Nadja Dias moderated a discussion with artists Fia Neises and Leo Baur on the integration of audio description (AD) in dance performances. Fia emphasized the need to shift away from sighted-centric perspectives and shared her experience with her piece "With or Without You," which included interactive elements and choices for visually impaired audience members. Leo discussed their work "The Disempowered" and the use of fictional choreography through elements of audio description to create a sensory experience of dance without visually present dancers. Both artists highlighted the need for flexible and creative AD practices, emphasizing the importance of collaboration from the very beginning of a production process.
About Fia Neises
Fia/Sophia Neises is a freelance performer, choreographer, access dramaturge, theater educator and disability rights activist. In her artistic research, she explores the aesthetics of access for blind audiences with Zwoisy Mears-Clarke, Jess Curtis, Michael Turinsky, [in]operabilities and Rykena/Jüngst among others. She is currently working with her collective “LIFT” on the next dance piece “Biofuck”, which will premiere in Berlin in January 2026. She identifies as a disabled artist and encourages the appreciation of people's individual styles of perception and the creation of unconditional access to art during the process.
