This study illustrates the value of embodied subtleties in the process of collaborative creativity. Drawing on a sensory ethnography of two dance productions, we illustrate the fine-grained ways in which professional dancers negotiate creative processes behind the scenes. We identify three aspects through which collaborative creativity emerges from bodily subtleties: (1) moving beyond individual bodies towards collective ambitions, (2) relating to colleagues’ micro-gestures and bodily nuances, and (3) the role of ‘serious play’ between bodies in setting the scene for the first two aspects to occur. The findings will contribute to our understanding of the practice of collaborative creativity, which we treat as not only a mental but also a highly intimate bodily practice. We conclude that appreciating sensory micro-dynamics between oneself and one’s colleagues is crucial for creative collaboration, which is increasingly necessary for management learning in contemporary organisations.

这项研究说明了在协作创造过程中体现微妙的价值。借助两种舞蹈作品的感官人种志，我们说明了专业舞者在幕后谈判创造性过程的精细方式。我们从身体的微妙中识别出三个方面的协作创造力：（1）从个体身体向集体的志向发展；（2）与同事的微观手势和身体细微差别有关；（3）相互之间的“严肃游戏”的作用在为前两个方面设置场景方面。这些发现将有助于我们理解协作创造的实践，我们不仅将其视为一种精神上的，而且是一种高度亲密的身体实践。