLos you will explore dance as an encounter with personal, spatial and communicative boundaries - and the possibilities that arise from them. The workshop combines elements of Authentic Movement, improvisation and is based on the Feldenkrais method.

Movement impulses arise from within, are embodied and then reflected on in changing roles: as a "mover" who performs the movement, as a "describer" who describes the movement verbally, and as a "witness" who observes and perceives the movements. This creates new perspectives on one's own body and that of others and the connection between movement, language and perception can be experienced. The linguistic accompaniment serves both as an inclusive tool and as a means of artistic expression.

The aim is to sharpen your own body awareness, expand your range of movement and experience dance in multiple dimensions in a trusting, performance-free atmosphere: visibly, audibly, tangibly. The workshop offers an inclusive experience in which boundaries are made aware, shared and creatively negotiated - for self-determination, expression and collective movement.

The workshop is aimed at participants with or without previous experience in somatic practice or improvisation; existing experience can make it easier to get started, but is not a prerequisite. It is important to enjoy movement and be open to the group. The workshop is inclusive and is aimed equally at people with and without disabilities. Assistance or special needs (access riders) can be provided if required. The TanzFaktur premises are barrier-free for wheelchair users.

As part of the DSHS Dance MA, the workshop is being held in cooperation with TanzFaktur.

The workshop will be led by Lara and Susanne:

Lara Mettendorf is a dancer and movement researcher from Cologne and has been at home in inclusive dance for over twelve years. Between the stage, projects and festivals, she develops an artistic practice that explores freedom, physical boundaries and new aesthetic possibilities. Her disability is consciously incorporated as a creative driver and opens up perspectives that question and expand conventional images of the body - even if barriers often make access difficult.

At the same time, Lara works academically on inclusion, dance and diversity and combines practice, research and political commitment into a common field. What began as a volunteer position has become a vocation, passion, attitude and social intervention. Her current master's degree in dance at the German Sport University Cologne deepens and bundles this path, which continues to develop artistically and politically.

Susanne Clausnitzer is a dancer, therapist and lecturer from Berlin. Her dance journey began 10 years ago in the drum and bass club culture. From an early age she was fascinated by dance as an instrument for self-awareness, connection and social change. After intensive studies in dance and movement therapy at the Hogeschool Zuyd in Heerlen (Netherlands), she works with young people with eating disorders and trains dance therapists throughout Germany. The topics of empowerment and embodiment are particularly close to her heart. She always finds it a gift when people come into positive, playful self-contact and take more ownership of themselves. Her wish is to bring dance back into the center of society. She is expanding her research and mediation opportunities with a Master's degree in Dance at Spoho Cologne.