A
-
TCHEKPO DAN AGBETOU
Choreographer (D)
The dancer and choreographer from Benin/West Africa studied modern jazz and African dance in New York and Paris. He danced with renowned companies and worked as a choreographer and lecturer in Europe, USA, Asia, and Africa. In 2002 he was the artistic director of the Internationales Tanzfestival Bielefeld. He directed the DansArt Tanznetwork in Bielefeld, which he founded in 1995 and expanded in 2005, an officially recognised training centre for dance with its own theatre and his dance company – Tchekpo Dance Company (founded in France in 1991).
-
MÓNICA ALARCÓN
Philosopher (D)
is currently visiting lecturer at the University of San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador. Alarcón Dávila is a member of the interdisciplinary research project ‘Antropología de la corporalidad/Interdisciplinary Studies’ in ‘Embodied Subjectivity’ at the University Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, and a member of the research group ‘mBody. Künstlerische Forschung in Medien, Somatik, Tanz und Philosophie’.
monica-alarcon.de, mbodyresearch.de, performancephilosophy.ning.com
-
ZOÉ ALIBERT
Performer, choreographer, teacher (D)
graduated from Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD). A scholarship for postgraduate studies from the Austrian Federal Ministry for Education, Arts and Culture (bm:ukk) led her to Berlin and New York. In 2012 she completed a Master in Cultural and Media Management at the Hamburg University of Music and Theater. She works as a performer, choreographer and teacher. She is also involved with photography as well as in production management and festival organisation. Currently, she is enrolled in the third cycle of the Master’s Program Contemporary Dance Education at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts.
-
MURAT ALKAN
© Gamze AcarStudent Folkwang Hochschule Essen (D)
The dancer from Berlin is currently studying at the Folkwang Universität der Künste in the field of dance. Since 2010 Murat Alkan has been a member of the TanzZeit youth company EVOKE and collaborated in productions such as ‘W.h.A.v.T’ by Livia Patrizi, ‘Brief an L.F.’ by Livia Patrizi and Florian Bilbao, and ‘ohne mich’ by An Boekmann. In the frame of TanzZeit, he held workshops in schools and worked as an assistant for one year. Murat Alkan has dealt with different dance styles including hip hop/newstyle, popping, breakdance, and house and participated in diverse dance competitions/battles.
-
RITA AOZANE BILIBIO
Dancer (BRA/D)
is from Brazil and studied modern dance and classical dance, among others, at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen. As a dancer, she participated in numerous competitions and has won several prizes. Until 2009 she danced as a guest with Sasha Waltz & Guests in Berlin, at the Wuppertaler Tanztheater (‘Tannhäuser–Bacchanals’) and with William Forsythe (‘Human Writes’). Since 2007 she has also been choreographing her own pieces.
-
KENNETH ARCHER
Documentarian (UK)
Kenneth Archer, scenic consultant and art historian, and Millicent Hodson, choreographer, dance historian and graphic artist, reside in London and work through Ballets Old & New, to reconstruct modern masterpieces of dance and design as well as to create new works for the theatre. Archer and Hodson have reconstructed ballets by Nijinsky and Balanchine for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes and by Börlin for De Mare’s Ballets Suedois, staging their productions for the world's major ballet companies. They exhibit their drawings internationally and publish widely in the dance press. Archer’s books include ‘Nicholas Roerich’ (1999) and a monograph on Roerich (2000 in Russian). Hodson’s books include ‘Nijinsky’s Crime Against Grace for Le Sacre du Printemps’ (1996) and ‘Nijinsky’s Bloomsbury Ballet, Jeux’ (2008).
B
-
ANTONIA BAEHR
Choreographer (D)
graduated in film and media art at the Hochschule der Künste Berlin under Valie Export and received her MA in performance under Lin Hixson at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was the co-organiser of the festivals ‘Labor Sonor’ and ‘Radioriff’ in Berlin. In 2008 she published the book ‘Rire/Laugh/Lachen’. Selected productions: ‘Un après-midi’ (2003), ‘Cat Calendar’ with Antonija Livingstone (2004), ‘Larry Peacock’ (2005), ‘Merci’ (2006), ‘Rire’ (2008), ‘For Faces’ (2010), ‘My Dog is My Piano’ (2012), and ‘Abecedarium Bestiarium’ (2013).
-
ANGUS BALBERNIE
Dancer, Performer (UK)
Over the last 30 years Angus McLean Balbernie has created around 80 pieces and taught in many places around the earth, including many years at EDDC/artEZ Arnhem, Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, and Dartington College of Arts.
