Abstract

Using dance as medium for science communication has proven to be a great success:
For instance, the international competition Dance your Ph.D. supported by the Science Magazine, has established dance as a perfect tool to communicate science and, thus, has been able to generate a large (non)scientific audience over the years.
In accordance with the actual FWF-project Diffusion in Glasses studied with X-ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy, dance should be used to communicate the physical topic concerning dynamics on a microscopic level. Using this kind of art form to describe physical properties of microscopic movement is enormously suitable.

By the aid of microscopic pictures, like interactions between particles, diffusive, jump-like, oscillating atomic motion, the breaking of atomic bonds, moving randomly or in correlated manner or the instantaneous or gradual emergence of ordered or disordered structures, incentives for the development of new improvisation topics and innovative aesthetics of movement could be created. The observations of dynamical processes on a microscopic length scale can be exemplary for complex systems and every-day appearances, e.g. the growth of an epidemic, the diffusion of language, the propagation of ideas, information or knowledge. On this basis, the developed choreography should eventually result in a series of performances for a diverse (non)scientific audience. It is the aim to create a strong public awareness with regards of the significance of dynamical processes in general and of the content of the FWF-project in particular.

To generate this widespread audience, a cooperation, with professional dancers together with the students of the Music and Arts University of the City of Vienna (MUK) will be carried out. The diverse venues of dance performances, e.g. the Uni Campus Wien, the MUK and the Werkstätten- und Kulturhaus Wien (WUK), should also attract the attention of a larger community.
To reach the younger generation, workshops for high school students will be additionally organized with the main focus on expressing the physical topic with dance (active participation of high school students) and with the aim of promoting and strengthening their interests in this scientific field in particular and in STEM-subjects in general. The close cooperation with the MUK University of the City of Vienna constitutes an important contribution of the development of this science communication project and should be seen as a starting point for further collaborations concerning the development of this art form as medium for science communication. Sustainability of this project is additionally guaranteed by continuous activities on social media platforms, by posting and promoting videos of the developed dance piece and by the submission of this science communication piece to various dance festivals.