Czech Dance at Tanzmesse in Düsseldorf

The German city of Düsseldorf is being transformed into a city of dance again after two years. Dancers, artists, dramaturges, curators, producers and critics from all over the world are convening in the city to present their current projects at the biggest fair in the field of dance. Czech-Slovak dance will also be there, both performing work, and with a presentation booth. Czech dance work will be strongly represented this year: it will have both a live performance in the dance showcase, which is an essential part of the event, and a presentation booth at the fair. Lenka Vagnerová, one of the Czech Republic’s top artists – who one week ago won the prestigious Angel Award for her dance work La Loba at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh – will perform her piece Riders/Jezdci on 29 August at 4 pm at Fabric Heeder. At the Czech-Slovak booth, along with the Tanec Praha festival and Slovak colleagues from the Association of Slovak Dance and the Bratislava studio Elledanse, representatives of the ATI will be on hand on 27–30 August offering materials, videos, and expert consultation to foreign colleagues and anyone interested in contemporary dance. To showcase Czech dance the Dance Department of the ATI has published an electronic catalogue, Czech Dance in Action 2014, which contains a selection of contemporary Czech dance work. The strength of the Czech Republic’s presence at the fair will get a further boost from a  social ‘Happy Hour’ event, which is supported by the Czech Centre in Berlin and the project Pilsen 2015 – Cultural Capital of Europe. ‘This year’s presentation of Czech dance is truly exceptional – we’re being represented in the showcase again after a long time and we have managed to combine Czech and Slovak forces to showcase the dance aesthetics of Central Europe. I believe that, like we did two years ago, we will make the best impression in Düssledorf’, said Jana Návratová, head of the Dance Department at the Arts and Theatre Institute before departing for the biennial event. The International Tanzmesse is a marketplace and fair devoted exclusively to contemporary dance. It supports networking among choreographers, agencies, organisers, and cultural institutions all over the world. Tanzmesse constitutes an institution with a strong foundation that aims to support communication and has been taking placed biennially since it was founded 1994. Tanzmesse dance fair is organised by the Gesellschaft für Zeitgenössischen Tanz of North Rhine-Westphalia. Source: Arts and Theatre Institute