ilDance artists on Dancing Histor(y)ies Performances

Photos by AdeY

As the last performances for this year's Dancing Histor(y)ies festivals took place in Gothenburg, we invited our artists Elias Khanamidi, Victor Persson  and Jennifer Wallen to share their experiences and impressions from this journey. Read what it has meant to them and the adventures they’ve had along the way.

What has it meant to you to perform and be part of Dancing Histor(y)ies?

ELIAS: Being part of Dancing Histor(y)ies has been a deeply meaningful experience. Performing in historic sites made me feel connected to the past in a very tangible way, while also inviting audiences into a kind of time capsule. A moment where memories, ancestry, and imagination could awaken. Each performance felt like an attempt to breathe new life into these places, to bridge the less prioritised layers of the heritage with our present moment. Touring across Europe has been inspiring, not only because of the beauty of the sites, but also because of the people and stories that shaped each place. This project has reminded me how dance can build connections across time, space, and community.

How was your experience working with local performers in each location?  

VICTOR: It has been incredible to meet and work with the local performers! They have been very dedicated and engaged in the work in all locations. I feel very grateful to have gotten the opportunity to both share our world with them and get to know them and learn a lot from them!

What has been the most memorable moment for you during this project? What will you carry forward from this experience?

JENNIFER: Dancing Histor(y)ies 2025 has brought numerous meetings with people, culture and history. It has been meaningful to create and hold a close space for exchange within a large-scale project. Getting to meet each other and learn from one another during the community and festival weeks by sharing practices, conversations, modalities, time, and movement before and around our performances has been some of my favourite moments on tour.

I carry forward the experiences this project has given me. Travelling to several locations where connections have been made and performing in extraordinary stage settings, our eyes have witnessed the beauty that these sites and communities have uncovered. The information and collaboration we have shared with each place have kept our work fluid, adaptable, and evolving, allowing us to view things from different perspectives and layer our work. I can’t wait to swim in these shared experiences and let new history land.

The performances were presented at Gathenhielmska Huset in collaboration with Göteborgs Kulturkalas. Dancing Histor(y)ies is co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.