Tanzkongress 2019 – A Long Lasting Affair

5–10 June HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts/Dresden

Since the beginning of the 20th century the Tanzkongress has provided a moment for the German dance community to gather and reflect, fight and form alliances. 2019 for the first time a choreographer has been assigned with the artistic direction of the Tanzkongress. Meg Stuart invited dance practitioners to Dresden (and other places) to a gathering conceived from a dancer's and choreographer's perspective which combines the social potential of dance and choreography with that of a gathering.

Neither academic or cultural-political reflection, nor exhibition or presentation platform, the Tanzkongress 2019 focused on the (intimate) exchange of artists and accomplices, based on the desire for a meeting that goes beyond a single weekend in one place. As a Long Lasting Affair, Tanzkongress 2019 attempted to initiate a conversation over a long period of time, revisiting the artistic utopias of community, anarchy and spirituality, which are not only embodied by the iconic venue, but also by the artistic colony that lived at Monte Verità during the early years of the 20th century.

Besides the gathering in June, the Tanzkongress has also organised a number of gatherings or ‘salons’ at various other locations. Made possible by the Goethe-Institut, these events took place in New York, Bogotá, Madrid, Helsinki and New Delhi, with the objective of fostering intense artistic exchanges in intimate surroundings.