Forum
Biographies Moderators & Panelists
(alphabetical order)
Alpuerto Ritter, Joy
Joy Alpuerto Ritter is a Philippine US American who studied dance at the Palucca University in Dresden. As a Berlin based award winning choreographer and dancer, she has been touring worldwide with her own work and with companies such as Akram Khan Company, Wangramirez, Christoph Winkler, Heike Hennig, Zora Snake and Cirque du soleil. She moves between stage-based productions and communal dance practices, bridging distinct cultural aesthetics and choreographic traditions.
Akıncı, Eylül Fidan
Eylül Fidan Akıncı has a diverse practice in dramaturgy, research, teaching, and organizing in performing arts. She is currently the dance programmer at STUK Arts Center in Leuven, Belgium. She worked as a dramaturg and teacher in the Netherlands, the U.S., and Türkiye. She completed her Ph.D. in Theatre and Performance at The Graduate Center, City University of New York, focusing on the oeuvres of choreographers Pina Bausch, Eiko Otake, Mette Ingvartsen, Geumhyung Jeong, and Gisèle Vienne.
Archangelo-Cakir, Paula
Paula Archangelo-Cakir is a Brazilian-born former professional dancer, trained at the Hamburg Ballet School, who performed for 16 years with Aalto Ballett Theater Essen. She holds a BSc in Psychology and an MBA in Leadership & Management and now leads executive management at Bewegungsfarben – Praxis für Physiotherapie und Bewegung, where she has also developed and implemented evidence-based structural workplace wellbeing strategies. She is a Board Director of IADMS and active in TA.MED.
Vivien Arnold
Vivien Arnold is currently Chief Dramaturg of the Hamburg Ballet. She trained at the Hartford Ballet School and the School of American Ballet, danced with the Hartford Ballet, and studied at Wesleyan University. From 1988 to 1994 she was Marketing Manager and Press Officer for Houston Ballet. From 1996 to 2002 she led dramaturgy, marketing and PR at Stuttgart Ballet. She later worked for Gauthier Dance (2006–2010) and was Director of Dramaturgy and Communications at Stuttgart Ballet until 2024.
Bannerman, Prof. Christopher
Professor Christopher Bannerman has been an international dancer, choreographer, and pioneer of UK practice-research. Former Chair of Dance UK and Arts Council England's Dance Panel, he founded ResCen Research Centre. He is a Founding Director of ArtsCross, linking London, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Taipei. He currently leads the AHRC Future Ecologies: Producing Dance Network at The Place, where he is a Visiting Professor, focusing on performance processes, practices, and policy contexts.
Bawa, Amina
Amina Bawa is a Cultural Curator and Journalist with a Master's in Culture and Communication from the University of Lisbon. Working between Brazil and Portugal, she has spent the last decade bridging international cultural networks and performing arts sectors. She was recently awarded the Prémio Acesso Cultura for her curation and coordination work.
Bayraktar, Prof. Dr. Sevi
Sevi Bayraktar is dancer, scholar, and professor at the Center for Contemporary Dance, University of Music and Dance Cologne. She holds a PhD in Culture and Performance from University of California, Los Angeles. Her research analyses folk dance as a public participatory choreography, a site of cultural and political memory, and collective action. She is the author of Dissenting Through Dance: Folk Dance, Gender, and Political Protest in Turkey and co-editor of Tanzen/Teilen – Sharing/Dancing.
Bein, Niklaus
Niklaus Bein works as a dramaturge and deputy director at K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg. Prior to this, he worked for the Theaterfestival Basel, for Treibstoff Theatertage and as production manager. As a dramaturg he is connected to choreographers such as Raymond Liew Jin Pin, Luisa Saraíva and Maria Zimpel. He studied Theatre and Media Studies at the University of Hildesheim and Central Saint Martins College London and Cultural Studies at the University of Lüneburg.
