How Can We Move?

EDN’s Online Conference on Dance and Wellbeing

The artform of dance is a cultural practice that embodies the movement and transformation of our societies today.

Dance is increasingly recognised for its contribution to wellbeing and social cohesion. How can we ensure that the principles of care and wellbeing are embedded within the dance sector itself?

This conference invited sector representatives, artists, administrators, public funders, and decision makers to explore how support structures can nurture both the societal impact of dance, and the wellbeing of those who sustain it.

The event offered an engaging programme of participatory movement practices, conversation sessions, keynotes, and the presentation of EDN’s new research publication by Monica Gillette Practices of Care and Wellbeing in Contemporary Dance: Evidence from the Field.

We consider this an ongoing conversation and you are welcome to reach out with any comments, questions or feedback regarding the topic.

Feedback

Have you attended the conference? We'd love to learn more about how it landed with you! Please take a few moments to share your thoughts and respond to our short questionnaire at the link below:

Key Takeaways

We are grateful for the enthusiastic response coming from within and beyond the dance sector, which shows just how timely and needed the discussion on dance, wellbeing, community-engaged practices, and the working conditions in the dance field is. You can access the key takeaways from the conference at the link below.

Tactics for Care: Advocacy Campaign

EDN's Tactics for Care campaign highlights the intersection of dance and wellbeing and calls for policy changes that recognize and support dance's contributions to societal development.

As the EU-funded network of dance development organisations, EDN advocates for improved working conditions for dance artists and other professionals, dedicated dance infrastructure, and sustainable funding mechanisms that rightfully reflect the public and societal value of the professional dance ecosystem.

Evidence from the Field

Throughout the year, the EDN members and partners hosted a series of workshops, think-tanks and online meetings to explore multiple aspects of the topic and apply different perspectives to this cross-sectoral inquiry.

Facilitator and dance dramaturg Monica Gillette has accompanied EDN in mapping the practices of care and wellbeing in the contemporary dance culture.

The conference is designed as a presentation of the mapping and invites you to experience diverse perspectives and contributions on the topic.

Programme

Full Conference Transcript

Speakers

In order of appearance

Monica Gillette

Monica Gillette is a dance dramaturg and facilitator. After dancing professionally she now guides multiple projects with dance as a pathway for social engagement and multigenerational cultural exchange.

As a dramaturg she accompanied several European funded projects: Migrant Bodies - Moving Borders (2017-2019), Empowering Dance (2018-2023) and Dancing Museums - The Democracy of Beings (2020-2021) and continues to accompany Dance Well (2022-2025) and Moving Borders (2023-2025). For each of those projects she authors and edits digital publications for the dissemination of the knowledge and skills developed in the project. 

As author of the EDN-commissioned report Practices of Care and Wellbeing in Contemporary Dance. Evidence from the Field, Monica Gillette draws from the experiences of facilitating embodied sessions and the transformation process with the team at Tanzhaus Zürich.

Together with Gwen Hsin-Yi Chang she is newly appointed as the Artistic Direction team for the Tanztriennale, taking place in Hamburg in 2026.

Jean-Baptiste Baele

Jean-Baptiste Baele is a contemporary dance artist, choreographer, and educator with an extensive international career. Originally from Madagascar and raised in Belgium, Jean-Baptiste combines his passion for social behaviours and physical storytelling with his technical expertise. As the founder of Nabinam Dance Company and the Step Forward Training Program, he strives to cultivate artistic growth and community engagement in Kristiansand where he is now based.

Louise Costelloe

Louise Costelloe (EDN Co-President, Dance Ireland) is currently Programme Producer at Dance Ireland, where she works with the Dance Ireland team and membership to create opportunities for dance artists and the art form of dance to flourish. Her work in arts and dance management encompasses engagement with young people and communities, artist development, and programming performances and participatory experiences in dance. She is interested in dance dramaturgy, socially engaged practice and choreographic thinking.

Laurent Meheust

Laurent Meheust (EDN Co-President, Le Gymnase / CDCN) is director of Le Gymnase / CDCN (Roubaix / France), and develops international projects connecting to the residencies program and annual festivals. He previously took part in the construction of KLAP Maison pour la danse in Marseille and worked as guest lecturer at the Université de Provence for the License and Masters in Cultural Mediation and in the Art and Cultural Heritage programmes.

Georg Häusler

Georg Häusler is currently the Director for Culture, Creativity and Sport in the European Commission (DG EAC). Prior to that, he was Director in another Commission department for seven years. He joined the Commission in 1999 and has had several senior posts including as Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Dacian Ciolos, from 2009 to 2014. Before he began his Commission career, he was Secretary General of an EU-wide NGO. He studied law (PhD in 1993). He is 56 years old and married, with one son.

Monica Urian

Policy officer at the European Commission – Directorate General Education and Culture, responsible for international cultural relations, artistic freedom and culture, health and well-being. She was previously the programme manager in the same EU institution responsible for the ‘audience development’ priority within the Creative Europe Programme – Culture.

Before joining the European Commission, Monica worked in the private and public sector in Belgium, France, Portugal and the USA. She graduated in international economic relations and European studies from the Babes-Bolyai University in Cluj Napoca, Romania, as well as at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium. She is passionate about arts, culture, indigenous peoples, travelling and nature.

