UNEXPECTED LESSON 1: Opening: Germaine Acogny
The series “UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound” takes place from May 2026 to February 2027 at Radialsystem and explores the plural knowledge of dance, body, and sound. The series kicks off with an opening program from May 24 to 27, 2026, centred around the solo performance “Somewhere At The Beginning” by Germaine Acogny, an icon of African contemporary dance, with workshops, talks, and the Berlin premiere of the documentary film “Germaine Acogny – Die Essenz des Tanzes.”
Programme
Sun, 24 May 2026
15 – 17 h: „Contemporary African Dance“ – Workshop with Patrick Acogny
17 – 19 h: „LA PALABRE Space“ – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with artistic interventions*
Mon, 25 May 2026
18 – 20.30 h: „LA PALABRE Space“ – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with artistic interventions*
19 h: „Somewhere at the Beginning“ – Performance by Germaine Acogny
20.30 h:„Germaine Acogny. Die Essenz des Tanzes" – Film by Greta-Marie Becker
Tue, 26 May 2026
18 – 20.30 h: „LA PALABRE Space“– Tea, Reading & Resting Room with artistic interventions*
19 h: „Somewhere at the Beginning“ – Performance by Germaine Acogny
Artist Talk afterwards
Wed, 27 May 2026
14 – 16 h: „Technique Acogny – Contemporary African Dance“ – Workshop with Germaine Acogny (at Tanzfabrik Berlin)
*The program at LA PALABRE Space is curated by Arantxa Ciafrino.
Germaine Acogny © Thomas Dorn
UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound
The series “UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound”, which will take place from May 2026 to February 2027 at Radialsystem, explores the plural knowledge of dance, body, and sound. Interdisciplinary perspectives and practitioners from the African continent, the diaspora, and beyond will engage in dialogue with Berlin's dynamic dance scene.
The focus is on the social and political dimensions of dance, knowledge systems in music, the body as a living archive, movement as healing, a decolonial perspective on the body and dance, and a critical examination of global dance history. Performances, talks, listening sessions, and workshops transform knowledge into experience and movement.
The series is curated by Isabel Raabe (artistic direction) and Celina Baljeet Basra (co-curation) and is academically supported by Dr. Mariama Diagne. “UNEXPECTED LESSONS” is part of TALKING OBJECTS LAB, an artistic research project that has been running since 2020. The LAB explores knowledge beyond Eurocentric systems of knowledge, led by a team of international curators from Senegal, Kenya and Germany. www.talkingobjectslab.org
UNEXPECTED LESSON 1
Opening: Germaine Acogny
Sun 24 05 2026 until
Wed 27 05 2026
UNEXPECTED LESSON 2
Music as Resistance
Sat 01 08 2026
UNEXPECTED LESSON 3
Decolonizing the Body in Dance
Fri 11 09 2026
UNEXPECTED LESSON 4
Rethinking Dance in Academia
Sat 12 09 2026
UNEXPECTED LESSON 5
The Resonating Body. Writing & Orality
Sat 31 10 2026
UNEXPECTED LESSON 6
Healing Practices and Body Memory
Sat 23 01 2027
Sun 24 01 2027
UNEXPECTED LESSON 7
Knowledge Systems in Music
Sat 20 02 2027
Sun 21 02 2027
UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound
Artistic direction Isabel Raabe
Co-curator Celina Baljeet Basra
Academic consulting Prof. Dr. Mariama Diagne