Jana Unmüssig
- Lecturer, Master's Degree Programme in Choreography, Theatre Academy
- jana.unmussig@uniarts.fi
Sharing-as-narrating my bio (as of fall 2024):
I am a Helsinki-based artist and researcher roaming in the field of artistic research. I have traversed the field of choreography by working as a choreographer-director for some years (2008-2015) to then realize that I needed a change. I got kids (2014, 2017), and a doctorate (2018), started painting and dropped painting (2020), engaged in a three year research project on breath with Berlin-based choreographer and performer Miriam Jakob in the frame of the Artistic Research Program Berlin (2019-2022) to then commence writing a fiction text called Skizzierte Geschichte in Einzelnen Bildern / Engl. Sketched Story in Separate Images(ongoing). This and many more angles are part of as who I am as lecturer in Choreoragphy.
Education
2018, Doctor of Arts (dance), Theater Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki
2010, Master of Arts (choreography), Inter-University Center of Dance (HZT), Berlin Germany
2008, Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD), Salzburg, Austria
2002, D.E.U.G. Arts du Spectacle, theater, Sorbonne-Nouvelle, Paris, France
Other education
Since 2020, Studies in the bodywork of Marion Rosen
2018/2019, Studies in Art Education, Pedagogical University Freiburg
2014, Guest student in class of Prof. Ursula Neugebauer, University of the Arts Berlin
2014, Studies in French, German and Pedagogy at Free University Berlin
Research outputs
1. Research-grounded Performative assemblages
February, 2022 Currents of Breath (working title), Performance, Radialsystem, Berlin, collaboration with Miriam Jakob
December, 2021 Motherhood and Art, Long Table Performance, KUTOMO Turku
June 2021, Loooooooooooong Title, painting, reading, writing, performance, MADHOUSE Helsinki, collaboration with Pie Kär and Salla Salin
April 2021, Breathing Nearby, lecture performance, Artistic Research Program Berlin, collaboration with Miriam Jakob
December 2020, Abécédaire of Breathing, lecture performance, SODA Lecture Series Breathe, Inter-University Center Berlin, collaboration with Miriam Jakob
September 2020, Breathing With_1, painting and writing, Exhibition Vertigo, Tanznacht Berlin
September 2020, Walking on Questions of Higher Art Education, performative walk at the LAPSody Festival, Life Art Program Theater Academy Helsinki, collaboration with communication studies scholar Francisco Trento
December 2019 A Room for Artistic Research – Attempt of a miniature-theatre, performance-lecture-aperitif, E-Werk Freiburg, Germany
January 2019 Two Bodies in Space (with Yarn), installation-performance, Floating Peripheries Conference, University of Lapland, collaboration with visual artist Tina Jonsbu
September 2017 Thoughts on Threads, collaboration with Tina Jonsbu, Somatic Academy Berlin
June 2017 Seeing – the utopia of access, workshop-performance, Research Pavillion, Bienale Venice.
June 2016 seeing, time, composing, workshop-exhibition, Exhibition Laboratory, Fine Arts Academy Helsinki.
