The selection for the Tanztreffen der Jugend 2025 has been made!
This year, 53 ensembles from all over Germany applied for the Tanztreffen der Jugend. After the members of the jury were able to experience the productions of the Shortlist in live viewings, they have now selected 8 ensembles with their works for the final selection.
We would like to thank the members of the jury for their dedicated work.
We congratulate the selected ensembles:
Caperucita Roja
Renata Flores
Junge Choreograf*innen, Bad Honnef tanzt e.V., Bad Honnef, North Rhine-Westphalia
www.badhonneftanzt.de
Fatigateau
Junior Company Bonn - They Might Be Giants
Permanent co-producer CocoonDance Company + Theater im Ballsaal Bonn, Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia
www.instagram.com/juniorcompanybonn
Ich bin leidenschaftlich anders …
Grundkurs Urbaner Tanz der Klasse 11
Gerda-Taro-Schule Leipzig, Leipzig, Saxony
www.tanz.taroschule.de
M.y Y.ear O.f S.tress A.nd R.ealisation
Art & Dance Junior Company
Art & Dance, Lörrach, Baden-Wuerttemberg
www.artunddance.de
Mindcage
ARS SALTANDI Company
Ars Saltandi e.V., Hildesheim, Lover Saxony
www.arssaltandi.de/index.php/company/
Selbstgespräche
AERIALS Ensemble
Pottporus e.V., Herne, North Rhine-Westphalia
www.pottporus.de
Spark
Emma Fischer-Fels, Malu Thiersch, Ben Stüttgen
tanzhaus nrw, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia
www.tanzhaus-nrw.de
touch_taff
Inclusive youth dance project by the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg (for the Heidelberg 2025 Dance Biennale)
Theater und Orchester Heidelberg, Baden-Wuerttemberg
www.theaterheidelberg.de/de/produktionen/15318-touch-taff
The award-winning works include a solo and a trio as well as a large ensemble piece with more than 30 dancers. Short works ranging from a few minutes to full-length pieces lasting just under an hour were selected. One of the award winners is an inclusive ensemble. It is pleasing to note that half of the selected works were created on the young dance makers’ own initiative and under their own direction. They often worked collectively and the ensemble members created original music or designed costumes and stage sets, among other things. One production also features a live band on stage. The groups cover the entire spectrum of young dance production contexts: the works were created in ballet or dance schools with a contemporary profile, in schools, at independent theatres or in youth clubs at state theatres, in independent groups and associations, or also at dance houses.
The young artists emphasise the central importance of dance as a form of expression in their lives. For them, dance is not only a means of communication, but also an outlet to deal with the pressures and expectations that the world places on them. Accordingly, these themes are reflected in their choreographies. Despite the diversity of the pieces, they crystallise a generation that is struggling to find its own identity and to assert it against the demands and pressures of society. Self-doubt is often formulated, doubts about being good enough, beautiful enough, optimised enough, the fear of not functioning smoothly or being able to keep up with the expected pace. The omnipresent expectations can echo in self-talk in your own head or become thought cages that erect inner walls and lead to blockages. Symptoms of fatigue are formulated, as are refusals to conform to patterns. Roles are tried on like items of clothing, but also taken off again. It is about courageously confronting the forces at work and discovering one’s own spark of passion – and remaining true to it. This is based on the conviction that people need to recognise themselves in order to find their place in the world and contribute to society as tolerant, democratic and supportive members.
In addition to improvisation and the collection of movement material, the development process often involved research, writing and painting tasks. Biographical material was used as well as inspiration from novels or poems by young artists of the same age, which form the central theme of the dance pieces.
Stylistically, the selected works range from contemporary and urban dance: there are contemporary choreographies, improvisation elements, combinations of contemporary dance and acrobatics, urban dance theatre with strong theatrical expression, house, breaking and hip-hop.
We also look forward to welcoming delegates from the intermediate selection ensembles to the Tanztreffen der Jugend 2025:
/ʃ̺ɤ˧˥/(Schlange)
Zhechang Yuan
Freelance artist, Munich, Bavaria
Colère/Wut
Association Danzón
Adrover & Gabelaia GbR, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia
www.instagram.com/association.danzon
Electric Puls
Electric Puls
Oberschule Lesum, Bremen
www.os-lesum.de
Menschen dieser Stadt
AG-Tanzperformance des Albrecht-Dürer-Gymnasiums
Albrecht-Dürer-Gymnasium, Berlin
www.instagram.com/albrechtduerergymnasiumberlin
Menschheit in Harmonie
Florinda van Dijk
tanzhaus nrw, Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia
www.tanzhaus-nrw.de
narrow spaces
Formation Laboratory
Haus der Produktionen, Karlsruhe, Baden-Wuerttemberg
ferdinandwaltz.de
overflow
JugendTanzCompany fabrik Potsdam
fabrik Potsdam, Brandenburg
www.fabrikpotsdam.de
Power
Cleo Pazmandi und Elin Verholzer
Iwanson International School of Contemporary Dance, Munich Bavaria
www.iwanson.de
We would like to thank all the applicants and young dance professionals who submitted their work this year. You have our esteem and respect for the many great productions you have put together! It was a pleasure to see such a variety of energetic and creative dance pieces, we urge you to continue and look forward to your applications next year!