Bermúdez, Dr. Bertha
Dr. Bertha Bermúdez is a dancer, researcher, documentaryist, and co-director of Dantzaz and Dantzagunea, the Dance House of Gipuzkoa. Her work focuses on performing archives, dance documentation, and the transmission of embodied knowledge. Combining artistic practice and research, she develops methodologies that connect creation, documentation, and learning processes. She leads research and documentation initiatives across artistic, educational, and international cooperation projects.
Jenny Beyer
Jenny Beyers’ work, primarily based at Kampnagel, focuses on collaborative processes and audience participation through open rehearsals and participatory formats. In 2006 she co-founded Sweet&Tender Collaborations with international artists. Since her residency at K3 – Zentrum für Choreographie (2007), Hamburg has been her base, where she created 17 touring pieces. Supported by TANZPAKT Stadt–Land–Bund (2022–2025), she developed mobile OPEN STUDIOS and a residency program in Altona Nord. In 2025 she launched SHARED LEADERSHIP IN DANCE with Antje Pfundtner and Ursina Tossi.
Blok, Suzy
Suzy Blok (Dutch-Argentine, born in Colombia) is a mentor, advisor, curator and former dancer/choreographer in dance and performance as well as filmmaker. She mentors at Artists Circle, advises the Performing Arts Fund NL and Utrecht Arts Council, and is a partner of Aerowaves and co-founder of Moving Futures. Formerly artistic director of Dansmakers Amsterdam and head of ICK Artist Space, she supports emerging artists in developing sustainable national and international practices.
Brehme, Dr. Kate
Dr. Kate Brehme is a disabled independent curator and arts educator based in Berlin whose practice embraces collaboration, crip joy and the space where access meets curating. In 2017, Kate co-founded Berlinklusion, a collective of artists and arts mediators with and without disabilities who curate arts projects and advise arts organisations on accessibility. In 2026 Kate joined Making a Difference, a Berlin-based network founded in 2018 to promote the independent work of disabled, d/Deaf and chronically ill artists in dance, as co-strategic director.
Broberg, Eva
Eva Broberg is Network Manager of the European Dance Development Network (EDN), a network of dance organisations that collaborate and advocate for structural development in dance. She works alongside EDN's members on the network's policy and advocacy on a European level, including with the European Parliament and Commission. She previously worked in the Swedish dance sector, at Dansens Hus and Danscentrum Sweden, and co-founded STHLM DANS, a contemporary dance festival. She is based in Stockholm.
Bulat, Polina
Polina Bulat is a Berlin-based dance agent and strategic partner, representing artists internationally. She supports choreographers and companies in building sustainable, international careers through touring, strategic partnerships and network development. She combines a background in journalism and PR with hands-on experience in dance production. She is the deputy chairperson of Part.ua e.V., an initiative supporting international integration of Ukrainian cultural professionals.
Casarotto, Roberto
Roberto Casarotto is co-director of Aerowaves, the European Dance Platform supporting emerging artists’ mobility and the professional development of choreographers, writers, curators, and podcasters. Over the past 15 years, he has researched dance and brain health projects in museums, with scientists, dance artists, curators, and people living with Parkinson’s, cancer, psychological vulnerability, and visual impairment. Before joining dance organisations, he trained at the London Contemporary Dance School, and studied Economics at Cà Foscari University-Venice.
Chen, Dr. Ya-Ping
Chen is a dance scholar and critic, Professor and Dean of the School of Dance at Taipei National University of the Arts, Taiwan. She holds a PhD in Performance Studies from New York University and was President of the Taiwan Dance Research Society (2019–2022), where she now serves on the board. Chen has authored and co-edited several Chinese-language books on dance and published widely in international edited volumes. She is currently working on an English monograph on contemporary dance in Taiwan.
Couchman, Porf. Timothy
Born in Gloucester, England, Timothy Couchman studied at the Royal Ballet School in London and the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg. He danced with Zurich Ballet and Ballett Frankfurt under William Forsythe, then worked internationally as a dancer, actor, filmmaker and teacher. After serving as balletmaster with the Royal New Zealand Ballet and Semperoper Ballett Dresden, he became David Dawson’s choreographic assistant. Since 2016, he has been Professor of Classical Dance at Palucca University.