February 2015 ///, reading-performing-speaking, Institute for artistic research /Uferstudios, Berlin
December 2013 Something in the way she sees, lecture performance, tanz.tausch Festival, Cologne
November 2012 In front of the eye, lecture performance, e-werk Theatre Freiburg
June 2011 What do I do when I do what I do?, lecture performance, Artistic research Lab, Berlin
2. Choreographies for stage in black box theatre
April 2015 Gesellschaft und Trio mit Tanz – ein zweigeteilter Abend (engl. Compagny and Trio with Dance – a twofold evening), Kampnagel Hamburg
February 2014 glk, Kampnagel Hamburg
March 2013 Colour, Colour, Zodiak –Center for New Dance, Helsinki
August 2012 White Throw, Tanznacht/Tanz im August Berlin
March 2012, Strich/ Chrysantheme/ Haar fällt, Hebbel am Ufer 2, Berlin
July 2011 Morgen ist ein Tag, k3- Choreografic Center Hamburg
March 2011 Der Himmel hängt weit, Festival Based in Berlin, Berlin
March 2011 Ast im Auge, Hebbel am Ufer 3, Berlin
July 2010 Zausend. Hoch., Opera de Monte Carlo, Monaco
January 2010 HAUS, Sophiensaele, Berlin
June 2009 linie, fisch, BAT, Berlin
May 2009 SoloTryptichon, BAT, Berlin
January 2009 Ich bin Baum, Sophiensaele, Berlin
August 2008 Nervous dance, Movement Research, New York
August 2008 Without subtitle ́ ́, Nuorta Verta, Khumo, Finnland
June 2008 Without subtitle ́, SEAD Theater, Salzburg
June 2008 Some water is poured onto the table, SEAD Theater, Salzburg
May 2008 Fragen setzen/stellen/legen, PACT Zollverein, Atelier, Essen
March 2018 I see her I see you, Tanzfabrik, Berlin
January 2008 This is a chewing gum or: is there still milk I the fridge?, Republic, Salzburg
July 2007 It is difficult to talk about feelings, SEAD Theater, Salzburg
February 2007, Things and Solo, SEAD Theater, Salzburg
3. Written publications
Monograph
- Breathing Nearby, Errant Bodies Press, 2022
- Composition and Choreography: Critical Reflections on Perception, Body and Temporality, Helsinki, Acta Scenica, 2018
Blind peer-reviewed articles
- Proposition for the Eventual Mights of Teaching Choreography: Choreography Pedagogy in the Context of MA Choreography Studies. Nordic Journal of Dance, 2023
- Ponderings with Breathing with Ponderings. Choreographic Practices, Intellect Books, 2021
Essays
- Abécédaire of Breathing. In Breathe edited by Jansa/Noeth, Transcript, 2023
- Of Interest (tba). In: Holte/Kongssness/Sortland (Eds.): Choreography 2018, pp.42-47.
- There is no such thing than Choreography, In Swedish Dance History, INPEX, 2009.
4. Video based publications
April 2018 Arbitrary Title, TUTKE Spring Dance 2017, Kiasma – Museum for Contemporary Art Helsinki
July 2017 Choreography, Choreography, Nivel 08, Poetics of Form
5. Talks, conference presentations, panels
June 2022 Listening and Breathing, paper-workshop-practice, Airy Encounters: Respiratory Philosophy and Sound Art symposium, Institute for Philosophical Studies, Science and Research Centre Koper, Slovenia & Sibelius Academy, Uniarts Helsinki, Finland
October 2021 On Dance Education, paper presentation, DSA conference, Chicago, collaboration with Hanna Järvinen
May 2021 Talk on Breath and Dance and Art and, Lake Studios, invited by Marten Spangberg
January 2021 Panelist, Post-Research Conference, EARN working group VALUE, HKU, Utrecht
September 2020 Choreography Pedagogy, Teak Research Day, How to do Things with Performance, collaboration with Hanna Järvinen
August 2019 Keep on Threading or: a TITLE, Collaboration with visual artist Tina Jonsbu, Conference for Artistic Research (CARPA), Helsinki
June 2019 A pedagogy of choreography, Nordic Forum for Dance Research, NOFOD
November 2015 Bodily and contemplative Seeing and TIME, 1st Parse Biennale Research Conference on time, University Gothenburg
November 2013 No title, no end,6 th International Conference of Doctoral Studies of Theater Schools, Brno
July 2012 ,wenn der Wald still ist. Aesthetics of embodiment, KW- Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin.
