The series’ focus is on the social and political dimensions of dance, knowledge systems in music, the body as a living archive, movement, and music as healing, social, spiritual, and cultural practice. In addition, decolonial perspectives on the body and dance are opened up, and practices of dance studies are critically negotiated. Performances, talks, listening sessions, and workshops transform knowledge into experience and movement. All events are taking place at Radialsystem, Berlin.
UNEXPECTED LESSONS 1 – Opening
The series “UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound” kicks off with an opening programme from May 24 to 27, 2026, centred around the solo performance “Somewhere at the Beginning” by Germaine Acogny—an icon of African contemporary dance—accompanied by workshops, talks, and the Berlin premiere of the documentary “Germaine Acogny – Die Essenz des Tanzes.”
May 24, 2026
Dance Workshop with Patrick Acogny
May 25, 2026
Performance by Germaine Acogny & Mikaël Serre “Somewhere at the Beginning”
Film premiere: Germaine Acogny – “Die Essenz des Tanzes”
LA PALABRE Space – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with hn.lyonga and Melanie Garland
May 26, 2026
Performance by Germaine Acogny & Mikaël Serre “Somewhere at the Beginning”
Artist Talk: At The Table With … Germaine Acogny, Patrick Acogny, Mansour Ciss Kanakassy, moderated by Prof. Dr. Mariama Diagne and Isabel Raabe
LA PALABRE Space – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with Angela Guerreiro
May 27, 2026
Dance Workshop with Germaine Acogny
More infos about the opening and ticket-links here.
UNEXPECTED LESSONS 2 – Music as Resistance
August 1, 2026
Meshwar Mixtapes: Intro to Afghanistan — Listening Session with Homaira
August 2, 2026
Dabke Dance-Workshop with Nancy Naser Al Deen
UNEXPECTED LESSONS 3 – Decolonizing the Body in Dance
September 11, 2026
Beyond Academia? How Dance Rewrites Research: Performative Talk with Prof. Dr. Mariama Diagne and Dr. Sandra Noeth, with interventions by Isabel Kwarteng-Acheampong
LA PALABRE Space – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with jee chan
UNEXPECTED LESSONS 4 – Rethinking Dance in Academia
September 11, 2026
Workshop "Cuerpos de Tierra - Earth Bodies" with Martha Hincapié Charry
Workshop "The Cosmic Body" with Dr. Rajyashree Ramesh
Beyond Academia? How Dance Rewrites Research: Performative Talk with Prof. Dr. Mariama Diagne and Dr. Sandra Noeth, with interventions by Isabel Kwarteng-Acheampong
September 12, 2026
Lecture-Performances by Martha Hincapié Charry and Dr. Rajyashree Ramesh
Lecture-Performance by Sage Ni‘Ja Whitson
LA PALABRE Space – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with the dancing project Coole Kinder
UNEXPECTED LESSONS 5 – The Resonating Body. Writing & Orality
October 31, 2026
Writing Workshop with Celina Baljeet Basra & Melanie Jame Wolf
Performances, Readings and Screenings with emet ezell, Melanie Jame Wolf and Alvin Tran
Artist Talk with Alvin Tran, Melanie Jame Wolf and emet ezell, moderated by Celina Baljeet Basra
UNEXPECTED LESSONS 6 – Healing Practices and Body Memory
January 16, 2027
Ndeup | Tarantismo – A Performative Encounter: Lecture Performance by Alessio Trevisani and Patrick Acogny with Khady Sarr and Giada Palmisano
Artist Talk
LA PALABRE Space – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with Claudix Vanesix
January 17, 2027
Dance Workshop with Giada Palmisano
Body as Archive: Dancing with Frantz Fanon: Lecture Performance with Sara Rodríguez Lugo, Dr. Robel Afeworki Abay, Céline Barry, moderated by Mahret Ifeoma Kupka
LA PALABRE Space – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with Raísa Inocêncio
UNEXPECTED LESSONS 7 – Knowledge Systems in Music
February 20, 2027
Cosmosonoridades – Cosmosonority: Lecture-Performance with Dr. Iván Periañez Bolaño and Miguel Ángel Vargas
LA PALABRE Space – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with Nadine Nzambisa and Bùi Việt Hoa Jin
February 21, 2027
The Language of Drums: Percussion Workshop and Talk with N’deye Seck
When a lover says, “I love you”, is it the words or the speaker that matters? | Is decoloniality an academic drag? — Lecture Performance with meLê yamomo
Where Are Those Songs — Listening Sessions with Wairimũ Nduba
All tickets via >>Radialsystem Berlin<<.
The series UNEXPECTED LESSONS — Knowledges of Body and Sound is funded by the LOTTO Foundation Berlin. In cooperation with the Betty Center for Movement Research in Dance Studies at LMU Munich.