Currently a lecturer in choreography at NSCD in UK, and guest professor at LEM Buenos Aires. When not doing stuff he lives on a hill in Haute Provence, walks the mountains, and plays the banjo left-handed and quite badly. -
BALLETT AM RHEIN DÜSSELDORF DUISBURG
(D)
The Ballett am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg was newly formed in 2009 by its director and head choreographer Martin Schläpfer and now ranks among the leading ballet companies. 48 dancers from around 20 nations represent the ensemble consisting exclusively of soloists, which can be experienced in more than 70 performances per season on the two stages of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein at the Opernhaus Düsseldorf and the Theater Duisburg. Guest performances have led the company to the Het Muziektheater Amsterdam, the Oper Köln, the Mährische Ballettherbst Brno, to Friedrichshafen, and the Theater Gütersloh. In this season there will be, among others, eight performances in the Théâtre de la Ville Paris as well as appearances in the Gran Teatre del Liceu Barcelona and Theater Bonn.
-
DOUGLAS BATEMAN
Dancer, choreographer (D)
is the co-founder of the MichaelDouglas Kollektiv. He completed his dance training at the London Studio Center and danced for numerous companies in Europe, last for the Scapino Ballet Rotterdam and Pretty Ugly Tanz Cologne under the direction of Amanda Miller. Since 2007 he has been working as a freelancer with choreographers such as Anthony Rizzi, Prue Lang, Stephanie Thiersch, Georg Reischl, Stefan Dreyer, and Vivienne Newport. His choreographic work focuses on “pop”-culture and the exploration of new (dance) spaces. His first choreographic work was awarded the second prize at the international Wettbewerb für Choreografen Hannover.
-
SALOMON BAUSCH
Member of the Board, Pina Bausch Foundation (D)
founded, upon the wish of his mother, the Pina Bausch Foundation in August 2009, where he is responsible for disseminating the artistic estate of the dancer and choreographer. He has been directing the archive project since 2010.
-
TIZIANA JILL BECK
Illustrator (D/USA)
The native of Berlin studied illustration and visual communication at the Weißensee Kunsthochschule Berlin and the Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig, where she graduated with a diploma in 2012. Since then she has been drawing and illustrating – alone or with others – in the most various fields of illustration and art.
-
GABI BEIER
© Kathrin KummerArtistic director, ada Studio (D)
studied theatre studies, German studies and Slavic studies from 1991 – 1995. From 1996 – 1999 and 2002 – 2006 she worked as a ballet dramaturge at various theatres in Germany and from 1999 – 2002 as a youth dance manager at the Berliner Pfefferberg. In 2002 she founded the production office tanzbaustelle, and has since then been working as a freelance dramaturge and manager (with, among others, Britta Pudelko, Petra Sabisch, Milla Koistinen). In 2006 she co-founded the ada Studio & Bühne für zeitgenössischen Tanz in Berlin, a production and performance venue for young, professionally working choreographers. She has been its sole artistic director since 2008.
-
PROF. DR. MAAIKE BLEEKER
© Utrecht UniversityCultural theorist (NL)
is a Professor and the Chair of Theatre Studies, Utrecht University. She completed her PhD on Visuality in the Theatre at the University of Amsterdam (2002). She has previously lectured at the School for New Dance Development, the Piet Zwart postgraduate programme in Fine Arts and the Department of Theatre Studies at the University of Amsterdam. She also worked as a dramaturge for various theatre directors, choreographers and visual artists. Maaike Bleeker is President of Performance Studies international. Her latest publication include: ‘Visuality in the Theatre. The Locus of Looking‘ (2008) and ‘Performance Research: A Journal of the Performing Arts 17.3. Special Issue: On Technology & Memory‘ (2012, ed. with Ric Alsopp).
-
ANJA BORNŠEK
Somatic movement educator (D)
graduated from Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance in 2007. She is a certified Somatic Movement Educator (Body-Mind Centering). Inquiry into methods of transmission stimulated her to study contemporary dance education (Zeitgenössische Tanzpädagogik) at the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts. How movement is contextualized in- and outside of a creative process, how to facilitate a development of an artistic practice and how to support the body/mind entity in its own autonomy are some of her main interests.
-
CLAUDIA BOSSE
Choreographer, director (D)
is the artistic director of theatercombinat, a trans-disciplinary company. After studying theatre directing at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst Ernst Busch Berlin, she worked in the field of experimental theatre between installation, (spatial) choreography and urban intervention. She generates “political hybrids” as site-specific settings with special constellations for different publics. Claudia Bosse develops international works for museums, architectures, theatres, and public spaces.
