How can embodied knowledge be given a meaningful place in dance? And why is this knowledge still not recognised as a form of thinking, learning, and understanding?

During this edition of Dutch Dance Research, artists, researchers, educators, and audiences came together to discuss embodied knowledge. Dutch Dance Research is a collaboration between Nederlandse Dansdagen/dansMuseum, ICK Dans Amsterdam, and Fontys Academy of the Arts, committed to increasing the visibility, continuity, and accessibility of dance research in the Netherlands.

Following last year’s discussion, Why Embodied Knowledge Matters, the 2026 conversation connected to the festival’s focus: the dynamics between culture and identity. How can we talk about identity, culture, and transmission without also listening to what the body knows, carries, and passes on?

Under the title Why Doesn’t Embodied Knowledge Matter (Yet)?, we explored how knowledge emerges, is experienced, and is passed on within dance practices. What role do language, representation, and documentation play in recognising this knowledge? And how can institutions contribute to a broader appreciation of this form of knowledge?