Can dancing prepare democracy for dystopia? | Nicholas Rowe | TEDxBodø

Quick Overview

Nicholas Rowe argues that dance, through its emphasis on creating new meaning, fostering connection, and developing resilience, offers a vital framework for preparing democracy to navigate future dystopian challenges like climate migration and political polarization.

Key Points: The speaker, Nicholas Rowe, is a UNESCO Chair in Dance and Social Inclusion, leading the Horizon Europe project Intracomp. Rowe recounts a personal story about his daughter, Samara, who, after witnessing political oppression, began dancing to process her feelings, leading her to create new cultural forms that valued difference and equality. The talk connects the resilience required to adapt to climate disaster (forecasting 1 billion displaced people by 2050) with the need for new forms of democratic engagement. He introduces the Arabic word 'Mishmakul' (inconceivable) and 'Sumud' (steadfastness/resilience) as concepts that encapsulate the necessary mindset for facing future crises. Rowe suggests that art education, particularly dance, provides a safe, creative space for people to practice complex ethical interactions, essential for navigating societal challenges. The speaker cites his own experience working with refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza, where art projects helped foster connection among people facing oppression.

Context: Nicholas Rowe, a UNESCO Chair in Dance and Social Inclusion, presents this TEDxBodø talk exploring the connection between artistic expression, specifically dance, and building societal resilience against future crises like climate change and political disintegration. He grounds his argument in personal anecdotes, particularly involving his daughters, and professional experience working in conflict zones, framing dance as a crucial tool for cultivating the ethical and imaginative capabilities democracy needs to survive potential dystopias.

Detailed Analysis

Nicholas Rowe argues that dance and creative arts education are crucial for preparing democracy for future dystopian scenarios, particularly those involving climate-related displacement and political fragmentation. He begins by sharing a story about his daughter Samara, who, at seven years old, began dancing to process her reflections on the political climate, declaring that she would die if an asteroid hit the planet, but then realized she didn't have to mourn because her younger sister, Jaffa, was sitting beside her. This led Samara to create new dance forms that valued difference and equality, which Rowe connects to the concept of 'transilience'—the ability to adapt and thrive amid crises. He notes that massive climate displacement (up to 1 billion people by 2050) requires societies to develop this transilience. Drawing on his work in refugee camps in the West Bank and Gaza, where art projects fostered connection between diverse groups facing conflict, Rowe suggests that engaging with art provides a necessary space to explore complex ethical relationships and imagine alternative futures beyond the current narrative of political failure and austerity. He contrasts the concept of resilience (often interpreted as a stoic, tough shell) with the Arabic concept of 'Sumud' (steadfastness), which implies active continuance and creative engagement despite hardship. Rowe concludes that dance and artistic participation allow communities to develop the shared imaginative capacity needed to navigate an ever-changing, challenging world.