Form
In this residency at HAUT, Marie Kaae wants to focus on form; to prioritize the tools of dance such as choreography, coordination, formations, and musical timing without the expression becoming commercial and superficial.
30.4.26
30.4.26
15:00 - 17:00
Thoravej 29
Participation is FREE, but please reserve a ticket via the link below due to limited capacity.
The artistic research
The prioritization of form allows the artistic depth to be expressed in ways that speak a unanimous and clear language: house dancing.
The inspiration behind it lies in an observation of some extremes in Danish performing arts and a curiosity:
Where is the balance between freedom and form in Danish performing arts? Sometimes performance becomes too loose—or, conversely, choreography grows overly rigid—which is most often expressed through structured forms such as ballet or highly polished pop routines, where dance appears as a spectacular display of rhythm, for example in televised talent shows, background performances, and similar settings.
What happens when dancers from the club culture take the stage?
Based on the house battle culture, Marie Kaae examines the tension between the raw, independent and the institutionalized.
How do you get the same investment from the dancers when there is not the same pressure? How do you maintain the intensity, energy and presence – without it becoming a polished showcase?
How do you stretch the battle expression into a longer narrative?
And not least:
Marie Kaae reminds us of an appreciation of so-called rhythmic dance. How do we give credit to the black American and Afro-diaspora culture from which house dance originates – and which is all too often overlooked in Danish performing arts?
The artists
The In Process-residency will be used to develop a longer dance performance with six house dancers, under the choreographic and artistic direction of Marie Kaae.
This curated In Process-residency stems from a desire and need to build a bridge between the infrastructure of the performing arts and the authentic and independent scene of house dancing, through an innovative approach to the selection process. Instead of “open calls,” which typically do not reach dancers in the house environment, this curation takes as its starting point one of the environment’s own practices: a battle. Under the choreographic direction of Marie Kaae, the four winners of Wholy Mary’s 2025 battle, plus two guests, have been invited to artistic collaboration at HAUT.
Marie Kaae
Marie Kaae (she/her) is an internationally renowned, mature performer and educator with Danish, Kurdish, and Cameroonian heritage. With 25 years of experience in professional dance, she has worked across dance theatres, the commercial industry, and underground culture. She made her name in the international battle scene, which remains the authentic forum for the House Dance genre. Here, she continues to hold space as a jury member and mentor for younger dancers across the globe. Her practice is rooted in the cultural life of Afro-American and Afro-European club culture, as well as in the ambitious art form that is House Dance.
The format
IN PROCESS is HAUT's 1–2 week residency program that creates space for physical brainstorming and supports the exploration and development of new ideas within the performing arts.