Luísa Saraiva

Luísa Saraiva is a choreographer and performer born in Porto, Portugal, and based between Porto and Berlin. She studied psychology at the University of Porto and dance at the Folkwang Arts University in Essen. Her artistic practice explores the language of the body and voice and lies at the intersection of movement and musical composition. In 2018, the piece "A CONCERT" in collaboration with Lea Letzel was awarded the NRW Ground Support Prize. She was selected for the danceWeb scholarship in 2019 and in the season of 2019/2020 she was one of the choreographers-in-residence at the K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg. As a curator she worked together with the Folkwang Museum in Essen and Galeria Municipal do Porto on interdisciplinary exhibition and symposium formats. In 2022/2023 she was a recipient of the Tanzpraxis Scholarship from the City of Berlin. In the last years she has been advocating for mental health awareness in the dance community through promoting workshops and talks in collaboration with Sophiensaele, Alkantara Festival, K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg, Tanzkongress and Tanzbüro Berlin.

Monique Smith-McDowell

Monique Smith-McDowell is a choreographer, performer and artistic audio describer based in Hamburg, Germany. A graduate of London Contemporary Dance School, she has worked with Richard Alston Dance Company, Michael Turinsky and Ursina Tossi among others. Through Monique’s work, she aims to highlight and give space to the perspectives of the marginalised in relation to socio-political issues. Creating theatre that impacts its audience, tells a story and through its emotive atmosphere, challenges the boundaries, barriers and perspectives both in and out of the theatre doors.

Biljana Tanurovska-Kjulavkovski

Biljana Tanurovska-Kjulavkovski is a cultural producer, researcher, and curator at the intersection of dance, theatre, and visual arts performance, art history, cultural policy, independent cultural scenes, feminist, and environmental (curatorial) practices. She works as a freelancer and as a programme director of Lokomotiva, Skopje. Currently, she is a co-researcher for the NADA Digital Archive of Dance and Performance; co-curator of the exhibition Dancing, Resisting, (Un)working- Aspects of Dance as Cultural, Political, and Art Work in Yugoslavia and After, and Performance Platform Festival in Skopje, curator of the international school “Curating in Context”, and co-mentor of the Critical Practice (Made in Yu) and Re-Imagine project. She teaches and writes, was educated as a dancer, is an art historian, and holds a PhD from the Faculty of Drama Arts in Belgrade.

Sándor M. Salas

Sándor M. Salas (Sevilla, 1983) graduated in Editing and Digital Post-Production at Escuela Andaluza de Cinematografía (EAC). He likes exploring audiovisual language and his work includes creative documentary, experimental cinema and video-art. He has previously directed the video essay «Seismic Silence» (2020), premiered and awarded at Sevilla European Film Festival. His short films have been selected in festivals like DocsMX, Alcances or Alcine and nominated in ASECAN Awards.

Emily Jenkins

Emily Jenkins is an established, international dance artist with an embedded social and wellbeing practice. She has worked in the dance sector for over fifteen years, designing, implementing and artistically leading life enhancing dance initiatives with both cultural and health organisations.

In 2016 Emily founded Move Dance Feel, a company offering dance to women living with and beyond cancer, and works closely with cancer support services to incorporate dance into their care programmes. In 2020 she was selected as a Churchill Fellow, supporting her to spearhead an international #danceincancercare movement – creating a network of artists, researchers, healthcare professionals and students operating in this space.

Emily currently serves as a committee member for the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science, specialising in advocacy. Recognising a lack of training opportunities for artists in this field, she initiated a pioneering professional development programme; Dance and Health - Advancing Your Practice.

Roberto Casarotto

Roberto Casarotto is the Co-director of Aerowaves, the European Platform for Dance promoting cross-border mobility of the work of emerging dance artists.
He is the initiator of Dance Well – Movement research for Parkinson and other processes aimed at the engagement of communities and participation of citizens in cultural activities and dance. From 2006 till 2022 Roberto has been responsible for the dance projects and programmes at Centro per la Scena Contemporanea of Bassano del Grappa (CSC) and Operaestate Festival Veneto. Prior to working for dance organisations, Roberto was a professional contemporary dancer.
He is the author of the book Nigel Charnock published in 2009 by L’Epos. In 2015-18 he was Artistic Director of Balletto di Roma, and board member of EDN - European Dancehouse Network from 2015 till 2021.

Markéta Vacovská

Markéta Vacovská is a choreographer and performer based in the Czech Republic. She graduated from the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (Dept. of Nonverbal Theater). She currently collaborates with Spitfire and Tantehorse Company as a dance artist, co-creates the DanceWell community in the Czech Republic and is actively engaged in social work within early childhood education and care programmes for socially excluded families.

About the Project

Each year, the EDNext project investigates important topics relevant to the development of the contemporary dance sector and disseminates the findings. Browse through EDN's open-access resources to discover our recent work.

EDN's 2024 programme, research and publication are brought to you with the support of the European Union's Creative Europe programme as part of the EU-funded project 101053456 EDNext.