HZT Berlin

HZT Berlin
Name	HZT Berlin
Established	1989
Type	Public art school
City	Berlin
Country	Germany

HZT Berlin is an interdisciplinary higher education institution specializing in choreography, dance studies, and performance research. Located in Berlin, it operates within a network of German and international arts organizations and cultural institutions, offering postgraduate training that connects contemporary dance, performance art, and academic inquiry. The institution is notable for its integration of practice-based pedagogy, experimental performance, and collaborations across theater, film, music, and visual arts.

History

Founded in 1989, HZT emerged during the late Cold War and reunification era alongside institutions such as the Berliner Festspiele, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin. Its early development intersected with figures and movements linked to Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham, and the expanding contemporary dance scenes in Brussels, Paris, and London. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s HZT maintained ties with academic partners including the Freie Universität Berlin, the Universität der Künste Berlin, and the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, while engaging in exchange with festivals such as ImPulsTanz, Tanz im August, and Biennale di Venezia. Institutional milestones included curriculum reforms influenced by European frameworks like the Bologna Process and participation in transnational research consortia with entities such as the European Commission and the German Academic Exchange Service.

Academic Programs and Curriculum

The school offers postgraduate programs integrating performance practice, theory, and research methodologies, aligning with models seen at institutions like University of Arts London and Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Courses combine studio practice, seminar work, and research projects informed by scholarship from Judith Butler, Hans-Thies Lehmann, and Jacques Rancière. Core modules address choreography, improvisation, composition, and dramaturgy, drawing on methodologies from contact improvisation pioneers, Anna Halprin, and approaches used in Butoh and release technique. Elective and cross-disciplinary units link to contemporary movements in site-specific performance, multimedia art, and performative ethnography, with guest lectures by practitioners affiliated with Schaubühne, Volksbühne, Théâtre de la Ville, and Teatro alla Scala.

Faculty and Administration

Faculty comprise choreographers, theorists, and researchers with profiles comparable to those at The Juilliard School, New York University, and Goldsmiths, University of London. Administrative governance reflects German higher education models present in the Senate of Berlin and state cultural policy, with oversight comparable to faculties at the Universität der Künste Berlin. Visiting professors, artists-in-residence, and adjuncts often include awardees of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg, recipients of the German Dance Prize, and fellows funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. Institutional leadership maintains collaborations with cultural policy bodies such as the Kulturstiftung des Bundes and funding agencies including the Kulturprojekte Berlin.

Campus, Facilities, and Locations

HZT operates rehearsal studios, performance spaces, and research facilities in Berlin neighborhoods known for artistic activity, proximate to venues like the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Hallen am Berghain, and the Berliner Ensemble. Facilities are equipped for dance, motion capture, and multimedia production, enabling projects that interface with technologies developed at institutions such as the Fraunhofer Society and research centres like the Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics. Library and archive resources connect to holdings at the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin and special collections at the Akademie der Künste.

Research, Collaborations, and Projects

Research agendas emphasize practice-as-research, choreographic thinking, and interdisciplinary inquiry, paralleling initiatives at Brown University and Goldsmiths. Collaborative projects have involved festivals and organizations including Documenta, Transmediale, Sophiensaele, and the Berlin Biennale, and partnerships with universities like The New School, University of California, Berkeley, and Sorbonne Nouvelle. Research topics span somatic studies inspired by Feldenkrais, archival choreography with connections to the Dance Notation Bureau, and technology-driven choreography using tools from MIT Media Lab. Grant-supported projects have drawn funding from the European Research Council, the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, and private foundations such as the Robert Bosch Stiftung.

Students and Alumni

Students represent international cohorts similar to those at P.A.R.T.S. and the Codarts University for the Arts, often proceeding to careers in independent choreography, ensemble leadership, academia, and institutional roles at companies like Sasha Waltz & Guests, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, and Komische Oper Berlin. Alumni have been featured in programming at Sadler's Wells, Tate Modern, Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, and have received grants and awards from bodies such as the DAAD, Prince Claus Fund, and the German Dance Prize. Networks link graduates with curators, producers, and cultural managers operating across European and transatlantic platforms.

Admissions and Funding

Admissions typically require portfolios, auditions, and interviews, reflecting selection practices used by conservatoires and academies including Royal Academy of Music and Codarts. Tuition arrangements follow public funding models in Germany, with students accessing stipends, scholarships, and mobility grants from organizations such as the Erasmus+ programme, the DAAD, and city-level scholarships administered by the Senate of Berlin. Project funding for student work is often secured through cultural funds like the Berliner Projektfonds Urbane Zukunft and project grants from the Künstlerförderung of federal and state ministries.

Public Engagement and Events

Public-facing activities include performances, symposiums, and festivals in collaboration with venues such as the Humboldt Forum, Berliner Philharmonie, and Kulturbrauerei. The institution hosts conferences and lecture series featuring scholars from Columbia University, University of Oxford, and King's College London, and contributes to public discourses on contemporary performance through partnerships with media outlets including Deutschlandfunk Kultur and Arte. Open studios, community workshops, and co-productions engage audiences in citywide initiatives alongside municipal cultural programs and international touring networks.

Category:Performing arts schools in Germany