Momentum

Dansverkstæðið received an Erasmus+ grant for the project MOMENTUM 2024-25.

The goal was to increase access for performing artists, and especially dance artists, to adult education, continuing education, and training abroad.

The project increased the organizing capacity of Dansverkstæðið, built confidence and enlarged the international network. Participants brought back new teaching methods and organizational ideas while inner structures for communication and contracts improved. 15 individuals participated in MOMENTUM, gaining access to international knowledge that clearly benefited staff, students and the community as a whole.

International partners:

Raumstation 12 GBR, b12 festival, Germany
Movement Archery, Portugal
Sanatorium, Poland
Tic Tac Art Centre, Belgium
Impulstanz, Austria
Julidans, The Netherlands
NDC, Italy
Scenehuset, Norway
Elontila, Finland

MOMENTUM marked a strategic shift towards longer, more in-depth mobility periods and enhanced learning outcomes. Through the project activities, administration and project development staff increased their skills and gained new insights into organizational models, communication plans, filing systems and international collaboration. The effects reached beyond direct participants as teachers shared new methods and skills through workshops and informal communication. The project provided support for the ongoing development of Dansverkstæðið's training and capacity building schedule, as well as increase in digital visibility through a new website design and presence on social media platforms.

Participants' experience

Birta Ásmundsdóttir:

My name is Birta Ásmundsdóttir and I am a dancer and choreographer from Reykjavík, Iceland. I got the amazing opportunity to go to Julidans festival in Amsterdam, in July 2025,

as a part of the Visiting Artist Program. The trip was partly funded by the Reykjavík Dance Festival/Visiting Artist Program as well as by the Erasmus program.

In Amsterdam, I was accompanied by other dance artists from several countries in Europe where we went to see the performances of Julidans together. Afterwards we would discuss the performances as well as getting to know each other as artists and people. In the workshops, we told each other about the dance opportunities we had stumbled across in our careers, as well as giving each other information about what our countries had to offer regarding residencies, workshops and grants. Therefore we all came home with a lot of information on how we can utilize our countries’ and other countries’ opportunities.

We also got to speak to some of the choreographers of the performances in the festival through artist talks. There we were able to ask them every question imaginable after seeing their show and dive deeper into the ideology of the rehearsal and research process.

I am very thankful for this opportunity and I had the best time getting to know the other visiting artists as well as those that worked for the festival. I feel very inspired after this trip and will continue to reach out to those that I connected with during Julidans. Whether that is to ask about certain applications, start a new project together or just to check in with each other. I have gained a lot of knowledge as a dancer and choreographer after taking part in the Visiting Artist Program in Julidans, Amsterdam.

Anna Guðrún Tómasdóttir:

My name is Anna Guðrún Tómasdóttir and I attended an interesting workshop at Movement Archery in Lisbon with Tom and Roser.

We always started with the same warmup, which did not only concentrate on warming up the body, but also the mind. Inspired by Chi Kung, Tai Chi and Shadow Yoga, the focus was on connecting breath and movement. The great attention given to the legs was interesting as we often forget their importance.

One of my favorites was the improvisation practice called Clean Paper. The idea is to explore one's own movement expression regardless of the outcome. Experimenting and allowing the movement to arise from within, without judgement, was very liberating. This helped me to connect to my body in a different way and allow my body to figure out the movements. The body knows more than the mind is aware of.

A big part of the workshop was dancing with others, listening for clues and being open for interactions. It taught me a lot about how dance can be a conversation, noticing each other and learning to communicate without words.

The technical part of the work was demanding, but also great fun. We trained falling, rolling, turning and applying the weight of the body in a safe way. It was all very playful with an emphasis on keeping the curiosity alive and allow the humanness of the movements. All in all this was a wonderful experience that increased my movement vocabulary.