BODILY ME – BODILY US

with Lena Cohrs

The body moves ahead of our identity.
Body, self, and identity

A workshop accompanying the piece BODILY ME – BODILY US with the dancer and philosopher Anna-Lena Cohrs.

When are we actually “I”? When are we truly ourselves? Does our mind tell us who we are, or our body? Who defines our identity?

In this workshop, I invite you to connect philosophy with movement. We will explore these questions both philosophically and in a practical, embodied, and dance-based way. Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegelstates that the “I” is a “we,” and the “we” is an “I.” Friedrich Nietzsche’s Zarathustra, in turn, claims: “The I says I. But the self does I.” Contemporary embodiment research supports this: our body precedes our thinking. But what exactly is the body? And doesn’t thinking also reside within it?

What we will do:
Through dance, we will explore our relationship to the world, to others, and to ourselves. We will examine how our body image and body schema are formed, what influence we have on them, and how we can actively transform both.

What you need to know:
• No prior experience required: whether athletic, dance-related, or philosophical – everyone is welcome who is curious about themselves and the world!
• What to bring: just yourself and clothes you feel comfortable moving in.
• Please note: unfortunately, the space is not barrier-free.

Workshop direction

Anna-Lena Cohrs is a dancer, philosopher and dance therapist. First there was dance - her way of understanding the world. In order to share this experience, she trained as a creative dance & expression therapist. However, as the happiness that happens in dance remained "unspeakable" for her, she immersed herself in the study of philosophy. Here she found terms to make the essence of dance tangible. Anna-Lena is currently studying for a doctorate in philosophy at the University of Bremen under Prof. Dr. Dr. Norman Sieroka. Bewegte Philosophie