Conny Janssen Danst: stories being retold in the post-pandemic world

In week 2 and 3 of the Honours Programme part 2, we got a chance to speak to the representatives of Conny Janssen Danst (a dance company), the Port of Rotterdam and De Volkskrant (a Dutch newspaper) and hear about how storytelling is used in their works. Each company has their own unique communication strategies: while Conny Janssen Danst communicates with audience with their whole heart, the Port of Rotterdam presents a surprisingly organized way to cluster large amount of information, and De Volkskrant bases their stories on reliable research data source. Among the 3 companies, we are asked to individually choose one company that appeals the most to us and use Aristotle's modes of persuasion to analyze it.

The world is made up of stories; and in times of COVID-19, storytelling is becoming more prominent as one of the most powerful tools to make an impact on people. The pandemic has had a profound impact on the cultural sectors, including dancers whose daily lives and works are centered around in-person performances. Conny Janssen Danst (CJD), a dance company based in Rotterdam where we had a chance to speak to Ellen Geijs from the Marketing and Communication Department, has proved themselves to execute effective storytelling strategies in both the pre- and post-pandemic period. From the crowdfunding campaign, documentaries about the move to Katendrecht, and stories being retold in the pandemic, CJD has shown adaptive and creative ways of persuading more people to support their performances. Regarding Aristotle’s modes of persuasion, including ethos, pathos, logos and kairos, CJD is found to touch upon all elements and combined them well together to make coherent and persuasive stories about the company’s developments.

Pathos

Based on the work of Aristotle, pathos refers to the emotional appeal that is involved in the message. In a dance company, there is great connection between feelings and inspirations for work; emotions play a vital role for dancers to keep on the work they are doing. A study by Eli and Kay (2015) about choreographing experiences showed that dancers often refer to feelings as something that guide their choreographic processes. This is because what is left unsaid in life can be more effectively conveyed through dancing, thus speaking to the heart more easily.

Unlike other industry, the cultural sectors have considerable values in feelings. Being a contemporary dance company, CJD also centers their storytelling around emotions. The documentary about how they moved to Katendrecht captured real footages of the long moving process. It successfully shows moving to a new place requires great efforts which attract more empathy and understanding from audiences. In the uncertainties coming from the global pandemic, they also trigger audiences’ empathy by letting them choose to get a refund for the cancelled performance, or to donate the money for the company. This is completely based on voluntary motives; however the way CJD told their stories is very powerful because it touches on community empathy in such a tough period. As a result, audience responded to the situation more emotionally and pay less attention to their own financial loss because of cancelled tickets.

Logos

Logos is another element of Aristotle's modes of persuasion, which indicates the logical argumentation behind a message. Logic can firstly be seen in CJD’s intentional choice of using videos to promote their works, as in the argumentation Ellen Geijs made in the meeting about why audiovisual formats are suitable for capturing performances. In financial issues, logic is effectively used as a strong supplementation for emotions. In the fund raising campaign, a lot of arguments are mentioned to back up their call for donation, such as how the previous place did not fulfill their needs, and why their new place needs to be professionally furnished. These facts and arguments contribute to the coherence of the message and present the purpose of fund raising from a more practical view.

Ethos

Ethos, by Aristotle's definition, is persuading people by the credibility and trustworthiness of the message. In addition to pathos and logos, the speaker’s reputation, as well as the clearance and authenticity of the message also play a role in enhancing trust among audience. CJD has already gained themselves certain reputation as being one of the most outstanding contemporary dance company in Rotterdam. Meanwhile, Conny Janssen, the founder of the company herself is the owner of many prizes from regional scale of South Holland and Rotterdam, to the national scale such as being member of Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (“Conny Janssen Danst”, n.d.). Being well-known nation-wide significantly contributes to the persuasiveness of their stories, as the source of content is perceived to come from a trustworthy source. Furthermore, the clearance and authenticity in their message, such as in the moving documentaries and sincerity in the crowdfunding video, has captured real developments that were in progress. Ethos thus helps to build relationships between the company and audience and contributes to the persuasiveness of their stories.

Kairos

Kairos is an additional element which refers to the context of persuasion, including space and time. This factor can be most clearly seen in CJD’s dance with me at home and rooftop dance series as a response to social distancing rules that are in place. A message cannot be taken appropriately if it is framed in a wrong context; therefore re-telling their stories according to COVID-19 changes is crucial, not only to promote the company as a socially conscious organization, but also to persuade audiences about the fun and advantages of dancing at home to keep fit. In times of COVID-19, timeliness is key to retell the stories in a more appealing and relevant way.

Conclusion

CJD is an outstanding example for storytelling not only before but also after the pandemic. Although COVID-19 has had profound impact on their daily routines and works, from the storytelling angle, it opens opportunities for this dance company to represent themselves better. It is not only their dancing skills that can attract audiences, but also how they tell their stories in such a dedicated and authentic way. Although feelings play a vital role in dancers’ inspiration, the combination with logic, credibility and timeliness significantly enhance their trustworthiness and persuasion.

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Reference

Conny Janssen Danst (English). (n.d.). Retrieved January 30, 2021, from https://www.connyjanssendanst.nl/conny-janssen-danst-english/

Eli, K., & Kay, R. (2015). Choreographing lived experience: Dance, feelings and the storytelling body. Medical Humanities, 41(1), 63–68. https://doi.org/10.1136/medhum-2014-010602