Mission & History

MISSION 

We develop and share tools for collective evolution in a time of planetary crisis. Through somatic, dance, choreographic, and curatorial practices, we explore resonant, relational, and regenerative approaches that support the vital materiality of bodies, minds, and the more-than-human world. 

2026

  • Resisting Extinction – Ärjä Art Festival, Ärjänsaari, Oulujärvi, Finland.
  • Fluid Spaces – El Aleph Festival, UNAM, Mexico City.
  • Third Østmarka Ecosomatics Immersion, Oslo.

2025

  • Resisting Extinction – Reality Research Center & University of the Arts, Helsinki; Mustavuori Forest, Helsinki; Passage Festival, Hellebæk Skov, Helsingør; On Bodies Festival, Dancehouse Lefkosia, Cyprus; Nurt Foundation, Szczecin and Warsaw, Poland; Kaatsbaan Annual Festival, Tivoli, New York.
  • Blikkfanger – movement-based tour commissioned by the National Museum, Oslo & Den kulturelle skolesekken.
  • TOGETHERING – St. Hanshaugen Sommerbibliotek, Oslo.
  • Second Østmarka Ecosomatics Immersion, Oslo.

2024

  • Resisting Extinction supported by Perform Europe as one of 42 touring projects focused on green touring and accessibility and as selected for Norway Now, presented by the Royal Norwegian Consulate General and Performing Arts Hub Norway, New York.
  • weather walk – Kehä Festival, Oulu, Finland.
  • Circling the Line (work in progress) – Tanzhaus Temporär, Kassel; Oktoberdans, BIT Teatergarasjen, Bergen.
  • First Østmarka Ecosomatics Immersion, Oslo.

2023

  • Resisting Extinction – Performance Arcade, Wellington, New Zealand; Merimetsa, Tallinn, Estonia, in collaboration with Tantsuruum.

2022

  • Resisting Extinction – Nordic Residency at SITE, Sweden; Bærum Kulturhus and Bygdøy, Oslo.
  • a collection of fluid spaces – premiered at Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo.

2021

  • closer (solo) – 10th anniversary of Performance Arcade, Wellington, New Zealand.
  • Resisting Extinction –  premiered with DansiT, Trondheim; presented in Bygdøy, Oslo, and at DanseFestival Barents, Hammerfest.
  • a collection of fluid spaces – residency at Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo.

2020

  • Lineage – Oslo International Theatre Festival.
  • a collection of fluid spaces – in residence at Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo.

2019

  • TOGETHERING – commissioned by the Oslo Art Council for Schous Plass, Oslo.
  • Lineage – KHiO, Oslo.
  • felt room; 0n paper – created for Carle Lange’s Live ReMake, KHiO, Oslo.
  • Follow – loaned to Auckland Art Gallery and Govett-Brewster Art Gallery, Len Lye Centre, New Zealand.
  • Somatic Education Australia launched the first professional Body-Mind Centering® Somatic Movement Educator certification in Australasia.

2018

  • Follow – developed and acquired by Te Papa Tongarewa, National Museum of New Zealand, becoming the museum’s first intangible dance work in its permanent collection.
  • felt room, Lineage, and action movie – San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and Weisman Art Museum.

2017

  • Hosted Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen’s Embryological Foundations of Movement workshop hosted in Auckland, New Zealand.
  • felt room and Lineage –  residency at Perlman Teaching Museum, Carleton College.
  • action movie – Art Shanty Projects and Performance Arcade, New Zealand.
  • Dark Ecology and Conjuring Space, Conjuring Love – commissioned by Carleton College students.

2016

  • BodyCartography in residence at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota
  • Vital Matters Dance Festival launched in Minneapolis, presenting ten new works alongside workshops and public programming.
  • action movie – premiered at Vital Matters Dance Festival.
  • Lineage – work-in-progress showings in Norway and Minnesota.
  • Vital Matters – commissioned by Wayne State University students.
  • Something for Myself – commissioned by Young Dance.
  • SEEDS Festival reignited at Earthdance.
  • Headlands Center for the Arts alumni residency.
  • closer – toured to Performance Arcade, New Zealand, with Footnote, and to the Chicago Cultural Center.

2015

  • Embodied Performance Intensives launched in Minneapolis and Berlin.
  • closer – premiered in Minneapolis and featured on PBS NewsHour, in partnership with Northern Lights, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Walker Art Center, Loring Alley Rally, Minneapolis City Hall, and Red Eye Theater.
  • Super Nature –  Kelly Strayhorn Theatre’s New Moves Festival, Pittsburgh, and Dance Place, Washington, DC.
  • Future Interstates performance series established at Cowles Center for Dance & the Performing Arts in collaboration with Hijack.
  • Awarded a fellowship from Foundation for Contemporary Arts.

