Dance Education Biennale / Tanzplan Deutschland
Project description
The 1st Dance Education Biennale / Tanzplan Deutschland had been organised in close cooperation with national dance training institutions, who joined forces in February 2007 at the suggestion of Tanzplan Ausbildungsprojekte to form the “Dance Education Conference”. The Biennale took place in Berlin at Hebbel am Ufer, in spring 2008.
The "2nd Dance Education Biennale / Tanzplan Deutschland" took place in Essen from March 2nd to 8th, 2010.
A Fixture in Dance Culture: the Dance Education Biennale
Commentary by Dr. Gisela Steffens, former head of the Unit for Cultural Education, German Federal Ministry for Education and Research
Now that the five-year Tanzplan Deutschland project, which owes its existence to the German Federal Cultural Foundation, has come to an end, its initiators and organisers can look back with satisfaction on what has been achieved. A great deal has been done, above all in the field of training. An entirely new project, the Dance Education Biennale, was launched in partnership with the Dance Education Conference, an association of professional training institutions. It provides tertiary institutes and vocational schools with a forum, thereby offering them the chance, for the first time, to exchange information on a national basis and present the abilities of their final year students. Establishing the Dance Education Conference produced a body that promotes and supports dance training on behalf of all dance education institutions. The association was a key reason why the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research was prepared to fund the second Dance Education Biennale that took place in Essen in March 2010 as part of RUHR.2010.
When the first Biennale took place at the Hebbel Theater in Berlin in 2008 and the various schools came together for a one-week meeting, it was still not clear whether there would be a second Biennale. The event, which included public performances, was very successful for the young artists, their professions and among members of the public. But it was also much more than that. Dance educators, dance studies experts and dance theorists led joint training, work and discussion sessions. It became clear that the Dance Biennale could not just be a one-off event, but rather that it was urgently needed for the development of dance training.
The second Biennale in Essen came about thanks to the willingness of the host, the Folkwang University of the Arts, to co-finance and stage the event. The theme of the second Biennale, held in memory of Pina Bausch, was “reconstruction” and it amounted to an impressive demonstration of the diversity of expression in dance, the confirmation of a rich history and a look into a promising future. The Biennale proved itself to be an instrument that strengthens the community of dance education institutions as well as providing it with a voice to speak up for it, both internally and externally.
The significance of the 2nd Biennale was clear in the great reception it received in neighbouring countries. Dance institutions are already interested in becoming members of the Dance Education Conference in order to be present at the third Biennale and one day be actively involved in the event themselves.
There will not just be a third Biennale (taking place in Frankfurt in 2012); there will be regular Biennales in the future. The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research made this commitment with full conviction at the Biennale in Essen. Support for dance must be a fixture of our living culture and our cultural self-awareness. With this in mind, I wish the upcoming Dance Education Biennale, and all subsequent Biennales, productive collaborative working and the greatest of success in promoting the next generation of dancers.
Project description
The 1st Dance Education Biennale / Tanzplan Deutschland had been organised in close cooperation with national dance training institutions, who joined forces in February 2007 at the suggestion of Tanzplan Ausbildungsprojekte to form the “Dance Education Conference”. The Biennale took place in Berlin at Hebbel am Ufer, in spring 2008.
The "2nd Dance Education Biennale / Tanzplan Deutschland" took place in Essen from March 2nd to 8th, 2010.
A Fixture in Dance Culture: the Dance Education Biennale
Commentary by Dr. Gisela Steffens, former head of the Unit for Cultural Education, German Federal Ministry for Education and Research
Now that the five-year Tanzplan Deutschland project, which owes its existence to the German Federal Cultural Foundation, has come to an end, its initiators and organisers can look back with satisfaction on what has been achieved. A great deal has been done, above all in the field of training. An entirely new project, the Dance Education Biennale, was launched in partnership with the Dance Education Conference, an association of professional training institutions. It provides tertiary institutes and vocational schools with a forum, thereby offering them the chance, for the first time, to exchange information on a national basis and present the abilities of their final year students. Establishing the Dance Education Conference produced a body that promotes and supports dance training on behalf of all dance education institutions. The association was a key reason why the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research was prepared to fund the second Dance Education Biennale that took place in Essen in March 2010 as part of RUHR.2010.
When the first Biennale took place at the Hebbel Theater in Berlin in 2008 and the various schools came together for a one-week meeting, it was still not clear whether there would be a second Biennale. The event, which included public performances, was very successful for the young artists, their professions and among members of the public. But it was also much more than that. Dance educators, dance studies experts and dance theorists led joint training, work and discussion sessions. It became clear that the Dance Biennale could not just be a one-off event, but rather that it was urgently needed for the development of dance training.
The second Biennale in Essen came about thanks to the willingness of the host, the Folkwang University of the Arts, to co-finance and stage the event. The theme of the second Biennale, held in memory of Pina Bausch, was “reconstruction” and it amounted to an impressive demonstration of the diversity of expression in dance, the confirmation of a rich history and a look into a promising future. The Biennale proved itself to be an instrument that strengthens the community of dance education institutions as well as providing it with a voice to speak up for it, both internally and externally.
The significance of the 2nd Biennale was clear in the great reception it received in neighbouring countries. Dance institutions are already interested in becoming members of the Dance Education Conference in order to be present at the third Biennale and one day be actively involved in the event themselves.
There will not just be a third Biennale (taking place in Frankfurt in 2012); there will be regular Biennales in the future. The German Federal Ministry for Education and Research made this commitment with full conviction at the Biennale in Essen. Support for dance must be a fixture of our living culture and our cultural self-awareness. With this in mind, I wish the upcoming Dance Education Biennale, and all subsequent Biennales, productive collaborative working and the greatest of success in promoting the next generation of dancers.
Tanzplan Deutschland
[ Period ]
February 26th to March 4th, 2008
March 2nd to 8th, 2010
[ Contact ]
Ingo Diehl
Paul-Lincke-Ufer 42/43
10999 Berlin
Phone 49 (0)30.695797-10
Fax 49 (0)30.695797-19
February 26th to March 4th, 2008
March 2nd to 8th, 2010
[ Contact ]
Ingo Diehl
Paul-Lincke-Ufer 42/43
10999 Berlin
Phone 49 (0)30.695797-10
Fax 49 (0)30.695797-19