Dancing Democracy: Migration as Co-Creation

Christiane “La Mona” Seitter, flamenco dancer and dance teacher

Dr. Silvana Karina Figueroa-Dreher, cultural sociologist

“Nur wer sich ändert, bleibt sich treu.” (only those who change remain true to themselves – Wolf Biermann)

We want to look at migration as a benefit to society, without any ifs and buts. To enjoy coming into contact with people from other cultures. To show nothing but curiosity and openness towards their languages, habits, traditions and experiences. We want to have the courage to let exchange turn into fusion, in order to grow together and create something new.

This attitude, this stance, this position will be tested and explored through the workshop “Dancing Democracy”. The idea is to go directly through the bodies of the participants: We have invited a dancer to directly experiment with the transformation of `position’, a thoroughly corporeal metaphor. No previous experience is required. All that is required is a willingness to explore one’s own ‘position’ and to open up to new ‘positions’.

This is quite tangible and practical: what rules are gazes, gestures, touches subject to? And how do these change when they are confronted with other, unfamiliar, perhaps even perceived as difficult gaze and movement regimes?

In order to gain awareness of what the body explores, a cultural sociologist, Dr. Silvana Karina Figueroa-Dreher, will work together with the participants to illuminate questions relating to ‘culture’, ‘otherness’, ‘belonging’ and ‘pluralism’ from a migration theory perspective. She is an independent cultural scientist and author who has dealt in particular with questions of migration, identity, interaction, improvisation, and arts and society.

Christiane “La Mona” Seitter is a flamenco dancer, stage artist, dance teacher, perhaps easiest to get to know through her video blog www.onedanceaday.de.

The workshop is open to both students and teaching staff (particularly early career scientists interested in teaching) with a maximum of 20 participants.

The new University of Konstanz EUniWell Co-Creation in Teaching Hub is proud to host this innovative collaboration, in which both teaching staff and students experiment to co-create new understandings of migration. As a crossover event, marking the University of Konstanz’ transition from ERUA to EUniWell, it is the first collaboration between the two EUI alliances.

Schedule

Oct. 17, 13:00 – 18:30

Oct. 18, 10:00 – 20:00

Oct. 19, 10:00 – 12:30

Assessment: Based on participation and a reflective essay (3-5 p.), students can be awarded 3 ECTS.

For more information please contact erua@uni-konstanz.de and euniwell@uni-konstanz.de

Prerequisites: None
a couple of people that are dancing on a stage
Discipline: Transferable Skills 
Period: October 17 – 19 
Format: On-site in Konstanz 
Number of ERUA Students: 10
Number of ETCS: Maximum 20
Language: English
Student Level: Bachelor, Master
Application Deadline: 13.10.2023