-
PROF. DR. GABRIELE BRANDSTETTER
Dance scholar (D)
has been a professor of theatre and dance studies at the Freie Universität Berlin since 2003. Her research focuses are on the history and aesthetics of dance from the 18th century to the present; theatre and dance of modernism and the avant-garde; contemporary theatre, dance, performance; theatricality and gender difference; virtuosity in art and culture; and body – image – movement. Her most recent publication is ‘Dance [And] Theory’, (2013, co-editor: Gabriele Klein).
-
DR. CAROL BROWN
Choreographer, dance scholar (NZ)
New-Zealander Dr. Carol Brown spend two decades as a dance artist in London before recently returning to New Zealand. Originally, she trained in Dunedin/New Zealand with Shona MacTavish-Dunlop, one of the original members of the Viennese Bodenwieser Group. She currently lectures in Dance Studies at the University of Auckland and at the Roehampton University in London, as well as continuing choreographic creation in the South Pacific and Europe.
-
JONATHAN BURROWS
© Ben DowdenChoreographer (UK)
danced with the Royal Ballet for 13 years, rising to the rank of soloist, before leaving in 1991 to pursue his own choreography. In 2001, he decided to concentrate on one to one collaborations with other artists. His first collaboration was ‘Weak Dance Strong Questions’ (2001), made with the theatre maker and performer Jan Ritsema, was followed by a series of duets with Matteo Fargion, beginning in 2002 with ‘Both Sitting Duet’, followed by ‘The Quiet Dance’ (2005), ‘Speaking Dance’ (2006), ‘Cheap Lecture’ (2009), ‘The Cow Piece’ (2009) and ‘Counting To One Hundred’ (2011). He holds an Honorary Doctorate from Royal Holloway University of London. ‘A Choreographer’s Handbook’ (2010) by Jonathan Burrows is available from Routledge Publishing.
C
-
PANAIBRA GABRIEL CANDA
Choreographer (MZ)
born in Maputo, Mozambique, Canda received his artistic training in theatre, music and dance and additional training in contemporary dance in Lisbon. Since 1993 he started to develop his artistic projects. In 1998 Canda created CulturArte, a production site for contemporary dance in Maputo, and has been developing many artistic projects, including training projects to encourage a local dance scene development. He collaborates with artists in southern Africa and Europe, across different disciplines. His work has been presented in Africa, Europe, USA and Latin America. Canda was awarded a prize at the African choreographic meeting in Paris, France in 2006; the ZKB Patronage Prize in Zurich in 2008, and the German Sylt Quelle Cultural Award for Southern Africa, 2009.
-
CANDOCO DANCE COMPANY
© Hugo Glendinning(UK)
Since its foundation in 1991, Candoco has evolved to become Great Britain’s leading contemporary dance company with disabled and non disabled dancers. Each year, a new programme is produced with renowned choreographers such as Stephen Petronio, Nigel Charnock, Emmanuel Gat, Guilherme Botelho, or Hofesh Shechter. The company has been awarded numerous prizes, it tours on a regular basis and has had guest performances in more than 50 countries.
Candoco is also engaged in the pedagogical field of integrative dance and offers workshops for school classes and adults, advanced training for professional dancers and further training for teachers. -
CCN-Ballet de Lorraine
(F)
Having evolved under various names, the current Centre Chorégraphique National – Ballet de Lorraine is one of the first companies in France dedicated equally to new creations and a repertory and whose aesthetic has always anticipated new artistic phenomena.
Based in Nancy since 1978, as Ballet Français Théâtre de Nancy under the direction of Jean-Albert Cartier, the Center reflects the policy to decentralize the choreographic arts. Petter Jacobsson’s appointment to head the CCN-Ballet de Lorraine since 2011 confirms this trend with perpetual questioning of and research on all forms of the art of dance. -
TONY CHAKAR
Architect, writer (LB)
teaches History of Art and History of Architecture at the Académie Libanaise des Beaux Arts (ALBA – UoB), Beirut. His works include: ‘All That is Solid Melts Into Air’; ‘Four Cotton Underwear for Tony’; ‘Rouwaysset, a Modern Vernacular’ (With Naji Assi); ‘Beirut, the Impossible Portrait’; ‘A Window to the World’; ‘Various Small Fires’; ‘Memorial to the Iraq War’; ‘Yesterday’s Man’ (a play-performance with Rabih Mroué and Tiago Rodrigues); ‘The Eighth Day’ (an ongoing project in the form of a lecture/performance); ‘One Hundred Thousand Solitudes’ (an ongoing project).
