Body Epiphanies

Body Epiphanies is a somatic composition by Olga Szymula, expanding on her previous research project The Ears of the Skin. The piece explores somatics—the body’s internal perception—through sound, physical expression, text, and choreographed movement. Performed by Szymula, Afro-Brazilian artist Sandro Masai, and Danish senior dancer Laila Wodtke Nissen, the work unfolds as a choreographed corporeal documentary, drawing from the performers' personal memories. Rooted in lived experience, Body Epiphanies explores seven core emotional drives—SEEKING, PLAY, CARE, RAGE, FEAR, PANIC/GRIEF, and LUST—drawing on neuroscientist Dr. Jaak Panksepp’s research on emotional command systems. His work reveals that these emotions are not abstract concepts but deeply embedded neural processes that shape survival, connection, and human relationships. Program: Olga Szymula: Body Epiphanies (2025) The concert is in the basement of KoncertKirken. Olga Szymula is a sound artist, performer, and director specializing in interdisciplinary, experimental works. My practice integrates video, sound, text, and performance art, and I also compose scores for film, theater, and new music ensembles. In recent years, I have been expanding my work by exploring somatics, choreography, and movement—elements that shape my latest project Body Epiphanies. I completed the Advanced Postgraduate program in Electronic Composition from DIEM. My research project The Ears of the Skin was supported by the Danish Composer Society’s “New Ways Scholarship” in 2022. Credits: Olga Szymula (composition, direction, choreography) Olga Szymula, Sandro Masai, Laila Wodtke Nissen (performance, libretto)

• Olga Szymula