Dancing with power
An exploration of power dynamics
Democracy on the stage
My first memories are of singing… I sang before I could speak and as soon as I learnt to stand on my own two feet, I began to put on performances in front of an imaginary audience. When I was six, my parents realised this obsession to sing, dance and perform was not going away, so they took me to audition for a dance company. I don’t remember much of the audition process but it wasn’t long before I was a dancer at the representative group, touring around the country first (Poland), and then Europe. I was assigned a partner and we would learn and practice complex choreographies, perfectly in sync with the other eleven couples, to the music of the in-house orchestra. The dance company was directly financed by the Polish Ministry of Culture, which inevitably came with obligations to dedicate a number of shows to political conferences and campaigns, state visits and big national celebrations. We had been in rooms with the most influential and powerful people at the given time, whether it was the Communist party in the late 80’s, the Solidarity movement of the 90’s (led by newly elected Lech Walesa), or the highly politicised Catholic church led by the Polish Pope. We were exposed to power shifts and influences from all directions. This political and social backdrop was highly intensified by the transition from the communism of the late 80’s and the birth of a new democracy. As politicians believed democracy to be synonymous with capitalism, the first MacDonalds began to appear.
The capitalist flagship stores began to rise, and so did the appetites for a western lifestyle, carefully marketed through Hollywood productions and glamorous commercials.
While Poland was learning the new kind of democracy — the artists, the poets and the cultural hubs had been expressing and practising its true values for generations. And so, as a six-year-old, I was taught the set of moves and with it, the art of power dynamics in order to hold an audience of hundreds (sometimes thousands) captivated, while simultaneously roaming between being a leader and a follower, a soloist and a spectator. I learnt to embrace being both: a performer on a stage one day, and a student in a practice room the next. These highly complex dynamics of democratic power that underpinned a two-hour dance performance, spilt over into our almost daily interactions with the larger team behind the scenes- the managers, choreographers, the music director and a singing coach, costume designer and seamstress as well as full-time tour-bus drivers and interpreters.
British novelist and philosopher Iris Murdoch said: “A good society contains many different artists doing many different things. A bad society coerces artists because it knows that they can reveal all kinds of truths” (Brain Pickings, 2020) Looking back at my early experiences of power and the true life lessons they offered, I decided to dive deep into the subject and explore its complexities and paradoxes through the lens of an artist and a researcher. The recent pandemic has made the topic of power very personal, having experienced the feeling of powerlessness in the face of lockdowns, restrictions and uncertainty. Historically power has often been expressed as a way of dominating or maintaining a status quo, however, power can also represent a positive force that brings about change inside ourselves and in our societies (social movements, individual fortitude). What makes power good or bad, and how can we express it to empower rather than dominate, and how can one concept represent such extreme opposites?
The many faces of power
Although there is no singular definition or theory that can fully conceptualise power, nevertheless many philosophers, politicians and even physicists have introduced us to their own concepts. One of them is Steven Lukes who in his book “A Radical View” (2005) presents us with “three faces of political power”. Lukes describes the power in terms of a limited source, one that needs to be protected from others and controlled. His articulation of power is that of “three faces” that can be expressed in a “visible”, “hidden” and “invisible” way, often presented in a ‘win-lose’ narrative (Lukes, 1974, 2005, Powercube, 2011). Such a narrative creates an inevitable separation between us and them, winners and losers, leaders and followers, and position power as a limited source, something to obtain and fight for in order to control. Lukes description of power is often referred to as “power over”, an insecure and dangerous expression of dominance that is limited by its own boundaries that it creates.
The economist and political activist Yanis Varufakis in his book “Adults in the room” describes the “power over” as the “powerlessness of the powerful” when sharing his observations and experiences of interacting with Wolfgang Schaeuble- German Finance Minister, during the Greek financial crisis negotiations with EU. Varufakis compares the negotiations to a Greek tragedy, that in the light of making the decision that would impact the whole nation, Mr Schaeuble, one of the most powerful people in the EU “was powerless to do that which he himself understood to be the right thing” (Varufakis, 2017).
The political scientist, Clarissa Hayward argues that such power allows for a blind assumption that “the powerful are acting on the basis of their free and conscious choice to dominate others, giving us a kind of ‘moral closure’ and someone to ‘point a finger at’’” (Hayward,1998, Powercube, 2011). It creates a blind spot that prevents us from recognising that the powerful are as socially conditioned as the rest of us and their judgements skewed by drinking from the power cup.
Hayward’s critique of power is inspired not only by her observations of the current political scene but also by the work of 18th-century French philosopher and political activist Jean Jaques Rousseau. In 1761 Rousseau spoke extensively of political power in his manifesto “The social contract”. He introduced a new concept of power as a collective effort for the “common good” that is co-created by the society and enacted by the politicians who are merely conduits of power. Rousseau understood the limitations and the dangers of “power over” and promoted the alternative “power to” and “power with” as a blueprint for a thriving and involved society. But it was Foucault who saw power dynamics beyond politics, expanding its understanding into every part of our lives. Foucault made power personal. He believed power can be limitless and ever-expanding when we shift its focus from coercion to co-creation. This reconceptualisation of power gave birth to the modern concepts of power we begin to explore and discuss in leadership and management.
