Sitting Here, Collecting Dance. Choreography’s affect and value in the Crypto Landscape

Abstract

This essay explores the emerging phenomenon of dance as a collectible within the crypto landscape, exploring how blockchain technology is reshaping the way dance is valued and experienced. Through the lens of non-fungible tokens (NFTs), the essay examines how dance is being transformed into a collectible object, complicating conventional paradigms of commodification. Focusing on the work of the Chilean dance duo CryptoMoves and the practices of collectors like Anna Condo, the essay highlights how the blockchain not only enables the commodification of dance but also introduces new affective dimensions and knowledge production avenues. By tracing the historical context of dance as both commodity and gift, the essay argues that the NFT marketplace catalyzes a new paradigm where the role of the collector becomes central in defining the cultural and economic value of dance in the 21st century. This shift, as the essay suggests, has profound implications for the future of dance, its cultural identity, and its place within the broader digital economy.