Outi Elena Valanto Gerberding

 

is a Finnish choreographer, dancer, cultural manager and art researcher (University of Lapland) based in Germany. Her doctoral research investigates how dance-based, embodied methodologies can enhance host institutions’ and individuals' capacity to support artists at risk and from vulnerable conditions. It introduces the concept of embodied hosting, framing hosting as an embodied, relational, and ethical practice informed by dance phenomenology and arts-based research. Through three case studies applying movement-based methods in institutional contexts, the study examines how such practices can enhance empathy, address power asymmetries, and support trauma-sensitive care. The research contributes to dance studies, trauma-informed arts practice, and cultural policy by emphasising embodiment and care in residency contexts.​

  

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Valanto’s artistic practice combines artistic and scientific methods, addressing pressing societal issues.  Her focus lies on creating tangible and distinct shared experiences, and therefore she stages her work diversely in public spaces, galleries, theatres, and in intimate settings to foster direct audience relations. Through embodied practices, she cultivates collectiveness and empathy by involving diverse participants, from professionals to inclusive groups.

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Valanto's journey—navigating the limitations of a congenital physical condition as a dancer—has deepened her commitment to strengthening marginalised voices. Whether it is the performances Valanto creates or produces cultural projects, all of these enhance her interest in how art can challenge societal structures and create transformative, transparent and safe spaces. Her projects, widely presented across Europe, include choreographies, cultural productions, residency management for artists in crisis, and participatory public interventions, all aimed at nurturing dialogue, resilience, and creative expression for underrepresented voices.

“The foundation of all is always the body, the first entity humans have, with it and through it, we perceive the world. “