James Batchelor and Collaborators: Terrain Körper: Eine haptische Forschungsreise – Sophiensæle | Independent Theater in Berlin
James Batchelor and Collaborators:
Terrain Körper: Eine haptische Forschungsreise
In this workshop Australian choreographer James Batchelor will introduce a movement practice that was initially developed as part of the creation of his work Hyperspace. Since his involvement on an expedition to sub-Antarctic Heard and McDonald Islands in 2016, James has been questioning how the body senses, measures and maps the unknown. The practice proposes a method for mapping your own body as an unknown terrain, collapsing scale down to microscopic details. Prioritising the sense of touch in this exploration, the method develops attention to texture, surface and volume as ways to describe the body.
The workshop was designed with a focus on accessibility for blind and visually impaired audiences but is open to everyone. It does not require any previous dance experience and will be taught in English with live translation into German if needed. It involves touching another person’s hand and allowing them to touch yours.
A film version of Hyperspace with German audio description will be shown online within Tanztage Berlin from January 10 until January 16.
CREATION, DIRECTION James Batchelor CONSULTATION Gerald Pirner
The workshop is part of the 31st Tanztage Berlin. The 31st edition of Tanztage Berlin is a production of the SOPHIENSÆLE. Funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. With the friendly support of Tanzfabrik Berlin e. V. and Theaterhaus Berlin Mitte. Media partners: Siegessäule, tipBerlin, taz and Berlin Art Link.
James Batchelor and Collaborators are a creative team lead by choreographer James Batchelor working between Australia and Europe. Previous productions including Shortcuts to Familiar Places, Deepspace and Hyperspace have performed extensively in contexts such as Tanz im August (Berlin), Impulstanz (Vienna) and Centre Pompidou (Paris).
James Batchelor is a choreographer from Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) whose practice spans choreography, research, and teaching. His work investigates the body as a tool for inquiry – mapping, sensing, and measuring space through choreographic form. Grounded in repetition, spatial elasticity, and rhythmic subtlety, his performances create immersive, contemplative environments that invite audiences into expanded experiences of time and perception.