We dance in the club, at family parties, in the kitchen, in the theatre, at ceremonies and rituals. It is a universal human element. As a maker, Jade is curious about the dancing which is carried by joy, and what kind of rhythm does that have?

Cracking the shell of dance is a search for the origin of the motivation to dance. In this project 24 people, family, neighbors and strangers, participated by going into the studio with Jade for a 1-on-1 dance meeting of 1 hour. What makes us dance? How do we dance for ourselves, for others and together? The end result of this process was presented by an interactive dance performance: a bubble of various dance stories, experiences and meanings.

This project is part of the broader research Cracking the Shell of Dance—an ongoing exploration into the origins of the motivation to dance. As dance speaks from the body and our sensory experience, the possible meanings are always moving and growing. Through this research, Jade develops seasonal projects that invite people to participate, with the aim of celebrating the joy and impact of dance by bringing people together.

Thanks to all participants: Loraine, Dior, Sam, Alison, Lisa, Huub, Truus, Janny, Aafje, Manuwi, Elske, Katya, Mia, Mies, Rogier, Laura, Puk, Eddy, Rodney, Valentijn, Paul, Andrew, Chilton and Gazal. 

Credits:
Cracking the shell of dance, a DaybyDay project by Jade van den Hout Presented November 2021 at DansBrabant and NS16 Tilburg
Music: Arthur van der Kuip
Video edit: Maria Heerkens
Photography: William van der Voort
Teaser: Dave Menkehorst