The Lamenters – Dancing into Tears

 

In the project *The Lamenters – Dancing into Tears*, we explore how movement can be used to evoke and experience tears. The project is facilitated by Finnish music etymologist Tuomas Rounakari in collaboration with choreographer and dancer Antoinette Helbing and dancers Beck Heiberg, Max Wallmeier, and Tomas Janypka from Prague. We are exploring the fundamentals of lamenting and lament songs both theoretically and practically, with a particular focus on the Finnish-Karelian tradition. At the same time, we are investigating various methods for “crying dances” and how choreography, dance, and vocal work can together evoke crying as a physical state without psychological analysis. The goal is to develop a bodily understanding of crying as a performative practice and to create a space where tears can arise as a direct result of movement and the interaction between performers.

THE TEAM BEHIND

 

Tuomas Rounakari—violinist, composer, and ethnomusicologist
Antoinette Helbing—choreographer, dancer, and Feldenkrais practitioner
Max Wallmeier—dancer and choreographer
Beck Heiberg—dancer and choreographer
Tomáš Janypka—dancer and choreographer