Dewantara, Mang Tri Ray
Mang Tri Ray Dewantara is a dancer and choreographer born in Ubud, Bali (2003). He began learning Balinese dance at age seven, focusing on Kebyar Duduk. Since 2016 he has studied with its masters and compiled archives of its creator, I Marya. His work connects historical archives with contemporary movement, exploring body standardization, memory and life cycles. He is developing “Dancing with Marya”, based on the Kebyar Duduk archive, and teaches dance at Sanggar Tari Bali Lokananta .
Dirvanskienė, Dr. Ramunė
Dr. Ramunė Dirvanskienė is an Associate Professor in Cognitive Psychology and Psychophysiology at Vilnius University and an author of popular neuropsychology books. She earned her PhD from the University of Edinburgh and gained clinical experience at the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic, working on research and clinical trials. Her research focuses on brain aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and cognitive epidemiology. She organizes conferences and workshops in neuropsychology and is known in Lithuania for public lectures and media work. Through BrainLectures, she offers popular neuroscience lectures for companies, NGOs, and educational institutions.
Djardi, Malika
Trained in contemporary dance at UQAM Montreal and CNDC Angers. Her choreographic work combines visual and scenic research with sociocultural practices through a documentary approach. Her works include Her Prayer (2014), inspired by her mother’s conversion to Islam and religious practice; Horion (2016), conceived as a live album where gesture, bodies and objects replace instruments; 3 (2017), a science-fiction-inspired choreographic universe; PIER 7 (2021), developed in dialogue with pro skater JB Gillet; and Martyre (2024), a tribute to her mother living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Evert, Dr. Kerstin
Kerstin Evert studied Applied Theater Studies in Giessen and earned her doctorate in 2001 with a dissertation titled *DanceLab – Contemporary Dance and New Technologies*. From 2002 to 2006, she served as a dramaturg at Kampnagel, where she founded the choreographic center K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg in 2006, which she has directed ever since. She is a member of various advisory and executive boards (including explore dance e.V. and Tanztriennale Hamburg e.V.) and served as co-president on the board of the European Dance Development Network until July 2024.
Fichet, Rémy
Rémy Fichet has been Director of Leipzig Ballet since 2024. He trained at the Ballet School of the Paris Opera and subsequently danced with the Ballet of the Paris National Opera. In 2000, he joined Leipzig Ballet, where Uwe Scholzsoon promoted him to principal dancer. As director, he places particular emphasis on the long-term, individual development of dancers as well as emerging choreographic talent.
González Sola, Amparo
Amparo González Sola (AR/NL) is a choreographer, currently associate artist at Dansateliers. Her practice ranges from dance performances to participatory projects and is characterised by inviting people to slow down and practicing reciprocal attention. She did the DAS Choreography programme. Her works are supported by the SPRING Festival (Utrecht). She carries out the participatory project Exploring Reciprocity, bringing together people from different backgrounds and generations, and currently works on Future Tense.
Hani, Saeed
Saeed Hani is a Syrian-German choreographer, director of Hani Dance, and artistic director of the Movement Art International Dance Festival in Trier and Luxembourg. Based in Luxembourg City, his work treats movement as a living archive of human experience, drawing from visual art, music, environments, and personal histories. Exploring themes of identity, war, psychology, queerness, and the body, Hani creates evocative performances that engage audiences across diverse cultural landscapes.
Hernandez, JC
JC Hernandez studied economics and is a multidisciplinary artist. For several years, she has worked as a production manager and event manager, developing formats for creative collaboration and community building. Her work as a dancer and house dance teacher is rooted in many years of artistic practice and a deep connection to dance culture. As a member of Educate to Recreate, she advocates for sustainable structures within Black dance culture.
