{"id":16,"date":"2025-10-09T09:28:27","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T09:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/?page_id=16"},"modified":"2025-10-24T13:02:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T13:02:18","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"ABOUT"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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ABOUT<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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“Counterpoint” in dance refers to the simultaneous performance of different movements. The technique creates a relationship between the different movements while preserving their distinct qualities. Similarly, the study of dance accompanies and counterbalances the making and the experience of dance with a reflective, scholarly point of view.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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MISSION<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The interdisciplinary research centre Counterpoint,<\/em> founded in 2025, is dedicated to advancing the study of dance and choreography in all its dimensions and forms. Its mission is:<\/p>\n

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  1. To bring together and give visibility to diverse types of research on dance at KU Leuven, fostering innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative research.<\/li>\n
  2. To bridge academic inquiry with practice-oriented exploration, strengthening the dialogue between dance and science.<\/li>\n
  3. To provide an interdisciplinary platform for reflection about the position of dance in society and the importance of dance research.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n


    Counterpoint<\/em> creates a broad and inclusive space where scholars, practitioners, and the general audience converge to deepen the understanding of dance as both an art form and a cultural phenomenon. The research object includes professional and amateur dance practices alike, valuing all forms of expression\u2014artistic, popular, and folk\u2014without hierarchical distinctions.<\/span><\/p>\n

    A key focus lies in uncovering and investigating overlooked or underrepresented choreographers, dancers, and dance styles, contributing to a richer, more equitable understanding of dance history and practice. Counterpoint<\/em> also wants to combine traditional research methods with innovative technologies, to pioneer new ways of analysing, preserving, and disseminating dance knowledge in the digital era. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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    MISSION<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    The interdisciplinary research centre Counterpoint,<\/em> founded in 2025, is dedicated to advancing the study of dance and choreography in all its dimensions and forms. Its mission is:<\/p>\n

      \n
    1. To bring together and give visibility to diverse types of research on dance at KU Leuven, fostering innovative, interdisciplinary, and collaborative research.<\/li>\n
    2. To bridge academic inquiry with practice-oriented exploration, strengthening the dialogue between dance and science.<\/li>\n
    3. To provide an interdisciplinary platform for reflection about the position of dance in society and the importance of dance research.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n


      Counterpoint<\/em> creates a broad and inclusive space where scholars, practitioners, and the general audience converge to deepen the understanding of dance as both an art form and a cultural phenomenon. The research object includes professional and amateur dance practices alike, valuing all forms of expression\u2014artistic, popular, and folk\u2014without hierarchical distinctions.<\/span><\/p>\n

      A key focus lies in uncovering and investigating overlooked or underrepresented choreographers, dancers, and dance styles, contributing to a richer, more equitable understanding of dance history and practice. Counterpoint<\/em> also wants to combine traditional research methods with innovative technologies, to pioneer new ways of analysing, preserving, and disseminating dance knowledge in the digital era. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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      HISTORY<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      In 2015 the Art Centre STUK redefined itself as a “House for Dance, Image, and Sound,” putting Leuven firmly on the map as an important centre for contemporary dance, both in Flanders and internationally. This shift not only heralded a radical rethinking of the art centre\u2019s identity but also allowed STUK to reconnect to its historical role as key player for the \u2018Flemish Wave\u2019 in dance and performance. The highly successful international biennial \u2018Klapstuk\u2019 festival (established in 1983) at STUK provided an important platform for groundbreaking choreographers, such as Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Wim Vandekeybus, Jan Fabre, and Meg Stuart.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

      STUK\u2019s role as a leading centre for dance was further solidified in 2023 when it received structural funding from the Flemish Government for the development of a program devoted to immaterial dance heritage, connecting players from the fields of the arts, cultural heritage, research and education, both nationally and internationally. Under the leadership of Steven Vandervelden and Delphine Hesters, STUK aims to create a hub for bringing together, preserving, and transmitting immaterial dance heritage to future generations of audiences and dance practitioners alike.\u00a0<\/p>

      In the heydays of Klapstuk different researchers working at KU Leuven have been exploring the importance of dance and performance as a cultural practice. The Institute of Cultural Studies, founded in the early 1990s within the Art faculty, has always had a strong focus on dance and performance and hosted several leading theoreticians in dance and performance studies. KU Leuven sociologist Rudi Laermans has been a longstanding critical observer of the Flemish scene, resulting in several research projects and key publications on contemporary dance. He was also involved as a teacher in P.A.R.T.S., the Brussels-based dance school directed by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. The recent transformation of STUK has led the current Cultural Studies group to reconnect to its heritage as well, featuring the study of dance prominently in its curriculum. The annual international symposia it co-organizes with STUK have become a leading forum to discuss contemporary issues in dance studies in a unique encounter between theorists, choreographers and students.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>

      All this attention for dance in Leuven has not gone unnoticed. In 2025 KU Leuven decides to establish a dedicated interdisciplinary Dance Research Centre \u2018Counterpoint\u2019 to highlight and consolidate existing research on dance and to initiate new state of the arts research projects. The centre will work closely with STUK, ensuring that fundamental research informs and strengthens the outreach-oriented projects of STUK\u2019s program on Immaterial Dance Heritage and vice versa.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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      ABOUT “Counterpoint” in dance refers to the simultaneous performance of different movements. The technique creates a relationship between the different movements while preserving their distinct qualities. Similarly, the study of dance accompanies and counterbalances the making and the experience of dance with a reflective, scholarly point of view. MISSION The interdisciplinary research centre Counterpoint, founded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_canvas","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-16","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16"}],"version-history":[{"count":55,"href":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":584,"href":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/16\/revisions\/584"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/counterpoint.be\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}