Motuz Group

Motuz is a Denmark-based interdisciplinary performance group blending improvised jazz, contemporary dance, and song reinterpretation into a single, unified artistic language. Formed in 2019 and refined through years of international research and collaboration, the group has evolved into a quartet of voice, saxophone, double bass, and contemporary dance — four performers sharing equal musical and choreographic responsibility on stage. Rather than musicians accompanied by a dancer, Motuz functions as a true quartet where sound and movement continually shape one another in real time.

At the heart of Motuz’s work is the exploration of how improvised music and improvised movement interact. Drawing on a substantial body of artistic research, including a master’s thesis examining interdisciplinary performance practice and fieldwork in South Africa, the group has developed a method where choreography emerges from musical intention, and musical choices are guided by the dancer’s physical vocabulary. This process creates performances that are unpredictable, deeply responsive, and emotionally charged.

Motuz reimagines well-known, meaningful songs as the framework for their improvisations, allowing audiences to enter the work through something familiar while experiencing it in a radically new and expressive form. These songs become a fifth member of the ensemble — reshaped, stretched, fragmented, and rediscovered through movement-driven interpretation.

Each Motuz performance is entirely unique, sculpted live and never repeated. Audiences often describe the experience as cinematic, intimate, and powerful, with reactions ranging from quiet reflection to overwhelming emotional release. The group appeals equally to lovers of jazz, contemporary dance, theatre, and performance art, offering an accessible yet boldly original encounter with improvisation.

Motuz performs fully acoustically with no backline requirement and can adapt to theatres, art spaces, concert halls, clubs, and in-the-round settings. Their work champions diversity, collaboration, and artistic integrity, presenting a distinctive interdisciplinary voice within the European performing arts landscape.