Pantomime ballet

The pantomime ballet is a performance where a group of people is led by a dancer (Katrien Oosterlinck) in silence through an exhibition, using music, movement, gesture and dance.

The project revolves around the idea of “collective dance” as Barbara Ehrenreich coins the term “collective joy” to describe a group of activities which involves music events, synchronized movement, costumes, and a feeling of loss of self, erasing social boundaries, encourages participation as a near-religious experience.

Skipping verbal communication and only by the use of music and gesture, the dancer starts with instructing the participants with simple movements, finishing with collective actions and different ideas of collective dance such a Sardana (Catalonia), Hasapiko (Greece), Maypole (Germany), etc …