Taneční aktuality / Czech Dance News is changing to Dance Context

Taneční aktuality / Czech Dance News is changing to Dance Context

Taneční aktuality – now Dance Context – was created as an online portal with news and journalism about Czech dance scene. Over time, the organization has evolved into a broad-based forum for dance reflection and development and has outgrown its original name and purpose. A broad portfolio of activities with a promising and developing scope beyond the borders of the Czech Republic resulted in the need for clear and easily understandable communication abroad.

“The change was a rather long and well-thought-out journey, which I would summarize in two ways. First, we have developed a portfolio of activities that have gradually emancipated over the last few years, and we are no longer ‘just’ Taneční aktuality. The second reason, which is probably even more urgent, is that many of our projects are expanding abroad, where it has become clear that the Taneční aktuality brand does not work very well," summarizes Dance Context director Daniela Machová.  

Today, Dance Context is not only the publisher of an established and growing Czech dance webzine but also moves internationally and organizes several discussions, workshops and other meetings. The main lines of activity of this production platform are now organised into five thematic units:

1. Taneční aktuality: Online magazine specializing in reflection on the fields of Czech professional dance, non-verbal theatre, new circus and other overlapping genres. Dance News has been the leader of Czech dance and movement journalism for several years.
    
2. Czech Dance Database: The portal allows artists and organizations to post their profiles for free and provides information about events and opportunities, a calendar of industry performances, etc. Another popular content is the Dancer's Manual, which comprehensively summarizes information to start your career.
    
3. Dance Context Webzine is an English web platform that reflects European dance and performance art. It publishes translations of selected texts from Dance News reflecting Czech dance as well as original texts from foreign contributors from all over Europe – reviews, reports and interviews. The content of the English version of Taneční aktuality has been completely moved to the domain www.dancecontextwebzine.com.
    
4. Journal: Dance Context Journal, a printed Czech-English theoretical publication on dance and performance art, will replace the Special Edition of Taneční aktuality in 2024 and will now be partially peer-reviewed.
    
5. Live: Dance Context Live is an umbrella name for professional discussions, industry roundtables, informal debates with audiences, educational workshops, and seminars organized by the forum in the Czech and international contexts, at home and abroad.

“In the beginning, the English version of Taneční aktuality / Czech Dance News served exclusively to publish translations of Czech reviews, news, interviews etc. into English, in order to inform the potential foreign reader about the happening on the Czech dance scene. However, its purpose has changed in recent years because of our several international projects. We gathered a network of collaborators based in various European cities who are keen to write reviews and reports from their local dance scene. Since dance journalism in the traditional media is in decline, and there are few professional platforms that would pay their reviewers, we believe that Dance Context Webzine may gain an important place on the European scene”, says Petra Dotlačilová, editor-in-chief of Dance Context Webzine.

Dance Context has been actively supporting the Czech dance and movement scene for more than 15 years. With this fundamental change, it is entering the next stage of its development in the hope that it will contribute to the further growth of the Czech dance scene as a whole.

For more information about the organization and the entire portfolio, please visit the new website www.dancecontext.com.