Swiss Step Aerobics

Swiss Step Aerobics has been developed by Willimann/Arai in collaboration with folkdance teachers Paulina Alemparte Guerrero, Amela Kahrimanovic, Tolga Yumuk, Pema Sonam and Carol Sonam who live in Switzerland. The video tutorial unit combines dance steps from folkdances of different cultures. The different rhythms become visible in their concatenation, at the same time they gradually disappear in the pace of the workout. Willimann/Arai show in their work folklore as a transcultural phenomena and take a critical and humorous look at the construct of national identity and at actual populist identity politics, which refer to ideas of „pure originalty“ of cultural goods.

Through an advertisement in Basler Zeitung, a newspaper considered to be a mouthpiece of the Swiss nationalist party SVP, Willimann/Arai call for a free trial lesson in Swiss Step Aerobics in front of the city hall. Furthermore the Swiss Step Aerobics tutorial can be followed on Youtube via QR-Code.