Reading Dance

Welcome to Reading Dance! Sign up here.

Reading Dance is a reading circle focused on the thought and theory that dancers and choreographers draw from for their practices. Together we will read texts that choreographers showing at MDT during the respective season have been invited to contribute. We approach text in the wide sense, it may be a written text, a video work, an online lecture and even a website! All texts will be made available to participants.


This season’s reading list is made up of text contributions by Ewa Dziarnowska, Pontus Pettersson, Tyra Wigg, John-Paul Zaccarini and Lisa Janbell.


The meeting dates and reading list for Fall 2024 Season are as follows:

Date: Friday, October 4, 17:00 to 18:00
Text: WEAK DANCE STRONG QUESTIONS from the notebooks of Jonathan Burrows and Jan Ritsema (text)
Submitted by Ewa Dziarnowska

Date: Thursday, October 3, 17:00 to 18:00
Text: Hydrofeminism: Or, On Becoming a Body of Water by Astrida Neimanis (text)
Submitted by Pontus Pettersson

Date: Friday October 18, 18:00 to 19:00 
Text: Oshun and Ogun by CFNC https://youtu.be/WAFOchau800?si=Mysqtz726V9tpBJr (a performance by Conjunto Folklórico Nacional de Cuba) (documented performance)
Submitted by Lisa Janbell

Date: Friday November 8, 18:00 to 19:00
Text: Squeeze by Mika Rottenberg. 19’36’’. https://ubu.com/film/rottenberg_squeeze.html (video work)
Submitted by Tyra Wigg

Date: Wednesday November 27, 18:00 to 19:00
Text: ‘Days of Remembrance’ in Dancing Wisdom by Yvonne Daniel (text)
Submitted by Lisa Janbell

Date: Friday December 6, 18:00 to 19:00 
Text: THE POLITICS OF METHOD by Stephanie Skura (Text)
Submitted by Ewa Dziarnowska

Date: Thursday December 12, 18:00 to 19:00
Text: Marquis Bey: Black Trans Feminism Liberation with Marquis Bey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiEU7V1S_1g (online lecture)
Submitted by John-Paul Zaccarini


The reading circle is open to everyone curious about dance and choreography, regardless of their level of knowledge within the subject.


Each meeting takes place before a performance. The texts we will read are not always in relation to the production on show on the respective evening. Participation in the reading circle is completely free. 


The reading circle is conducted in English. All of the texts we will read together this time are written in English.


As we read and discuss different texts each time we meet, it’s not a requirement to attend every meeting in order to be able to participate.


If you are interested in joining the circle, sign up here. If you have any questions regarding Reading Dance, you are welcome to email mmabatho@mdtsthlm.se




Reading Dance is part of MDT - Moderna Dansteatern’s Off Stage program, which aims to contextualise artists’ practices and productions and to create another, at times more intimate, avenue for audiences to meet dance and choreography.