Dancer/choreographer Elisa Zuppini has been leading a new series of We Dance Together since March

We spoke with Zuppini about her experience teaching these sessions. What is it like for her to work with such a mixed group?

“Sharing my research at We Dance Together has been particularly engaging so far. The group is quite diverse in terms of trajectory, ranging from participants with no previous training in dance, to artists working in the fine arts who are interested in performance, to practitioners who already have professional experience in the field.

Teaching in this context is new and enriching for me as well, because of the way the practice lands differently and is embodied by each attendee. I am learning to look further at movement, especially in the relationship between cognition and embodiment.

Participants come from a variety of fields and areas of expertise, sometimes intersecting with the practice in unexpected ways (an urban planner and someone working with decentralized IT systems and digitalization, among others). I observe with this information in mind and reflect on how different backgrounds may shape and wire one’s embodied cognition. Without necessarily sharing the specific codes of dance, the ways in which movement is approached and processed are fascinating.

An extension of the course is planned from June until the beginning of July, and I am planning on doing it.