Institute:

• Institut für Theaterwissenschaft

Critical Dance Studies

Jenny Mahla holds a B.A. in Theater Studies from University of Leipzig and already identified the research area of Gender Studies within dance and performance in Leipzig. Their graduation paper about historically grown images of masculinity in ballet has contributed significantly the world premiere of Iván Pérez’s “The Male Dancer”, a creation with the Paris Opera Ballet for Palais Garnier in 2018. After this successful first collaboration, Jenny Mahla worked with Pérez as a dramaturg for Dance Theatre Heidelberg from 2018 to 2021.

Since 2021 they are based in Berlin and are freelancing in dance dramaturgy and writing as well as being a facilitator for various encounter and exchange formats. Together with other dance makers they founded the network “Tools for Friction” at Uferstudios, which strives for more solidarity among freelance colleagues in the dance scene.

While pursuing their master’s degree at FU Berlin in Critical Dance Studies, they are researching and working at the intersection of Queer Theory, Critical Race Studies and Disability Studies. In the winter semester 2023/24, they taught the seminar "Intersectionally Queer: Decolonial Readings of Dance" together with Prof. Dr. Lucia Ruprecht for the master’s program of Critical Dance Studies.