2014

  • Super Nature – TBA Festival, Portland Institute for Contemporary Art.
  • Undertide – short film and performance commissioned by Touch Compass.
  • Low – commissioned by Footnote New Zealand.
  • Residencies at War<so>Vie Festival, Warsaw, and Nash Gallery, Minneapolis.
  • Softening the Curves of the City – commissioned by Bedlam, St. Paul.

2013

  • City Pages named BodyCartography “Best Dance Company of the Twin Cities.”
  • In residence, Soap Factory, Minneapolis.
  • Underpass – commissioned by the City of Minneapolis.
  • Symptom –  CounterPulse, San Francisco.
  • Super Nature – American Realness and COIL Festival at Performance Space 122, NYC, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs.
  • Something for Myself – screened on MNTV.

2012

  • Super Nature – residency and installation at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; presented by TanzLaboratorium at Karas Gallery, Kyiv, Ukraine.
  • Something for Myself – short film commissioned by Young Dance, Minneapolis.

2011

  • Super Nature – residencies at ImPulsTanz, Vienna; Lilyspring, Wisconsin; and Studio 206, Minneapolis.
  • Symptom – premiered at COIL Festival, Performance Space 122, New York.

2010

  • Symptom – premiered at Intermedia Arts, Minneapolis, followed by a residency at MANCC, Florida.
  • BodyCartography awarded a McKnight Fellowship.
  • Mammal – commissioned by Lyon Opera Ballet and premiered at Les Subsistances, Lyon.
  • 1/2 Life – premiered at Southern Theater, Minneapolis, and toured to Performance Space 122, NYC.

2009

  • Holiday House – toured to COIL Festival, Performance Space 122, NYC.
  • Residency at K3 Zentrum für Choreographie, Hamburg.
  • Curators of Walker Art Center’s Choreographer’s Evening.
  • Performance tour for Dan Graham: Beyond at Walker Art Center.
  • 1/2 Life installation – Art of This Gallery, Minneapolis.
  • Hello Nervous System – PanCreas Festival, Copenhagen and Aarhus.
  • GO – Anti-Festival, Finland, and Strømmerien, Zurich.

2008

  • Named Artists of the Year by City Pages.
  • Station/Stationary – commissioned by Cheshire Dance for Crewe Train Station, UK.
  • Entreterritorios – dance film and installation created with Marila Velloso and filmed in northern Argentina and Brazil.
  • Named Sustainable Art Making Fellows by Public Art Saint Paul.
  • Hello Nervous System – Dance Theater Workshop, NYC.

2007

  • Holiday House (site version) – Outstanding Performance Award, Minnesota Sage Awards.
  • 1/2 Life —-residency at Kyoto Art Center, Japan.
  • GO, Modern Efficiency, and Hello Nervous System – Gare au Théâtre, Paris.
  • Holiday House and Plant – screened on MNTV, Minnesota.

2006

  • Holiday House – commissioned by Walker Art Center’s Momentum Series and awarded the People’s Choice Award at the Minnesota Sage Dance Awards.
  • Residency at Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin County, California.

2005

  • Seawall – Certificate of Distinction, American Dance Festival’s Dancing for the Camera Festival.

2004

  • ROOM – highly commended in the Experimental Category, Kerry Film Festival, Ireland.
  • Wharepapa – screened on MNTV, Minnesota.

2003

  • Wharepapa – filmed in the South Island wilderness of Aotearoa New Zealand.
  • LAGOON – commissioned by Lambton Harbour Management and awarded the Pelorous Trust Creativity Award at the New Zealand Fringe Festival.

2002

  • LAGOON – Best Outdoor Performance, New Zealand Fringe Festival.
  • ROOM – dance film created during a residency at Centrum, Port Townsend, Washington.

2001

  • Chaffers Marina – Best Outdoor Performance, New Zealand Fringe Festival.

2000

  • a seven-day interactive performance event at Burning Man, Nevada.

1999

  • Otto Ramstad joined Olive Bieringa as Co-Director.

1998

  • First large-scale BodyCartography Intensive took place in Wellington, New Zealand, as part of the New Zealand Fringe Festival.
  • The Intensive comprised 23 site-based performance events and functioned as an open laboratory for performers of all abilities.

1997

  • Olive Bieringa founded the BodyCartography Project in San Francisco.
  • The project began with free weekly improvisational laboratories led by Tom Sepe, Samantha Beers, Tracy Vogel, and Olive Bieringa.
  • These laboratories established the foundation for ongoing outdoor performance events during residencies at CELL Space and 848 Community Space.