Dug Boat Dance: Contemporary Body and Prehistoric Experience
Prehistoric rock art in Northern Europe repeatedly shows people standing, jumping, and dancing in a boat. Especially in Finland, rock paintings and the related offerings were made specifically from a boat. In 2023, dancer Arttu Peltoniemi conducted an artistic-scientific experiment called Dug Boat D...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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2025-08-01
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| Online Access: | https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10804 |
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| author | Jenni Sahramaa Riitta Rainio |
| author_facet | Jenni Sahramaa Riitta Rainio |
| author_sort | Jenni Sahramaa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Prehistoric rock art in Northern Europe repeatedly shows people standing, jumping, and dancing in a boat. Especially in Finland, rock paintings and the related offerings were made specifically from a boat. In 2023, dancer Arttu Peltoniemi conducted an artistic-scientific experiment called Dug Boat Dance to explore whether it is possible to dance in a boat, and what kind of movements and bodily sensations this might generate. The three-month-long experiment was carried out in a Stone Age-style dugout canoe, using the dancer's body and somaesthetic experiences as research tools. According to our interviews with Peltoniemi, the dugout boat affected dancing in many ways. As a moving and rocking platform, it kept the dancer's ankles, knees, and spine in constant motion, provoking undulating snake-like movements throughout the body. It responded to jumps, steps, and falls by springing down and up again, which created a sense of flying. The multi-sensory experience, which also included rhythmic body sounds, the rattling of bone pendants in the reconstructed Stone Age outfit, as well as echoes bouncing off the painted rock, brought Peltoniemi into a state of trance during the public performances. Altogether, this reimagination of prehistoric dance provides insight into the sensory world of the past, especially its little-explored bodily sensations. The unique project proves that dancing in a dugout boat is not only possible but also an impressive experience for both the dancer and the audience. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2ef8e724e8f44100b74c159e26407c93 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2212-8956 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | EXARC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EXARC Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-2ef8e724e8f44100b74c159e26407c932025-08-20T04:02:10ZengEXARCEXARC Journal2212-89562025-08-012025/2ark:/88735/10804Dug Boat Dance: Contemporary Body and Prehistoric ExperienceJenni SahramaaRiitta RainioPrehistoric rock art in Northern Europe repeatedly shows people standing, jumping, and dancing in a boat. Especially in Finland, rock paintings and the related offerings were made specifically from a boat. In 2023, dancer Arttu Peltoniemi conducted an artistic-scientific experiment called Dug Boat Dance to explore whether it is possible to dance in a boat, and what kind of movements and bodily sensations this might generate. The three-month-long experiment was carried out in a Stone Age-style dugout canoe, using the dancer's body and somaesthetic experiences as research tools. According to our interviews with Peltoniemi, the dugout boat affected dancing in many ways. As a moving and rocking platform, it kept the dancer's ankles, knees, and spine in constant motion, provoking undulating snake-like movements throughout the body. It responded to jumps, steps, and falls by springing down and up again, which created a sense of flying. The multi-sensory experience, which also included rhythmic body sounds, the rattling of bone pendants in the reconstructed Stone Age outfit, as well as echoes bouncing off the painted rock, brought Peltoniemi into a state of trance during the public performances. Altogether, this reimagination of prehistoric dance provides insight into the sensory world of the past, especially its little-explored bodily sensations. The unique project proves that dancing in a dugout boat is not only possible but also an impressive experience for both the dancer and the audience.https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10804danceneolithicfinlandcanoe |
| spellingShingle | Jenni Sahramaa Riitta Rainio Dug Boat Dance: Contemporary Body and Prehistoric Experience EXARC Journal dance neolithic finland canoe |
| title | Dug Boat Dance: Contemporary Body and Prehistoric Experience |
| title_full | Dug Boat Dance: Contemporary Body and Prehistoric Experience |
| title_fullStr | Dug Boat Dance: Contemporary Body and Prehistoric Experience |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dug Boat Dance: Contemporary Body and Prehistoric Experience |
| title_short | Dug Boat Dance: Contemporary Body and Prehistoric Experience |
| title_sort | dug boat dance contemporary body and prehistoric experience |
| topic | dance neolithic finland canoe |
| url | https://exarc.net/ark:/88735/10804 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jennisahramaa dugboatdancecontemporarybodyandprehistoricexperience AT riittarainio dugboatdancecontemporarybodyandprehistoricexperience |