Dance excellence without dance on top: a jury has selected 13 productions for the Dance Platform Germany 2026 in Dresden. Every two years, the festival provides an overview of developments and trends in contemporary dance. As announced by the European Center for the Arts at the Festspielhaus Hellerau, the jury had to choose from around 550 productions that exemplify the artistic diversity, relevance and innovative power of contemporary dance.
Dance scene has moved
"Over the past two years, we have seen the dance scene move through challenging and far-reaching changes. We have seen how dance and dance spaces have also been affected by the crises of this world and how stages have been plunged into dark moods," the jury announced.
"At a time when discourse spaces are becoming increasingly narrow and words often divide instead of connect, it is all the more important that dance as a universal language brings people into contact with each other and keeps the corridors of exploration wide and open," the festival quoted Wolfram Weimer, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, who supports the festival.
Dresden is the center of contemporary dance for five days
"With the Dance Platform 2026, Dresden will become the center of contemporary dance for five days. We are delighted to be hosting this important major event, where the German dance scene and many international guests will meet in many of the city's venues - to see outstanding productions, exchange ideas, network, get to know new artists and initiate new projects together," emphasized Hellerau Director Carena Schlewitt.
The festival will take place from March 11 to 15 at the Festspielhaus Hellerau, the Staatsschauspiel Dresden, the Staatsoperette, the Theater Junge Generation, the Societaetstheater and the Villa Wigman. An extensive accompanying program (Platform Plus) complements the festival, which is realized in cooperation with partner institutions from all over Germany.
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