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Dance Congress
Funded as a Cultural Institution of Excellence
The Dance Congress, organized twice already by the Federal Cultural Foundation, shall receive funding in the future as a cultural institution of excellence. The next Dance Congress is scheduled in 2013 and will continue to be held every three years at various locations in Germany. In past years, the event has gained recognition as a festival with strong public appeal, an international showcase of dance performances, an interdisciplinary research site, a contest for new ideas and a marketplace for co-productions.
The history
The protagonists of modern dance met at major congresses only three times in the 20th century – namely during the era of the Weimar Republic in 1927, 1928 and 1930. These first dance congresses soon became legendary with up to 1,000 dancers participating in the events. They proclaimed a new concept of the body, free movement and the social relevance of dance – until the National Socialists took control and brought the meetings to a grinding halt.
The Federal Cultural Foundation restarted the tradition: Initiated and organized by the Federal Cultural Foundation, the first 21st-century Dance Congress took place in Berlin in 2006. With over 1,700 people in attendance, the event was an important success for the visibility of the German dance scene. It also formed the basis of the “Dance Plan Germany”, a major programme initiated by the Federal Cultural Foundation in 2006. The follow-up Dance Congress took place in Hamburg in November 2009. More than 2,000 German and foreign dance artists, experts in the fields of education, production, medicine and law, interest groups, cultural administrators and journalists attended the event. The overwhelmingly positive response demonstrated how much the dance world longs for meaningful exchange regarding its own art form and for critical reflection of dance issues at a social level.
The Dance Congress has led to a significant mobilization of the scene and more public support of dance in Germany. A number of internationally renowned artists have played a significant role in advancing the interests of dance, for example, Sasha Waltz, William Forsythe, John Neumeier, Royston Maldoom, Reinhild Hoffmann, Susanne Linke and Vladimir Malakhov, all of whom participated in both events organized by the Federal Cultural Foundation.
Artistic Areas:
Contact:
Antonia Lahmé
Kulturstiftung des Bundes
Franckeplatz 1
06110 Halle (Saale)
Tel.: +49 (0)345 2997 117
Fax.: +49 (0)345 2997 333
>E-mail
Further Informations
Dance Congress 2013 in Düsseldorf
The Dance Congress is a large international forum in which dancers, choreographers, dance teachers, scholars, and producers can present and reflect on current developments of stage dance in practice and theory. Initiated by the German Federal Cultural Foundation, the first congress was held in 2006 in Berlin, the second in 2009 in Hamburg. Due to the great response, the Dance Congress has been included as a cultural beacon in the German Federal Cultural Foundation’s promotion of excellence and will take place every three years at alternating locations in Germany. From 6 to 9 June, 2013, the City of Düsseldorf will become a stage for dancing, and the area around the tanzhaus nrw and the Capitol Theater the congress centre. The Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus, the Forum Freies Theater and other venues will flank the congress with an exclusive programme selected for this occasion, ranging from ballet, to contemporary dance, to interactive performances.
Dance Congress 2006 and 2009
The first Dance Congress, initiated and organized by the Federal Cultural Foundation, took place in Berlin in 2006. The event was attended by 1,700 visitors – an overwhelming success for the visibility of the German dance scene. The following Dance Congress took place at Kampnagel in Hamburg in 2009. In 80 separate events, around 220 international speakers addressed dance issues from artistic, sociological, philosophical and cultural-historic perspectives. The 3,000 German and foreign visitors emphasize how much the dance scene desires meaningful exchange regarding this art form.