Kasia Urbaniak in her latest book “Unbound ‘’ describes her somewhat unorthodox experiences with power during her seventeen years of studying as a Taoist nun, and later becoming one of the most successful dominatrices in the world. Kasia’s experience of power is of a dynamic and relational force as opposed to a static commodity. Kasia says: “When you skillfully play with power dynamics, the world changes. You stop being a servant of the life you’re living and become a creator of the world you want” ( 2020). Kasia speaks extensively of power as an influence rather than control. ‘Power to’ and ‘within‘’ (as opposed to ‘power over’), as expressions of internal fortitude and call to action we all carry within us and need to express. The absence of our expression of power or the active disempowerment of individuals has a tangible, negative impact on ourselves, our immediate environment and the wider society. The power withheld is power transferred onto others in an often negative and toxic way. One of such examples is Stets and Bruke’s research on Femininity and Masculinity which states that some women who have experienced inequality and felt disempowered at work and society would in turn exert their power and dominance in their homes towards their spouses (1996).
The alchemy of shared power
The myths of the angry gods, Jupiter, Zeus or even the Old Testament Yahweh made us believe that the power assumes submission to and fear of those in charge. Yet, as we learn more about the building blocks of our universe, from quantum physics to biology, chemistry to philosophy, we realise that these are not the powers that govern the universe. The emergence theory (ET), which is observed in multiple disciplines such as philosophy, art and science speaks of the alternative expressions (other than ‘power over’) of power. The mystery and the power of emergence as described by the ET, is an equivalent of 2+2= 5. ET states that new and unique observable properties and behaviours that don’t exist in singularity, emerge only when parts/individuals interact as a collective (Reuben Ablowitz, 1939). This phenomenon presents the power of a collective that can be observed from the subatomic level all the way through to the organisational behaviour and provides a valuable and relevant template for today's leaders.
Suzan Simard, a professor of forest ecology, who has revolutionised the way we understand the world beneath our feet, has introduced us to nature’s template for ‘power to’ and ‘power within’. The mycelial network is Suzan’s groundbreaking discovery of an underground network between trees, plants and fungi that not only transports resources necessary for survival for each species but also information about environmental changes and threats, across thousands of miles. This incredibly complex and sophisticated ecosystem of shared resources and intelligence teaches us about an effective and democratic distribution of power through collaboration and connection.
In physics, power is the amount of energy transferred not accumulated, it’s a generative force that propels an object in time. In the natural world, it seems the power is transformative not accumulative, generous not contrived -the kind of power I experienced on a dance floor as a six-year-old.
Sue Cox who set up Ballroom to Boardroom compares the intricate power dynamics that happen on the dance floor to those in organisations. Sue argues that understanding and practising “the power of the follower”, “the power of connection” and “the power of collaboration” is necessary in a modern organisation (TedEx London Business School, 2016). Sue gives us an insight into the powerful role of the follower, who acts out of a choice to follow with equal energy to engage and to deliver, much like the leader. Without such conscious engagement, the leader is left with a burden to produce, deliver and create by him/herself while often facing resistance from the follower (an example of leading from the ‘power over’ space). Leaders often underestimate the power to follow and become victims of their own power limitations. Active and conscious followership liberates the leaders and empowers the followers to be equal co-creators of the whole experience.
The concepts of power to (untethered action and authority of an individual) and power with/within (empowerment of an individual), can be effectively expressed when there is a relationship, mutual respect underpinned by a true connection- I see you, you see me. In a dance it’s demonstrated by partners facing each other and locked in each other’s gazes- nothing can escape, it is transparency, vulnerability and presence at its best.
The paradox of power
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure”- says the poet and political activist Marianne Williamson (1992)
I still hold the vivid memories of the moment before the curtain would go up before I faced my audience. My heart is pounding and I’m paralysed by the fear, and energised by the expectations of what is to come, all at the same time. For a brief moment, I enter a mystical space where I’m at my most vulnerable and powerful, aware of my own limitations and charged by the potentiality of the collective experience with other dancers and the audience. It is in this paradoxical space of the opposing forces where transformative and boundless power can be found. It’s also the space that seems to be missing in our politics and organisations, that still hang on to the traditional model of hierarchical powers. Daniel Kahneman- psychologist, economist and Nobel laureate gives us an insight in his theory of loss aversion as to why we choose to desperately hang on to the status quo, he says: “losses loom larger than gains” (Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, 1979).
The main objective of the traditional ‘power over’ is just that, to preserve its-self and the status quo in which it thrives.
Such power lives by the narrative that without it, all chaos breaks loose which will threaten our very existence. Yet it is in the chaos of epidemics, natural disasters and wars, we find the impotence and lethargy of the powerful and we discover the potent action of the collective, naturally adhering to the order of love and kindness roaming freely and unrestrained by any structures. Our collective consciousness knows no ego, fears no boundaries, grows without acquisition or accumulation and is not threatened by the bottom line. In turn, it is energised by the ever-expanding generosity of spirit of creativity, innovation, inspired only by hope and potential.
The expressions of power seem paradoxical, it appears that power can be both an expression of dominance limited to a few and a generative and creative force for change that lives within each and every one of us. We live within this paradox often feeling trapped and confused by the competing narratives. But when we discover that power is not static, but it is a dance, we become liberated and intentional in our multi-directional, multilayered movement beyond just walking in straight lines and more towards transcending time and space. In this magical moment something powerful happens, we become liberated and reconnected beyond boundaries and structures, beyond rules and roles. It is then that we realise that the power withheld is consumptive and the power shared — generative. “And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”- (Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course in Miracles” by Marianne Williamson,1992)
