b12 summer | main event
research or die.
no credits
b12 summer main event
— // —location: eden***** studios
SAED Mansour
performance/dance artist
Dancing the political
the story, pain and trauma we carry in our bodies are not just our own; they are shaped by social and political issues, by our family history and by our roots. in this workshop, we will embody and improvise on social and political topics that you care about, using tools i’ve developed throughout my creative process over the years. we will explore questions such as: what are the layers of my identity — in my dance, choreography, performance and life? what does it mean to transcend identity, to let go of it, even if just for a moment? as a palestinian artist, especially in these times, i may also bring examples and references from my homeland. one of the exercises we might do: embody your collective, embody the other side, and then embody both within the same body. this process can be emotional, but that doesn’t mean you need to be cautious of it. we will create space for these emotions through softness, conversation and rest. you will never be pushed beyond your limits — we will hold the group together with sensitivity and care, and there will be plenty of joy as well. we will embody, improvise and move — a lot. we will hold a performance or ritual-like sharing of our dances and, if needed, reflect together through discussion and group sharing. the workshop welcomes performers, dancers, choreographers, students and artists of all kinds. it involves improvisation and embodied emotional processes and can be approached with a performance or choreography mindset.
the description reflects an artist’s idea which was developed at the time it was submitted to b12. it may have changed by the time the workshop or the performance project is starting. please stay flexible. thank you!
biography
saed is a freelance palestinian performance artist, choreographer, dance teacher and festival producer who was previously in tech. in his work, he aims to create spaces, be it as a performer, teacher or festival producer, that focus on emotional, communal and social or political processes. saed was born palestinian with israeli citizenship (20 percent of the country’s citizens hold this status). his life is political not by choice, but it is rooted deeply in his body and throughout past generations. a big part of his journey of teaching and performing is about dealing with and communicating the wounds carried by generational and ongoing trauma. in his work, he focuses on creating safety and connection with the audience and attendees. he uses vulnerability as a performer to build a bridge between artist and audience and, from that space, to bring forward challenging topics through movement and performance. the boundaries of the performance stage, its structure and the relationship between audience and performer are always questioned in his work. his movement language is built on extensive self-research and is inspired by both non-identity and identity through the body, heightening awareness and drawing from mindful and ritual-based practices such as sufi whirling, windstyle (aragorn boulanger’s method), mindfulness and authentic movement. in the 2026 season, saed is focused on touring between palestine and europe, deepening and expanding dancing the political.
please be aware of our early bird special offer for this workshop! you can apply for this offer up until the 24th of march 2025. after the 24th the regular workshop fee applies. applications are accepted up until one day before the workshops starts.
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