Seasonal Hierarchies

In “Seasonal Hierarchies”, dancer-choreographer Jacob Bousset, together with dancer Rozálie Stárová, explores the multifaceted figure of the fool. What might this archetypal role mean in a world dominated by rigid structures and hierarchies? What surprising, sometimes unsettling, guises and functions has he taken on across time and space?

From oral traditions to medieval jester festivals: in countless cultures, the fool acts as a mirror of society, an outsider who challenges the norms through humour and absurdity. His presence in today’s ‘prankster economy’ demonstrates how this figure continues to resonate in an era of disruption and unpredictability. What risks are associated with this role? When does the fool become an instrument of chaos rather than a catalyst for change?

Jacob was inspired by "The Dawn of Everything", in which anthropologist David Graeber and archaeologist David Wengrow linked the fool to the earliest forms of hierarchy. According to the authors, political hierarchies were constructed and dismantled on a seasonal basis, and eccentric figures could function within them as temporary rulers.
The socio-political implications are far-reaching. Seasonal hierarchies reveal something about the dangers of power, whilst ‘foolish leaders’ shed light on ingrained patterns of normalisation. “Seasonal Hierarchies” incorporates these ideas into a dance performance that revolves around the complexity of the fool.