6. Assignments
2024 Peer-reviewing for Journal for Artistic Research
2022 Peer-reviewing for Nordic Journal of Dance
2022 Interviewee for the Research Panel, Uniarts Helsinki
2022 Peer-reviewing for RUUKU (Studies in Artistic Research)
2019- 2023 Member of Research Council at Theater Academy, Helsinki
November 2020 Moderating artist talk with Sonja Jokiniemi, Moving in November Festival, Helsinki
October 2020 Peer-reviewing for JAR (Journal of Artistic Research)
May 2020 Jury member for one-to-one-mentoring program, Tanznetz, Freiburg,Germany
Teaching
Teaching Courses at BA / MA level (selection)
On reading (continuously) , MA Choreography, 8 students, 2024, DOCH Uniarts Stockholm
Artistic Research , MA Choreography, 6 students, 2024, Uniarts Helsinki
Directing n´ Choreography , MA Choreography, 6 students, 2024, Uniarts Helsinki
Something called Composition, MA Choreography, 8 students, 2023, DOCH Uniarts Stockholm
Composition, BA Dance, 16 students, 2023, Theater Academy Helsinki
Artistic Methods, BA Inclusive Education, 20 students, 2023, University of Applied Sciences Freiburg
Seeing and Dance Dramaturgy, MA Dramaturgy, 12 students, 2022, Uniarts Helsinki
On Reading, MA Choreography, 10 students, Uniarts Stockholm, 2022
Production Course, (facilitation), MA Choreography, 3 students, Uniarts Helsinki
Facilitated Practice, MA Choreography, 3 students, 2022, Uniarts Helsinki
Expanded Choreography, BA/MA, 15 students, 2022, Joint Studies Uniarts Helsinki
Ecologies of Becoming, course P2-Seminar, transdisciplinary seminar, BA/MA students from Fine Arts, Art Therapy, Dance, Social Work, 13 students, 2022, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Ottersberg, Germany
Artistic Research, MA Choreography, four programs from the Nordic Choreographic Platform, 25 students, 2022, Uniarts Helsinki
Walking towards no thing, course MA Choreography/MA Dance/MA TILIS, 9 students, 2022, Uniarts Helsinki
Modes of Collaboration, course MA Choreography/MA Dance/MA TILIS, 13 students, 2022, Uniarts Helsinki
Score-based Working, course MA Choreography/MA Dance/MA TILIS, 13 students, 2022, Uniarts Helsinki
Artistic Methods, course BA Inclusive Education, 20 students, 2022, University of Applied Sciences Freiburg
Theories Nearby Breathing, MA Choreography, 3 students, 2021,2022, Uniarts Helsinki
Breathing With, workshop MA Gender Studies, 4 students, 2021, University of Freiburg
Dramaturgy and Choreography, workshop, MA Dance Studies, 15 students, 2021, Free University Berlin
Artistic Methods, course BA Inclusive Education, 20 students, 2021, University of Applied Sciences Freiburg
Karen Barad´s Intra action, Seminar at the MA Choreography, 2021, Theater Academy Helsinki
Minor Teaching, Seminar at the MA Dance Pedagogy, 2021, Theater Academy Helsinki
Temporality in Time-Based Art, workshop within the course Situation LAB, 2020, Fine Arts Academy Helsinki
Performative Choreography, course MA Choreography, 5 students, 2020, Theater Academy Helsinki
Breathing Differently, course P2 Seminar, transdisciplinary seminar, 8 MA students from Fine Arts, Art Therapy, Dance, Social work, 2020, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Ottersberg, Germany
Breathing With Speaking, course MA Swedish Acting, 12 students, 2020, Theater Academy Helsinki
Artistic Methods, course BA Inclusive Education, 20 students, 2020, University of Applied Sciences Freiburg
Artistic Methods, course MA Inclusive Education, 7 students, 2019, University of Applied Sciences Freiburg
Artistic Research, course MA Choreography, 4 students, 2019, Theater Academy Helsinki.
Composition, Seeing, Time, course BA dance, 13 students, 2013, Theater Academy Helsinki
Artistic Research in Performance, or: this is how my working feels like, workshop, MA Choreography, 3 students, University of the Arts Antwerp
Composition, 3rd year, 25 students, 2012, Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD)
Composition, course BA dance, 13 students, 2012, Theater Academy Helsinki
Composition, 3rd year, 25 students, 2011, Skolen for Samtidsdans, Oslo
Supervising, mentoring, examiner at BA and MA leves
Continuous: Mentoring, supervision and examining since 2021 of MA Choreography students at Uniarts Helsinki combined with mentoring students at the HZT Berlin (2011-2014).
Teaching Interventios in third cycle
Breathing With – a practical artistic research session, practice-based teaching to doctoral candidates of the Performing Arts Research Center of Uniarts Helsinki, 2022
Unaccountable Pieces Towards An Art Education, research presentation to doctoral candidates of the Performing Arts Research Center of Uniarts Helsinki in the frame of Post-Doc Seminar, 2022
Infinite Titles: Nearby Breath, research presentation to doctoral candidates of the Performing Arts Research Center of Uniarts Helsinki in the frame of Post-Doc Seminar, 2020
Continuous Excerpt of an artistic research project in-making, presentation to doctoral candidates of the Performing Arts Research Center of Uniarts Helsinki in the frame of introduction week to doctoral studies, 2019