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| European Dance Network | |
|---|---|
| Name | European Dance Network |
| Formation | 1986 |
| Type | Non-profit network |
| Headquarters | Utrecht |
| Region served | Europe |
European Dance Network is a pan-European association connecting choreographers, companies, festivals, venues, educators, and producers across Netherlands, Germany, France, United Kingdom, and broader European Union cultural space. It fosters exchange among institutions such as Stichting Dans, Sadler's Wells, National Theatre of Wales, Sophiensaele, Helsinki Festival and links to initiatives like European Capital of Culture and programmes funded by the Council of Europe, European Commission, and Creative Europe. The network supports touring, co-production, and research involving partners such as Tanztheater Wuppertal, Ballet de l'Opéra de Paris, CND (Centre National de la Danse), ImPulsTanz, and regional organisations across Scandinavia, Balkans, Iberian Peninsula, Benelux, Central Europe.
Founded in 1986 by a coalition including directors from Het Nationale Ballet, Pina Bausch Tanztheater, Rosas (dance company), and representatives linked to European Cultural Foundation, the network emerged amid discussions at events like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and conferences hosted by UNESCO and the Council of Europe. Early collaboration involved partners such as Batsheva Dance Company visiting European venues, exchanges with Nederlands Dans Theater, and projects crossing borders into Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Romania, and Bulgaria. During the 1990s the network expanded through ties with festivals including Avignon Festival, Venice Biennale, Festival d'Automne à Paris, and institutions like The Place and ICP (International Choreographic Project), adapting to policy shifts under the Maastricht Treaty and funding frameworks of the European Commission. In the 2000s collaborations grew with academies such as Codarts, P.A.R.T.S., SEAD, and research centres like University of Roehampton and Goldsmiths, University of London, while engaging with residencies at venues such as Tero Saarinen Company, Kaaitheater, and Het Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ.
The organisation operates through a membership model including national dance houses, independent producers, choreographers, venues, and festivals from countries like Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. Governance includes an elected board with representatives from institutions such as The Place, Sophiensaele, Stockholm City Theatre, Hansa Theater, and advisory panels composed of figures connected to European Cultural Foundation, British Council, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, and Embassy of the Netherlands in London. Membership tiers mirror models used by organisations like German Dance Platform and Dance UK and include institutional, individual, and associate partners including touring producers and educational providers such as Codarts Rotterdam and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance.
Core activities include mobility schemes modeled on Erasmus+ exchanges; co-production frameworks similar to those used by Dance Umbrella; residency programmes in venues like Tanzquartier Wien, Maison de la Danse, Teatro alla Scala and Theatre Royal Stratford East; and research collaborations with academic units at University of Amsterdam, Universität der Künste Berlin, Université Paris 8, Università di Bologna and University of Antwerp. Programming supports commissions, touring facilitation with logistics partners such as ITC (International Theatre Company), and platforms for contemporary choreographers associated with William Forsythe, Akram Khan Company, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and companies like Cunningham Dance Foundation and Wayne McGregor Random Dance. Artist support schemes draw on practices from British Council residencies and grant models of Open Society Foundations and Fondazione Cariplo.
The network programs showcases at major festivals and venues including Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Avignon Festival, Venice Biennale, Tate Modern collaboratives, Het Muziektheater Amsterdam, Munich Biennale, Bergen International Festival, Tallinn Dance Festival, Warsaw Autumn, and cross-border events aligning with European Capital of Culture cities such as Lille, Plovdiv, Riga, Pafos, and Lublin. It convenes annual meetings, symposia, and labs—working with event partners like Sadler's Wells, Kaaitheater, ImPulsTanz, Vivid Projects, and Festival TransAmériques—to present emerging choreographers, curated programmes, and industry pitches mirroring formats seen at Mercat de les Flors and Teatro Real.
Educational activities partner with conservatoires and universities including P.A.R.T.S., Codarts, SEAD, Trinity Laban, London Contemporary Dance School, Stockholm University of the Arts, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, and research units like Interdisciplinary Arts Research Centre and Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE). Programs include mentorship schemes inspired by DanceWEB, professional development labs akin to DanceXchange, and pedagogical initiatives collaborating with Youth Dance England, European Youth Parliament for Water, and community outreach models seen at Municipal Theatres across Europe. Training modules address producing, touring, dramaturgy, digital archiving techniques used by Dance Heritage Coalition and rights management influenced by Performing Arts Employers Associations League practices.
Partnerships span cultural agencies and funders such as European Commission, Creative Europe, Council of Europe, British Council, Goethe-Institut, Institut Français, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Mondrian Fund, Arts Council England, Fondazione Romaeuropa, Stichting DOEN, SIC (Sistema de Incentivos à Cultura), and regional ministries of culture across France, Germany, Spain, and Poland. Collaborative projects have linked the network with research institutions like Goldsmiths, University of Oxford units on performance studies, and cross-sector partners including European Film Academy and International Theatre Institute for interdisciplinary exchange.
The network influenced touring circuits connecting Eastern Europe and Western Europe, enabling exchanges among companies such as Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Kirov Ballet, Cie. Hervé Koubi, and independent choreographers like Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Marie Chouinard, and Roberto Bolle. Its advocacy contributed to policy dialogues at forums like European Cultural Parliament and funding frameworks under Creative Europe and Erasmus+, affecting programming at institutions such as Sadler's Wells, Komische Oper Berlin, Opéra National de Bordeaux, and regional dance houses. Through partnerships, the network helped foster cross-border pedagogies, new production models, and digital dissemination practices adopted by festivals like ImPulsTanz and venues such as Tanzhaus Zürich.
Category:Dance organizations in Europe