A workshop week titled “WisTanz” took place from April 13–17 in collaboration with a 6th-grade class at Neues Tor Elementary School. With this project, the Center for Cultural Techniques (ZfK) is launching a partnership with the State run German-Portuguese European School, which is located in the immediate vicinity of Humboldt University’s North Campus. Other partner schools in the project are the Kolumbus Elementary School in Reinickendorf and the Albert Gutzmann School in Wedding.
The children were invited to come to the Object Lab at the ZfK for two hours each day to explore the invisible phenomena of theoretical physics through dance: How do the smallest particles move? What keeps planets in their orbits? What is relativity? Why is gravity so important? And how does it feel when “everything is connected to everything else”?
The project was developed by Berlin-based choreographer Irina Demina in collaboration with theoretical physicists Prof. Valentina Forini and Dr. Allison Pinto from Humboldt University as part of the “WisTanz at Elementary Schools” program and commissioned and supported by the Team for Knowledge Exchange with Society at the Center for Cultural Techniques.
The workshop was marked by a lively exchange: The children asked numerous questions and participated actively and with great curiosity. Many expressed great interest in learning other subjects, such as math, English, or art, through dance. Combining scientific content with creative methods allowed for a playful approach in which scientific thinking complemented artistic forms of expression while fostering body awareness and collaborative work.
The project aims to provide early access to science for everyone.
A taster for children ages 7 and up will be part of the Long Night of the Sciences program on June 6th at the Institute of Physics (3.101, 3rd floor) in Adlershof:
5:15–5:45 p.m.
6:15–6:45 p.m.
For questions about the project contact: wissensaustausch.zfk@hu-berlin.de
To find out more about Dance and Science at HU Berlin watch the Video
Irina Demina is a choreographer, artistic researcher, and educator. In 2024, she founded SCARBOD Lab—a transdisciplinary platform for body-based formats at the intersection of science and art. In 2025, she was an artist-in-residence at the ZfK (HU) and is currently working on “Science on the Dancefloor” (University of Tübingen).
Dr. Allison Pinto is a ‘sciencefluencer’, physicist, and administrative lead at the Institute of Physics (HU). In 2022, she launched the YouTube channel “Non-Standard Models” together with other members of the Research Training Group “Rethinking Quantum Field Theory.” She also shares physics and mathematics concepts on Instagram and TikTok—sometimes through dance.