HUG – how it all began by Levantes Dance Theatre

The idea for HUG began during a quiet moment while I was decluttering my room. I found a box of printed photographs (snapshots from weddings, birthday parties, family holidays and special moments with friends). As I held each photograph, I felt this unexpected wave of emotion by the memories they captured.

Most of the photographs were of loved ones embracing, hugging, snuggling and being close to each other. Arms and heads intertwined evoking a feeling of warmth, connection and safety.  It was almost as if I were back inside them.

That emotional resonance led me to wonder: How can I recreate this sense of comfort and togetherness in a live experience? Could I craft a universal hug? In a world that craves human connection and safe spaces, I began to ask: How can art share that feeling? And….. more questions followed: What does a hug mean to different people? How does age, culture, and personal experience shape the way we give or receive one? 

To begin shaping the world of HUG, I started interviewing family members, friends, and friends of friends: What’s your favourite hug? Your least favourite? What’s the most awkward hug you’ve ever had?

The answers were funny, moving and deeply human. These conversations offered rich emotional reference points and highlighted just how many ways a hug can be experienced.

I also invited Psychologist Joy Griffith to join us in this journey. Joy spoke about the science of hugging; what happens to the body and brain when we’re hugged, and the release of feel-good chemicals like oxytocin and dopamine. It was eye-opening to understand just how physically and emotionally transformative a hug can be.

These three starting points: the personal interviews, the scientific insight and our own lived experiences laid the foundation for developing the movement vocabulary of the piece. We spent three weeks in the studio, devising with a team of three incredible dance and circus artists. Each day started with a hug… sometimes light and silly, other times grounding or unexpectedly emotional. No two days were ever the same.

As we explored, characters began to emerge:

G:open and generous.
U:someone who brings others together and holds space.
H:wrestling with boundaries, resistance or vulnerability.

From these characters we shaped a simple narrative, intertwining circus skill and dance movement to tell a story through the act of hugging. 

The entire experience (set, costumes and sound) has been carefully crafted to feel physically and emotionally inviting.

Set… is a giant HUG . 
Costume fabrics… you want to touch, wrap around or fall into them. 
Sound… layered with soothing, sensory-rich recordings from a mix of people’s voices and beautiful songs.

Audiences have responded to HUG in beautifully personal ways: some laugh, some cry and many tell us they didn’t realise how much they needed a hug until they were offered one.

The work is immersive, non-verbal and deeply human. Whether people choose to participate in the HUG EXPERIENCE, sit and watch from a distance or just pass by with curiosity, we hope they walk away feeling seen, connected and warmed from the inside out.

Eleni Edipidi, Artistic Director, Levantes Dance Theatre.