Dancing Architects Summer Lab Returns to Porto

Dancing Architects Summer Lab Returns to Porto

The Dancing Architects Summer Lab is set to make its return to Porto for the second time, offering a unique opportunity for participants to explore the intersection of architecture and choreography. The immersive program, titled “CONSTANT BECOMING,” invites individuals to delve into their personal journeys of architectural expression through movement.

The lab will provide a platform for participants to engage with the city of Porto in a new and dynamic way. Through choreographic investigations, participants will explore how movement can shape our perception of space and architecture. By thinking through their bodies and moving their minds, participants will have the chance to question traditional notions of urban design and the role of architecture in our lives.

The theme of “becoming” will be central to the lab, emphasizing the idea of constant renewal and transition. Participants will explore the dynamic nature of relationships and the ever-changing city of Porto, a terrain of the oblique. By translating their spatial engagement and felt senses into movement vocabularies, participants will create a collective performance that re-evaluates the role of the body in architecture.

Dancing Architects is excited to partner with INSTITUTO and Balleteatro for the second time, collaborating with leading figures in Porto’s cultural scene. The lab will take place in various locations throughout the city, including urban streets, public spaces, and community project sites. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with inspiring architectures, such as Alvaro Siza’s tidal pool, and work on collaborative projects that explore the potential of different spaces.

Through individual and collective exploration, participants will learn to express their embodied ideas through choreography. The lab encourages participants to encounter and challenge something unfamiliar, as it is in these moments of fresh encounters that creative intuition works at its best. Choreography as an agency for architecture also encourages participants to reflect on their own identities and experiences through movement.

The lab will be led by DA founder Takako Hasegawa and dancer Julie Anne Stanzak, who bring their expertise in architecture and dance to the program. The event is open to all individuals who work or study in architecture, spatial practice, arts, or cultural practice. No prior experience in dance or choreography is necessary.

Key Dates:

• Meet & Greet: Sunday, September 1, 6pm
• All-day Workshops: Monday, September 2 – Tuesday, September 9
• Architecture Visits (optional): Tuesday, September 10

For more information and to register, please visit the Dancing Architects website.

About Dancing Architects

Dancing Architects is a transdisciplinary research platform that explores the intersection of architecture and contemporary dance. By activating architectural ideas through the physicality of our bodies, DA’s inquiries seek to provoke alternative dialogues and place the architectural experience at the core. DA’s activities engage with movement as an agency and medium for architecture, inviting transformative shifts in our perception and enabling us to naturally engage with human senses and emotions as values. Moving together also allows us to learn to trust oneself and one another, contributing to a deeper sense of sharing and togetherness.