Intimacy in times of physical distancing

As a dance maker, teacher and choreographer I am interested in studying poetically, through movement, our relations to one another and the world around us. In my artistic work, I am most often in relationship with other bodies: I work with touch, physical proximity and presence. I create work and teach classes that are based on contact-work, on touch between human and non-human agencies and on examining different meanings and qualities of touch.

The state of emergency in the spring of 2020 has forced me to find new ways to continue my work with bodies and physicality, and to question the ways I practice and share my work. 

When the key methods of my work and ways of interaction with other bodies have not been possible, I have had to reflect on how I can engage in contact and presence in relation to others without any physical contact. It has been interesting to learn how I share the values and practices that are important to my work through a variety of digital channels. During the spring of 2020 I taught a variety of yoga, somatic and dance classes remotely via zoom, and I've been amazed at how it is still possible to create a strong connection to other people via digital mediums.

The time of crisis has undeniably shaped our work as dance artists, and this field of art based on physical intimacy has been and is in a state of transition and massive change. I understand more deeply how unique it is to be involved in working with people through movement, to spend time in the same space with people, and how privileged it is to even have a space to move in.

I feel that it has been a lifesaver that so many dance studios, dance associations, yoga studios and various independent dance makers have provided virtual lessons where one can meet the another person on the other side of the screen for even a moment of shared presence. 

Teaching classes this spring, many participants have told me how much they miss movement, listening to their bodies, and having even a moment to tune in to their bodies.

It has felt important to ask myself, how can I, through my work create a sense of togetherness and intimacy during isolation? How do I create a space where we can be together, separately? Presence, listening and empathy are things that I have tried to transmit through the screen. Gentleness, humanity, meeting and intimacy have been on my mind during this spring and summer.

For me, intimacy doesn’t just mean physical intimacy, but a relationship with other people and the environment in all ways - in contact or not. The time of crisis has made me increasingly aware of how I treat other people and my environment. I have been sensitised by spending time in nature every day, listening to the sounds of my surroundings, and by being in contact with my body through movement. I believe that through various somatic practices and sensitisation in nature, we can cultivate empathy and build intimacy with everything around us.

Dance as an art form and dance pedagogy can emphasise and develop different ways of treating ourselves and each other at all stages of life. Dance can be a leader in the new social fabric by how it has adopted a variety of ways to create relevant and touching content in times of crisis - distanced online dance classes, virtual dance works, digital improvisation and somatic movement lessons are examples of how the dance industry has been able to shape itself and bring solace and grace in tumultuous times.

Dance has the opportunity and responsibility to awaken people to think through their bodies. I feel that the work of a dance artist will change in the future: as people’s interactions change in an increasingly digital direction, dance has the opportunity to remind us of the importance of touch and the experience of the body in the present moment. I also feel that dance artists have a lot to offer in recovering from this crisis and building a future after the state of emergency. Dance can provide ways to promote community by sensitising people to listen to their own bodies and through that their environment, to keep finding intimacy even if we have to be physically separate.

Originally written in Finnish, April-July 2020 for Pirkanmaan Tanssin Keskus / Pirkanmaa Regional Dance Centre as part of their documentary series. Original text can be found here.