Bodybox
BODIES OF EARTH
Natasha Kohler / Dance Plant Collective
About the work
Bodies of Earth is a durational performance that interrogates our relationships with land, place, and each other through the lens of eco-somatics. The work responds to the times we live in - marked by environmental collapse, disconnection, and grief - but also resilience, beauty, and interconnection between all living beings, both human and non-human. It draws on years of personal and collaborative research into eco-somatics, specifically a recent residency in July 2025 at the Pōneke Festival of Contemporary Dance. Bodies of Earth features dancers Brittany Kohler and Georgia Beechey, visual artist Megan Houching, and sound recorded and crafted by Finn Madison.
Bodies of Earth is a durational work. Meaning it is fluid and may weave in various directions each time it is experienced. The work is about the human and more-than-human experience and we hope to provide an insight and an honest look into how we view and connect with our worlds - perhaps helping to uncover some truths about how we see ourselves, our land, and those around us.
The artists want to acknowledge Te Whanganui-a-Tara land on which this work exists and was created.
About the artist
Natasa Kohler
Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa
Natasha Kohler is an independent dance artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. She holds a BPSA and co-founded Dance Plant Collective in 2016. Natasha’s practice revolves around building community, eco-somatic exploration and research, and performance and choreography for short and full-length works. Natasha uses dance as a tool for growth, self-discovery, and reflection, and to initiate positive change in our current world climate. She collaborates with human bodies and the more than human world. Her current fascination is exploring how we can move in alignment with the natural world not only in dance practices but also in the mundanity of our daily lives.
Dance Plant is a contemporary dance company based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa that was co-founded in 2016. Our vision is to create politically challenging and transformative performance work and community experiences. Co-founded in late 2016. We embrace both absurdity and authenticity, trusting the spontaneous cross-fertilisation of view-points to produce startling new material staged in equally surprising spaces. Dance Plant Collective have shared our award-winning, sold-out performances throughout New Zealand and Australia. We regularly offer collaborative opportunities through a community-based approach within our work.
Artists:
Natasha Kohler - Dancer & Facilitator/Choreographer
Brittany Kohler - Dancer & Co-choreographer
Georgia Beechey - Dancer & Co-choreographer
Megan Houching - Visual Artist
Finn Madison - Sound