Tanec Praha - Dance Prague
The international festival of contemporary dance production and motion theatre.
The history of the festival dates back to summer of 89, when the Prague cultural centre listed a few dance performances to the ‘Prague Summer Culture’ festival. But it needed to develop after November 1989, to form the really elaborate and not-being-obstructed-by-anyone festival of dance moderna, with the magnificent setup.
At the beginning stood the conception of ‘Tanec 90’ (Dance 90), at that time still under the agency PKS, abyt with significant contribution of a few home experts and Switzerland partners from Berner Tanztage. Even when the modern dance still needed to form its fan base, the Prague City Hall saw its potential and started to support it, together with the Ministry of Culture, to keep it.
The more modest and dramaturgically well-considered fourth season in 1992 confirmed rightness of this direction. It was this year when the legend was born – the prestige and viewer’s popularity grew, the 5th year which took place under the patronage of Vaclav Havel was significant. Prestigious artist personalities like Bill T. Jones or Maguy Marin and dynamic Brazilian ensemble Balé Teatro Castro Alves definitely gained their audiences and visit rate of the festival only grows ever since.
A huge event meant the presence of American steppers led by Savion Glover, as well as Hervé Diasnas and other art personalities.
The year 1999 meant return to the State Opera with the ensemble of another legendary character – Martha Graham. Her production haven’t lost their recency not even after 50 years. The catharsis was, literary, the finale of the festival with Batsheva Ensemble. The festival was basically sold out the third yer in the row and the public gave to know top modern dance once in a year is not enough. The most courageous plan for 2000 became permanent theatre and studio space – the former cinema Ponec.
Tanec Praha 2000 was in the sign of Trans Danse Europe, the project connecting seven Cultural metropolises of the Europe (Avignon, Bergen, Bologna, Brussel, Helsinki, Reykjavik and Prague). The biggest star of the event was definitely Ballet Frankfurt, the first time guesting in a country of the Eastern Block. Two pieces between modernism and neoclassic and other fascinating choreography of William Forsyth at the end have branded into dance history in the Czech Republic.
Another stepping stone of the festival was the success of Tanec Prague 2001 withing the programme of Culture 2000 of the EU. It introduced the artists from fifteen countries including Tchai-wan, beside theatre Ponec and Archa the festival took place also at the Prague castle starting by Southern gardens and ending by the old King’s palace including the cathedral.
One of the ways the festival wants to develop are the long-term projects of international cooperation. Such as Trans Danse Europe, which celebrates success since it connected Prague with Avignon, Brusel, Helsinki and also Aarhus, Ljubljana and Poznan. The yearly cooperation with quality partner organizations abroad ables to keep continuity of the festival, spread international exchanges during the whole year, offer the artists larger space and significantly enrich cultural life in all the countries concerned.
Festival: Tanec Praha
Date: Whole June every year
Tickets: Basic 350, discounted 190 czk / show
Venue: Main Divadlo Ponec, other with web
Web: http://www.tanecpraha.cz