Houston, Prof. Dr. Sara
Professor Dr. Sara Houston is Professor of Dance and Community Engagement at the University of Roehampton, London UK. She directs the Centre for Research in Arts and Creative Exchange and co-directs the Consortium for Researching Inclusive Cultures in the Arts. Her pioneering work in dance for people with Parkinson’s won the BUPA Prize in 2011. Publications include Dancing with Parkinson’s (Intellect Books, 2019). She is an international speaker and facilitator.
Ibs, Torben
Torben Ibs is a cultural journalist based in Leipzig and writes mostly about dance and theater for tanz, Theater heute, taz and others. He is editor at tanznetz.de and holds a PhD in theater studies.
Januário, Fábio “Krayze”
Fábio “Krayze” Januário was born in Luanda, Angola. He built his career in urban dance and teaches workshops in Portugal and internationally. Since 2022, he has performed in Marco da Silva Ferreira’s works “CARCAÇA” and “F*cking Future”. In 2024, he won the 2nd Projeto Casa, creating “Musseque”, which toured theatres and festivals such as DDD and Dansa Metropolitana. In 2025, Musseque was nominated for Best Choreography by the Portuguese Society of Authors. In 2026, he was selected for Aerowaves Spring Forward.
ka Ngcobo, Balindile
Balindile ka Ngcobo (she/her) is a South African performer, theatre-maker and scholar. At the Ruhr-University Bochum, her PhD work looks at contemporary African women's performance in the afterlife of the colonial exhibition. Her work asks what happens to Black African bodies (and bodies of work) when they enter European stages and frames. Her practice blends performance, film, text and visual art to explore what Western institutions do to Black performance, and what Black performance does back.
Kaltuk, Muhammed
Muhammed Kaltuk is a choreographer, dancer, and artistic director of the MEK Company. His work blends hip-hop, street styles, and contemporary dance into a distinctive movement language. In his pieces, he explores social, political, and personal themes. His productions have been presented internationally and have won numerous awards. Starting with the 2026/27 season, he will also head the dance division TanzGelsenkirchen at the Musiktheater im Revier.
Klunchun, Pichet
Pichet Klunchun blends the language of traditional Thai classical dance with a contemporary sensibility, without losing sight of its heart and wisdom. He performs internationally in North America, Asia, and Europe and has received numerous awards, including the “Routes” ECF Princess Margriet Award (2008), the “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” (2012), and the John D. Rockefeller III Award (2014). His work develops a contemporary style that challenges Western stereotypes about Thai dance.
Koutouan, Yaël
Yaël Koutouan (she/her/no pronouns) identifies as Black and queer. She studied theater studies at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. Since February 2023, she has been a freelance writer for Theater der Zeit. Yaël Koutouan is also a member of the jury for the 2027 Berlin Theatertreffen. Since 2025, she has also been curating for the africologneFESTIVAL. Her writing and work in the cultural sector are guided by a critical and intersectional approach to discrimination, and she aims to create spaces specifically for migrant voices and counter-narratives.
Kruppa, Bianca
Bianca Kruppa works as an independent choreographer and dance facilitator. She holds an MA in Dance: Participation, Communities, Activism from the London Contemporary Dance School and works as a mediator in the programme “New Patrons: Citizen-Commissioned Dance and Performance“. As Artistic Co-Director of “Phase – Space for Young Culture“, a project of Falsche Farm e.V., she also engages with the role of young perspectives in shaping cultural diversity in rural contexts.
Le Pladec, Maud
Maud Le Pladec is a dancer and choreographer. In 2024 she was named Director of Dance for the ceremonies of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. After leading the Centre Chorégraphique National d’Orléans for seven years, she took over the CCN – Ballet de Lorraine in 2025, where she created “Static Shot” (2021), a group piece driven by collective energy. Her recent works include “Lonely Club” with Eddy de Pretto and “Concerto danzante” with the Philharmonie de Paris and Les Arts Florissants.
