How Swarm works

Swarm is based on the movement principles of swarms. In a swarm the collective decides when, how and where movement goes. Power is decentralized, so to speak.

In Swarm, we practise three things:

1. make space

2. stick together

3. negotiate where you will go, as you move along

Birds in a swarm keep a social distance of three body lengths from each other. People usually gather by moving shoulder to shoulder; the group forms a block to which everything and everyone must give way. In Swarm, we keep space between people. That 'space' is a movable scale, from space 1 (close together) to space 10 (f a r a p a r t). This creates an open group that you can walk through as a passerby; that can dance like a grid through an existing crowd, and that you can spontaneously join. For wheelchair dancers, among others, having space in the crowd makes it easier to move through and creates a more inclusive, enjoyable experience.

To determine the direction of the swarm together, swarmers practice turning their attention 360 degrees around themselves. New swarmers often embody a hierarchy - they follow the one in front of them. With 360-degree awareness, the swarm practices a collective way of decision-making, where change is possible from any position in the group.

The dance of swarm is as you like it. We start with a warm up to get into dancing. During the warm up the ‘scales’ excersize is introduced, where you move in scales from 1-10. The scale of volume is how big or small you move, the scale of speed is how fast and slow, and the scale of space is the amount of space in between each other. By using these scales the dance can be interpreted in different styles and with different physical abilities. Because we move through the streets, unlike a club, you have to move to stay with it. This often leads to people who say they never danced in a club suddenly dancing a lot during swarm; as they walked on the beat, they walked into dancing.

Swarmers carry small speakers that are connected together via Bluetooth, creating a mobile speakersystem. 

Regular soundsystems consist of one or more big speakers. People often tend to move towards the speakers, becoming more dense as a crowd in that process. The sound from these speakers need to be loud in order to reach the whole crowd, which can be experienced as noise in public space by those who did not choose to hear it. Lastly, big speakers direct the crowd's movement, as a participant you need to follow the speaker in order to hear the music (and if it doesn’t move, neither will you). 

Swarm’s mobile soundsystem travels wherever our bodies takes us, on squares, stairs, tunnels, crossroads and parcs. Speakers are carried in small crossbody ‘speakerbags’, allowing us to move freely. Swarmers decide where to go, what spaces to transform in temporal dance spaces. And as the sound is so close to the body, the volume can be relatively low, so that sound is therefor less invasive in public space. And if it is too loud for you, you can lower the volume as you wish.

The DJ plays a live set via a tablet. The DJ responds to the changing surroundings; for instance lowering the volume in a neighborhood late at night, and raising it on a bridge. Turning it off when passing by streetmusicians or spaces of worship, and on again once passed by. Also the quality of music is adapted to where we are and who and what we meet.

DJ Cheb Runner is the musical director of Swarm. He is a musical hurricane rooted in Moroccan soil, exploring the musical electronic landscapes. Nurtured by both worlds, he represents a new sound of in-betweenness. Using first hand sounds and recordings of his own sample bank based on traditional instruments, he mixes playfully analog with digital effects supported with an unique collection of synthesizers and modulars. Both as producer, composer and DJ he is merging traditional and contemporary electronic sounds together moving from Moroccan chaabi, spiritual sounds to eclectic disco, deep techno and gabber.

He DJ's live, or invites other DJ's to play. Swarm has featured amazing DJ's such as: Sara Dziri, Inezgane Records and SocksLove.

We want the swarm to feel welcoming and accessible for all bodies. Here are some of the ways we care for each other while moving together:

Step-free route: Our route is step-free, so it’s accessible for wheelchair users and anyone who benefits from step-free movement.

All ways of dancing are welcome: Fast or slow, big or small, with hands, head, or feet — every way of dancing, every body, is celebrated.

Take breaks anytime: You’re free to step in and out whenever you like — to rest, recharge, or simply pause.

We move at the pace of the group: The speed of the swarm follows the slowest mover at each moment, so no one is left behind.

Break moments built in: There are pauses along the way, and you can also ask a boundary dancer to help start a break with you.

Keeping space: We keep space between us at all times. This supports wheelchair dancers with mobility; neurodivergent dancers avoid overstimulation, and creates safety — no one is touched, and everyone is there to dance.

Find your own place: You can choose where you are in the swarm — including quieter spots if you need less stimulation.

Adjustable sound: The speaker volume can be lowered if that makes the space feel better for you.

Written introduction: A printed version of the introduction is available for anyone who prefers text, including Deaf and hard-of-hearing participants.

Translation: English and the local language are always available. At times we also offer Arabic or Moroccan. Let us know in advance if you need a specific translation.

Access support: Access support is there for you at swarms. You can reach out to us beforehand or ask for help on the spot.

The swarm is built up with people who have different levels of engagement, experience and focus.  each of us are learning new things every time.

A swarm consists of:

Coregroup

Participants

Spontaneous participants

A coregroup has practised swarming and is amidst participants joining for the first time. A part of swarming is shared tacitly, Within the coregroup there are shared responsibilities such as leaving no traces, being the eyes and ears and communicating and moving and behaving in certain ways to influence the swarm. Within the coregroup people have different focus points.

The energisers focus on dancing, freedom of expression and movement, and connecting through movement with those (human and non-human) around them.

The boundary focuses on the exchange between the swarm and the people they meet. As a swarm we aim to share the space, not take it over. The boundary can inform, de-escalate, as well as change the route of the swarm. If something is going on- go to the boundary. Next to that there are people who acts as a police liasion, access support and first aid.

Participants are introduced to the Swarm via an introduction and a warm up in the beginning.

During the swarm people (and at times also cats, dogs and birds) join the swarm spontaneously. Some dance with us for a short while, or cheer us on, some step in and stay until the end.

The speakers are carried unnoticeably in small cross-body speakerbags, so that swarmers and people joining spontaneously have no visual difference. Within regular flashmobs and performances a studied choreography, costumes and other visual elements create a distinction between participants ‘who are in the know’ and spectators. With Swarm it is hard to see who was there from the start and who joined in later. This lowers the threshold of participation. Furthermore it allows the swarm to dissolve in a larger crowd.

Some of our projects include visual art. We've danced with inflatable light sculptures of Zalan Szackacs, golden crowns and hats by We Sell Reality, and colourful flags with political poetry made by Julita Mahrer Vinas.

Swarms emerge from collaboration, and through collaboration adapt to different contexts. For this we work with a collective model designed by Ro P. Gayo. Over time different Swarms have been developed in co creation with those that invited us.  We’ve worked within mental health, activism, architecture, art and even a birthday party.