The Tanztriennale

The Dance Triennial Hamburg is a new festival for dance in Hamburg.

The festival presents dance on stage, in public spaces, and in everyday life. It is about dance as an art form and about why dance is important for society. The first edition shows what is possible in dance. Dance can open new perspectives and bring people together.

The Dance Triennial is for dance professionals and the general public. Everyone is invited to watch, take part, and join the conversation.

The Dance Triennial is planned for the long term and will take place regularly. It stands for one clear idea: dance should be made visible and supported. Dance is an important part of social life.

For the first edition, international dance companies are invited. Many artists from Hamburg are also involved. The program connects international and local perspectives.

In addition to performances in theatres, there will be artistic events in public spaces and a City Parade. The city itself will become a place for dance. For one week, events will take place during the day and in the evening at different locations. During this time, Hamburg will become an important meeting point for dance.

During the festival, there will be a forum with professional dance artists, international guests, and representatives of cultural institutions. They will discuss how dance can be supported and how diversity in dance can become more visible.

Since June 2025, monthly events have been taking place to build a strong connection between the Dance Triennial and the city. The format All Moves invites all people in Hamburg to join in – no dance experience needed. Moving Meetings are regular gatherings for dance practitioners from different fields. In the residency program Counter Balance, four artistic teams work on their own projects in Germany between March and June 2026.

The Dance Triennial sees itself as a shared space. Different dance cultures come together, exchange ideas, and learn from each other.
Dance is open to everyone – regardless of age, background, or experience.

In October 2024, Gwen Hsin-Yi Chang and Monica Gillette were chosen as the Artistic Directors. They want to bring together different artistic perspectives and create a space for encounter. Their work also focuses on the social role of dance.

The motto of the Dance Triennial is: Brave Moves. Courageous Joy.
This means: bold movement and the joy of dance.

City Parade

The Dance Triennial begins with a big dance parade for everyone. On Sunday, June 14, 2026, the first City Parade will take place in Barmbek Nord. It is dedicated to dance, and everyone living in Hamburg is invited to join.

The City Parade brings dance into public space. Streets and squares will become stages for a short time. Artists and audiences meet directly. People of different ages take part together. In this way, the motto “Brave Moves. Courageous Joy.” becomes real: bold movement and shared joy.

The parade shows the diversity of dance cultures in Hamburg. Among the participants are Die Antwort, the Contemporary Dance School Hamburg, the Erika Klütz School, the Lola Rogge School, the Step by Step Initiative, and many other groups, schools, and community projects. There will be new works created by choreographers from Hamburg and contributions from people from many different areas of the city.

The finale is created by Hamburg-based choreographer Patricia Carolin Mai. Together with her MAI:COMPANY, she is developing a choreography in Hamburg’s Stadtpark. Many people can take part in it.

The City Parade connects two big events: on the last day of the Triennale of Photography, the Dance Triennial begins. This means that when the photo festival ends, the dance festival starts. The parade begins at the Museum der Arbeit and moves from there to its grand finale in the Stadtpark.

A call for participation (Open Call) will be published soon.
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Participate!

The Dance Triennial offers many ways to take part. People can dance together — in the city, in rehearsal spaces, and on stage.

Everyone who wants to dance can join the City Parade. There are also contemporary dance projects where people work with choreographers, rehearse together, and perform on stage at the end.

More information about how to take part will be published here soon. There will be Open Calls for the City Parade and for participatory projects by Chiara Frigo and Julien Carlier.

We will also share information about how to help as a volunteer at the Dance Triennial.
If you want to stay up to date, subscribe to our newsletter or visit this page again soon.

Code of Conduct

The Dance Triennial is a platform for dance. It brings together artists, professionals, and audiences, and connects international artists with the local dance scene. It creates spaces for exchange, learning, and meeting others.

People from many countries come together: professionals, local groups, and interested visitors. They bring different experiences, backgrounds, and ways of life. Not everyone has the same opportunities. Some people are seen or heard more quickly than others. Some may find situations difficult or stressful, even if this is not visible to others.

Because of this, respectful and careful behaviour is very important. The team works to make sure that everyone feels welcome, seen, and taken seriously. But we are all responsible for creating a good and respectful atmosphere in rehearsal spaces, theatres, studios, and public spaces.

The Dance Triennial does not accept discrimination. This includes insults, harassment, violence, abuse of power, or crossing personal boundaries. This applies at all festival locations and also on social media. Discrimination means that people are treated worse or unfairly. This can happen, for example, because of their background, skin colour, religion or beliefs, disability, age, gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation. People who report discrimination must also be protected. No one should be disadvantaged because they speak up about an incident or ask for support.

Everyone involved – artists, staff, partners, audiences, and all other participants – agrees to follow these rules.

If an incident happens, we act immediately. People who are affected will be protected. We will try to prevent further harm.

Please take care of each other. Please respect boundaries. Do not look away. Ask for support if needed.

If you experience or witness discrimination or abuse of power, please contact our Care or Access Team or speak to a team member on site.

The same rules for respectful behaviour also apply online. Art can be provocative. Discussions can be emotional and intense. But insults and hate are not allowed. Posts with discriminatory or threatening content will be deleted. Repeated violations can lead to exclusion from our events or channels.

Accessibility

The Dance Triennial aims to be accessible for everyone. This includes people of all abilities, ages, backgrounds, identities, and ways of life. Everyone should be able to take part in art and culture. That is why the Dance Triennial is working long-term to make access better.

The Access Team works to remove barriers. It wants to create spaces where more people feel welcome. Different bodies, perspectives, and life experiences should be visible — both on stage and in the audience.

Events take place at different venues. Because of that, accessibility conditions are not the same everywhere.

On each event page, you can find detailed information about accessibility. General information about each venue is available through the links listed below.

If you have questions about accessibility or need support, please get in touch — for example, if you need specific assistance because of a physical, mental, or other condition.

Contact:
Marino Ariza
marino@tanztriennale.de

Accessibility is an ongoing process.
This page is updated regularly.