-
SIDI LARBI CHERKAOUI
© Koen BroosChoreographer (B)
gave his debut as a choreographer in 1999 with Andrew Wale’s ‘Anonymous Society’. Since then he has made more than 15 fully-fledged choreographic pieces – in 2008 and 2011 he was declared Choreographer of the Year by the dance magazine Tanz. While Cherkaoui’s initial pieces were made as a core member of the Belgian collective, Les Ballets C. de la B. – ‘Rien de Rien’ (2000), ‘Foi’ (2003) and ‘Tempus Fugit’ (2004) – he also undertook parallel projects. ‘Ook’ (2000) was born from a workshop for mentally disabled actors; ‘D’avant’ (2002) from an encounter members of Sasha Waltz & Guests company; and ‘zero degrees’ (2005) with Akram Khan. In 2010 Cherkaoui launched his new company Eastman, resident at deSingel International Arts Campus and Het Toneelhuis. Among his latest production are ‘TeZukA’ (2011), and ‘Puz/zle’ (2012).
-
JOSEPH P. COOKSEY
Choreographer, dancer (D)
is an internationally acclaimed choreographer, dancer and teacher of modern, modern ballet and jazz. He teaches at the Juilliard School (N.Y.C.), the Philadelphia College for the Performing Arts, the Dance Theater of Harlem (NY), the Poznan Ballet (Poland), the Chiyoda College of Technology and Arts (Japan), and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (N.Y.C.).
-
PROF. GUY COOLS
© Michael ReinhartDramaturge (B)
became involved with the new developments in dance in Flanders from the 1980s, initially as a dance critic and from 1990 onwards as theatre and dance director of Arts Centre Vooruit in Ghent. He curated dance events in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Venice and Montréal. In 2002, he left Vooruit, Belgium, to dedicate himself fulltime to production dramaturgy with amongst others Koen Augustijnen (B), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (B), Lia Haraki (Cyprus), Danièle Desnoyers (Montréal), Akram Khan (London). He has been the house dramaturge for Danshuis Station Zuid, and since 2011, he is associate professor at the Fontys Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, both in Tilburg, the Netherlands.
-
JESS CURTIS
Dancer, choreographer (USA/D)
Jess Curtis has created a body of work ranging from the underground extremes of Mission District Warehouses with Contraband and CORE (1985 – 1998) to the formal refinement and exuberance of European State Theaters and Circus Tents with Compagnie Cahin-Caha and Jess Curtis/Gravity (1998 – present).
Often working within a paradigm of collaboration and co-authorship, he has also produced thoughtful and engaging work with a number of innovative artists including Maria Francesca Scaroni, Jörg Müller, Claire Cunningham and the FabrikCompanie in Potsdam, Germany. He has been commissioned to create works for companies such as Artblau in Germany, ContactArt in Milan, Italy, Blue Eyed Soul Dance Company in England, and Croi Glan Integrated Dance in Ireland. Recently awarded the prestigious 2011 Alpert Award in the Arts for choreography, Curtis and Gravity have received a total of six Isadora Duncan Dance awards and a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for fallen, which went on to tour to over 40 cities in 9 countries.
Curtis teaches Dance, Contact Improvisation, and Interdisciplinary Performance throughout the US and Europe and has been a visiting professor at UC Berkeley and the University of the Arts in Berlin. He holds an MFA in Choreography from UC Davis and is currently a Ph.D candidate in Performance Studies there, focusing on embodiment and performativity in movement-based performance. -
DR. BOJANA CVEJIĆ
Dramaturge (B)
has received her BA and MA in musicology and aesthetics (Academy of Arts, Belgrade) and a PhD in philosophy (The Centre for Research in Modern European Philosophy, London). She is member of TkH collective (Walking Theory); lecturer at Utrecht University, and P.A.R.T.S. (Brussels) and School for New Dance Development (Amsterdam). Cvejić is author, dramaturge and/or performer in many theater and dance performances since 2000. Her recent publications are: ‘A Choreographer’s Score’ (with A. T. De Keersmaeker, Mercatorfonds, 2012), ‘Public Sphere by Performance’ (with A. Vujanović, Bbooks, Berlin, 2012), ‘Parallel Slalom’ (with G. S. Pristaš, TkH, March 2013).