Parenthood and dance: how do we do it?

In what ways are we drawing creative potential from the experience of parenting?

WHAT IS RE_DANCE?

The re_dance platform was created for professional dance artists with children to share experiences, build supportive networks and gather strategies on how parenthood and dance can enrich each other. We want to empower dancers to embrace the change that parenthood brings to professional identity.

re_dance provides a supportive platform by engaging with the dance community, gathering ideas for solutions in terms of working methods and structures, and listening to individual needs.

The platform holds continuous research and organizes exchanges on different frames on this topic.

BACKGROUND

People from all professions who take on intense caretaking responsibilities may be faced with drastic changes to their professional and personal lives.

Parents and other caretakers working in the dance field, on fixed contracts and especially in the freelance scene, can find themselves in a very fragile position as it is a profession that not only requires physical fitness, but also emotional fitness, personal artistry and in many cases location changes at short intervals (touring, art residencies, national and international collaborations,…).

Therefore a common misconception that still prevails is that dance artists with caretaking responsibilities, in particular mothers, will end their dance career or completely change their working field.

re_dance strives to uplift parenting dancers’ perspectives as valuable to professional work in the dance field.