In an intersection of academic rigor and artistic expression, the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg has become a focal point for exploring the performative nature of grief and burial traditions. Through a collaborative dialogue between choreographer Solène Weinachter and dance scholar Dr. Miriam Althammer, the institution is facilitating a deep dive into how movement can articulate the complexities of death and the rituals that surround it.
This academic and artistic partnership is centered on Weinachter’s research into burial cultures, examining how physical gestures and performative acts serve as a bridge between the living and the deceased. By integrating dance science with anthropological research, the project seeks to uncover how ritualized movement helps individuals and societies process loss in an era where the conversation around death is often fraught with silence.
The collaboration is not merely theoretical; it is manifesting in practical workshops and public performances in Salzburg. This multidisciplinary approach allows researchers and artists to test how “scores” and notations of movement can document the intangible experience of mourning, effectively turning the body into a living archive of cultural memory.
The Intersection of Dance Science and Burial Rituals
At the heart of this exploration is the work of Dr. Miriam Althammer, a University Assistant at the University of Salzburg. Dr. Althammer’s research interests in curatorial strategies and the documentation of performance provide the structural framework for analyzing Weinachter’s artistic process. Together, they are examining how the physical act of mourning—from the procession to the gesture of farewell—functions as a performative ritual.
Solène Weinachter, a French-Scottish dancer and choreographer, brings a practitioner’s perspective to this study. Her research focuses on the “performative” aspect of burial cultures, questioning which rituals remain essential and which are missing in contemporary society. The collaboration aims to bridge the gap between the academic study of dance and the raw, emotional reality of bereavement.
The partnership has extended into specialized programming, including the Blick ins Feld
(View into the Field) workshop hosted by the University of Salzburg. This workshop serves as a laboratory where the choreographer and scholars explore the themes of ritual and contemporary art, allowing participants to engage with the physical manifestations of grief through guided movement and academic discourse.
From Research to Stage: ‘AFTER ALL’
The culmination of this research is visible in Weinachter’s solo work titled AFTER ALL
. The piece is described as an exploration of both death and life, utilizing a blend of dance, theater, storytelling, and humor to address the end of life with sensitivity and lightness.
The performance serves as a practical application of the research conducted in dialogue with the university. It asks fundamental questions about how society handles loss and which rituals provide the necessary support when language fails. By transforming academic research into a public performance, Weinachter and Althammer move the conversation from the lecture hall to the stage, making the study of burial cultures accessible to a wider audience.
Scheduled for presentation in June 2026 at venues such as ARGEkultur Salzburg, the work reflects a broader trend in the arts where “artistic research” is used to investigate sociological and psychological phenomena. The piece does not seek to provide a definitive answer to grief but rather to explore the “sensible and surprisingly light” ways in which humans confront the inevitable.
The Role of the University of Salzburg in Artistic Research
The University of Salzburg’s Department of Art, Music, and Dance Studies is increasingly positioning itself as a hub for this type of interdisciplinary work. By supporting the collaboration between Dr. Althammer and Weinachter, the university is championing a model of education where academic theory is tested through creative practice.
This approach is part of a larger effort to understand “body politics”—how the human body interacts with societal norms and cultural expectations. In the context of burial cultures, this means analyzing how the body is positioned during a funeral, how it moves through a space of mourning, and how these physical actions contribute to the psychological healing process.
For those interested in the academic underpinnings of this work, the Department of Art, Music, and Dance Studies at the Paris Lodron University of Salzburg provides resources and documentation on the intersection of contemporary art and ritual research.
Key Dimensions of the Research
- Performative Rituals: Analyzing how specific movements in burial cultures serve as a form of non-verbal communication.
- Documentation: Using dance notations and scores to record the “choreography” of mourning.
- Societal Gaps: Identifying the lack of modern rituals for dealing with death in secular or urban environments.
- Interdisciplinary Dialogue: Combining the expertise of a university assistant in dance science with the creative output of a professional choreographer.
As the project continues to evolve, the next major milestone is the public presentation of AFTER ALL
on June 16, 2026, at ARGEkultur Salzburg, which will offer a tangible seem at the results of this academic and artistic inquiry.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts on the role of art in processing grief in the comments section below.