Tanztreffen der Jugend

It’s been ten years since the newly founded Tanztreffen der Jugend opened its doors for the first time in 2014. After celebrating the 10th anniversary edition last year, we are now looking forward with curiosity to the next decade of young dance at Berliner Festspiele. We want to remain curious and open, because it is the young choreographers and dancers who shape and develop the festival with their submitted works and their positions.

We are delighted to present ten works by young dance makers selected by the jury. The content focuses on the themes of happiness and unhappiness, light and shadow, freedom and free spaces. We experience short episodes or entire life stories, sad as well as beautiful and hopeful ones. Dancing itself often becomes the theme of the works, as a fixed point and space of possibility for the young artists. Dance is a free space in which they can express themselves and breathe freely, which makes life bearable, provides breaks from pressure and crises, where comfort and happiness can be found. The initiative of young dance makers to create their own works remains strong.

The youngest choreographer at the festival was twelve years old during the rehearsal process. In their works, the young artists explore the language of dance, move out of the comfort zone of what they have learnt and develop new qualities of movement. They search for their own biographies in dance, reflect on themselves and the medium or strive for a desexualisation of the bodies that connect in close contact. What does it mean to be normal, where is the depth in the case and what is authenticity? It is about self-determination, identity, the conquest of free spaces in a world that restricts them, but also about feminism, the destructive power of envy in society and frustration. Frustration about political events, the rise of the right wings, climate change, homelessness in the cities and the dictates of social media.

The ensembles also integrate texts into their productions and work stylistically on the base of contemporary and urban dance. There are often combinations of styles such as hip-hop, popping, locking and house with contemporary elements. A lot of improvisation is used and there is a strong tendency to expand one's own repertoire of movements. For example, artistic elements are integrated, movements are characterised by the equipment and sounds become music.

We are very happy to be able to set international dance impulses again this year as part of “Über die Grenzen” and to bring our award winners into dialogue with young Italian dance professionals. The DiDoDance Company from Rome will be performing their two-part work “Zuhause” on two evenings. I would like to expressly thank the artistic director Giusy Quattrone and the initiative of the Scuola Di Donato and the Parents' Association for making this guest performance possible.
I would like to thank the esteemed jury of the Tanztreffen der Jugend for their passionate and committed work and the wonderful selection.
I would also like to thank the Federal Ministry of Education and Research for their support in making the Tanztreffen der Jugend possible as a platform for young dance.

We are very happy to be able to set international dance impulses again this year as part of “Über die Grenzen” and to bring our award winners into dialogue with young Italian dance professionals. The DiDoDance Company from Rome will be performing their two-part work “Zuhause” on two evenings. I would like to expressly thank the artistic director Giusy Quattrone and the initiative of the Scuola Di Donato and the Parents' Association for making this guest performance possible.
I would like to thank the esteemed jury of the Tanztreffen der Jugend for their passionate and committed work and the wonderful selection.
I would also like to thank the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung for their support in making Tanztreffen der Jugend possible as a platform for young dance.

My heartfelt thanks go to the Treffen junge Szene team and the Berliner Festspiele and all their staff for their support and commitment in making this festival a special experience for artists and visitors alike. 

Welcome dear dancers, delegates and guest ensembles, thank you for your stirring and moving work. Welcome dear audience! 
We look forward to “Flying High” together with you through a week of Tanztreffen der Jugend!

“What if people who have overcome their envy can change our society for the better?” – Game of Survival

“What makes me happy?” – Flying High