Lenting, Sheree
Sheree Lenting is a Rotterdam-based choreographer and interdisciplinary maker with Surinamese roots. Working at the intersection of dance and social change, she combines movement, film, spoken word and music to explore themes of identity, heritage and human connection. In 2024, she received the BNG Bank Dance Award for I Am My Ancestors’ Wildest Dream. Her work is rooted in embodied research and approaches the body as a living archive.
Letnansky, Lisa
Starting with the 2026–2027 season, Lisa Letnansky will take over as co-director of Tanzhaus Zürich alongside Guillaume Guilherme; she has been the theater’s head of dramaturgy since 2024. Previously, a University of Zurich graduate (German and English), she was jointly responsible for the programming at Gessnerallee. Lisa Letnansky operates at the intersection of art and politics: in 2018, she co-founded the production platform artFAQ, and from 2023 to 2026, she served as a politician in the Zurich Cantonal Council. She is committed to strategic structural development and progressive artistic practice.
Lin, River
Working with live art, dance, and queer culture, River Lin is a performance artist and curator living and working between Paris, Tokyo, and Taipei. His work has been presented by the Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo, Laffayette Anticipation, and Centre National de la Danse, among others. Curation includes ongoing ADAM and Camping Asia at Taipei Performing Arts Center, the 2023-2025 Taipei Arts Festival, the Indonesian Dance Festival, and the FORUM project for the 2025 Biennale de la Danse of Lyon. He is a member of the jury for the 2026 SEDA Salavisa European Dance Award.
Lisickinaitė, Agnietė
Agnietė Lisickinaitė is a Lithuanian choreographer, performer, and educator, working at the intersection of contemporary dance, political engagement, and civic action. She teaches at the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre and explores the body as a site of resistance. Her solo Hands Up has been shown in over 10 countries, including Paris, Vilnius, and Utrecht. From 2020 to 2024 she chaired the Lithuanian Contemporary Dance Association and remains active on its board. Together with Greta Grinevičiūtė, she co-founded BE COMPANY..
Loepfe, Catja
Catja Loepfe studied ethnology and began her career as a freelance curator for art exhibitions and theater. After co-directing the Fabriktheater from 1999 and working as a dramaturg and interim co-director at Gessnerallee from 2007, she took over the artistic direction and management of Tanzhaus Zürich in 2014, developing it into a nationally and internationally connected center for contemporary dance – with a focus on sustainability, diversity and fair practice.
Lutes, Clint
Clint Lutes / DaPoPa, works at the connecting point between arts and health, particularly together with people living with neurodegenerative diseases, in collaboration with medical care centres as well as cultural institutions. Collaborator with Eun Me Ahn since 2001. Co-founder and co-director of LUCKY TRIMMER from 2003-2010. Member of the Troupe de l’Imaginaire at the Théâtre de la Ville de Paris since 2020. Associated artist of the European project Dance Well at La Briqueterie 2022-2025.
Madiljin, Baru
Baru Madiljin is a Paiwan choreographer from Tjimur Village, Pingtung, Taiwan, and Dance Director of Tjimur Dance Theatre, which he co-founded in 2006. His works explore Indigenous identity, historical memory, and contemporary culture. bulabulay mun? was shortlisted for the 2023 Taishin Arts Award and toured internationally since 2024. He was invited to choreograph for CLOUD GATE Spring Riot as the guest choreographer in both 2025 and 2026.
Madiljin, Ljuzem
Ljuzem Madiljin is a Paiwan artist from Tjimur, Pingtung, Taiwan, and the founder and Artistic Director of Tjimur Dance Theatre. Her practice explores cultural memory, community life, and embodied knowledge. She developed the Tjimur Physical Skills, a movement methodology integrating song, breath, voice, and movement, and initiated Ljuzem’s Walk, a project engaging place and intercultural encounters through walking. Since 2018, she has also directed the Tjimur Arts Festival.
März, Luise
Luise März is a dramaturg and curator. She studied performing arts at the University of Hildesheim, where her artistic research focused on post-dramaturgy as a strategy for destabilizing continuity. During her studies, she carried out various artistic projects and worked at venues including the Thalia Theater, the Schauspielhaus Hannover, the Berliner Theatertreffen, and the Theaterformen Festival. Since 2021, she has been a dramaturg at Kampnagel. There, she is responsible for the dance program as well as various local and international networks.
