unbound bodies

unbound bodies is the label of a performative series established by dancer Charlie Petersen. It allows her to lead productions from the performers perspective and thereby challenges existing hierarchies in the independent performing arts.

Taking her unique performative qualities as a starting point Charlie invites progressive choreographers for joint transnational productions. Based on a mutually developed concept and a close collaboration between artists of all participating countries she hands over the artistic lead of the creation process to the invited guest and takes on the role of an interpreter. Following her personal interests and deep understanding of movement art, she actively shapes her own artistic engagement as a dancer.

Her works include DIORAMA - Anatomie der Sehnsucht I Anatomie der Peinlichkeit - and currently The Greenhouse. For 2026 Charlie is planning a transnational production connecting Austrian, German, Danish and Swedish artists and coproduction houses. The piece is carrying the working titel Atmosphere of Decay and will be developed in close collaboration with her long-term creative partner Sophia Mage.

charlie petersen

Charlie is a performer who received her education in Contemporary Dance from the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten and Codarts in Rotterdam. She has joined creation processes ranging from improvisation-based research productions, physical theater pieces, conceptual movement installations to large-scale dance performances. From 2018 she intensively toured the highly acclaimed production The Sea Within by the Belgian company Lisbeth Gruwez/Voetvolk. 

Next to her artistic work Charlie completed a certificate studies in Cultural Management at the Institut für Kultur- und Medienmanagement in Hamburg and the further education Cultural Producing in the Independent Performing Arts with Kulturgetriebe Köln. Since 2019 she regularily produces pieces for her own performative series unbound bodies as well as for fellow artists and companies.

She lives and works between Vienna and Münster.