Registration for October 11th
Early bird if registered before the 31th of August
One day – 800 SEK
From September 1st
One day – 1000 SEK
Dancing my mind
-a conference on dance, brain health and artistery
We’ll explore how dance can support – but sometimes also undermine – mental well-being and cognitive function in both community and elite settings, and examine the key elements that can make dance so beneficial for health, including the role of artistry.
Whether you're a dancer, educator, researcher, or health professional, this is a chance to connect, learn, and move with researchers and dance professionals.
11th of october at Balettakademien
Brain health for dancers: Making elite dance health-promoting
9.30-10.30 Workshop with Matthias Sperling and Guido Orgs
Choreographer Matthias Sperling and cognitive neuroscientist Guido Orgs have collaborated on artistic and scientific research for 15 years. In this workshop, Matthias shares artistic principles and practices drawn from three works that have contributed to this collaboration: Group Study (2015), No-How Generator (2019) and Readings of what was never written (2024). As choreographic investigations, these works share an interest in embodied ways of knowing as an intrinsic part of live dance experiences.
For performers and audience members alike, this can span a generative meshwork of our bodily capacities for knowing that are variously ‘scientific’ (rational, languaged, explicit) and ‘magical’ (more-than-rational, felt sense, intuitive). The workshops will be suitable for people with and without prior dance experience.
10.30 - 11.00 Swedish fika break
11.00 – 11.45 Lecture Dr Jennifer Cumming:
Behind the Curtain: Mental Health in High-Level Dance
Mental health in elite dance is gaining overdue attention, yet current research reveals a troubling picture. This talk will explore why so many dancers may silently struggle, whether the very qualities that support elite performance can also harm mental health, and what we can do - individually and collectively - to better prevent mental illness and support wellbeing in high performance environments.
11.45 – 12.45 Lunch
12.45 - 13.45 Well-Being in Motion: Rethinking the Traditional Dance Class through an artistic lens, workshop with Joakim Stephenson
In this accessible workshop, Joakim will compare and contrast different ways of introducing typical dance/ballet exercises – more traditional with more evidence-based and health-promoting. Exercises will be ballet-based and at an open level, making it accessible to all. Through a playful and artistic lens, this inquiry will explore what wellbeing in motion—could be. Welcome to a dynamic dance class/ to a fun investigating dance experience. You can also choose between taking part and observing.
13.45 - 14.30 Panel discussion: how can high-level dance be made more health-promoting?
With Jennifer Cumming, Joakim Stephenson, Sanna Nordin Bates, Sebastian Michanek.
Moderator: Jan Åström
14.30 - 15.00 Swedish fika and departures
Day 2 speakers:
Dr Jennifer Cumming
Prof Jennifer Cumming is a Chartered Psychologist, expert in Sport and Dance Psychology at the University of Birmingham (UK), and co-director of The SPRINT Project (www.sprintproject.org). Drawing on a career that spans over two decades, she specialises in enhancing performance and mental well-being. Her research—supported by over £4M in funding—has shaped interventions that empower individuals to self-regulate and refine their mental skills. Prof Cumming collaborates widely, translating research into practice and policy, such as by identifying risk and protective factors of dancers’ mental health. She is a passionate advocate for using strengths-based approaches to preventing maltreatment and promoting a safer and more equitable dance environment.
Matthias Sperling, choreographer
Matthias Sperling is an artist, choreographer and performer, and is the Artistic Director of NEUROLIVE. His work includes creating performances in theatre, gallery and museum contexts, as well as extending to curatorial work and scientific research collaborations. His work has been presented at Sadler’s Wells, Tate Modern, Southbank Centre, Royal Opera House, Wellcome Collection, Dance Umbrella and Nottdance, among others. He has been a frequent collaborator with Siobhan Davies Dance, an Associate Artist with Dance4 and a Sadler’s Wells Summer University Artist. He created an adaptation of a solo choreographic score by Deborah Hay, and has created commissions for Candoco Dance Company and Weld Company among others. He completed his artistic doctorate in 2022 at De Montfort University, supported by Midlands4Cities in partnership with Dance4/FABRIC and Siobhan Davies Studios.
Joakim Stephenson, teacher and choreographer
Joakim Stephenson is a Swedish choreographer and former soloist with the Royal Swedish Ballet. Known for his sensitivity and curiosity, Joakim has a passion for exploring human essence through movement. He has taught and choreographed for various international platforms and is recognized for works like Ingmar Bergman through the Choreographer’ Eye (2016). His artistic approach blends joy, exploration, and emotional depth, making him a respected figure in contemporary, ballet and dance education. Joakim has pursued further education in dance psychology, health, and science and is an ABT® Certified Teacher of the ABT® National Training Curriculum. In addition to teaching ballet and improvisation at various levels, he is a certified Dance for Parkinson-leader and leads dance for cancer classes.
Organized by
Åsa N Åström (BA), Sanna Nordin Bates (GIH), Gunnar Bjursell(KI), John Sennet (KI)
Adress:
Balettakademien, Birger Jarlsgatan 70, Stockholm
Registration for both days can be found here
Har du frågor?
Kontakta Folkuniversitetet i Stockholm