Mattiussi, Stephanie
Stephanie Mattiussi was appointed Head of Dance Science and Health at London Contemporary Dance School (The Place) in 2022. She previously managed the National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science and led Student Welfare at London Studio Centre, whose team won the One Dance UK Healthcare Team Award in 2021. She is also a Steering Group member for the Healthy Conservatoires Network and for Hungry2Dance.. She has volunteered for the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science since 2018, serving on several committees, and is currently a reviewer for the Journal of Dance Medicine and Science.
Matthias, Prof. Dr. Sebastian
Sebastian Matthias is a choreographer and Professor of Dance as Research Practice in Social Fields at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences. His focus areas are artistic research in social transformation processes and the role of bodies and choreography in social phenomena. As part of the "Art as Social Practice" program, he is also an Affiliate Scholar at the Research Institute for Sustainability at the GFZ Potsdam.
Meheust, Laurent
Laurent Meheust is Director of Le Gymnase, a French National Choreographic Development Centre in Roubaix, and coordinates BIG, the International Hub for Dance Production and Touring for Young Audiences. Each year, Le Gymnase presents two festivals: Forever Young, France’s first dance festival created for children and young people, and Le Grand Bain, an international dance festival. He is also Co-President (2020–2026) of the European Dance Development Network (EDN).
Miyoshi, Emi
Emi Miyoshi is Artistic Director and choreographer of the SHIBUI Collective. Born in Japan, Emi Miyoshi worked with pretty ugly tanz köln under Amanda Miller. In 2013, she founded the SHIBUI Collective. Inspired by the Japanese concept of “shibui,” she creates poetic, interdisciplinary works combining dance, music, and visual art, exploring themes of identity, connection, and transience. The works have been presented and awarded internationally. Since 2023, the collective has been institutionally funded as Freiburg’s first dance ensemble.
Nilsen, Stine
Stine Nilsen (NO) was a freelance dancer and trained at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Movement and Dance, London, 1993-97. Since 2007 Stine was Artistic Co-director of Candoco Dance Company (UK) and is currently CEO/Artistic Director of CODA Oslo International Dance Festival since 2017. In August 2024, she took over as CEO and Artistic Director of Dansens Hus, Oslo.
Nixon, Eddie
Eddie Nixon is Artistic Director of The Place in London. After studying Chemistry at the University of Bristol, he trained at London Contemporary Dance School and performed for leading companies including DV8 Physical Theatre, New Adventures and Protein Dance. Since joining The Place in 2005, he has led artist development and programming, becoming Director in 2009. He has initiated numerous influential dance projects and represents the UK in the Aerowaves network.
Pazar, Yeliz
Yeliz Pazar is a dancer, choreographer, instructor, curator, and host. Drawing on her roots in urban dance cultures, she develops concepts based on artistic approaches for dance theater productions and movement formats. She is a co-founder of the nutrospektif collective and is part of the first generation of Waacking dancers in Germany. She organized Germany’s first international Waacking festival, “THE WAACK OFF,” and produced Germany’s first Waacking piece, “POINT OF NO RETURN.” In addition, Yeliz Pazar won the 2025 Performing Arts Promotion Award in Düsseldorf.
Peled, Yotam
Yotam Peled is a Berlin based performer and choreographer working at the intersection of contemporary dance, martial arts and new circus, born in 1989. His creations, selected for Explore Dance, Aerowaves and Etape Danse networks, toured nationally and internationally in acclaimed venues. He was a resident artist in CC Heidelberg, Grand Theatre Luxembourg, Altofest, TanzLabor Ulm, Fabrik Potsdam, SE.STA Zdar, Tanzhaus Zürich, Lavanderia a Vapore, La-Briqueterie Val-de-Marne and PimOff Milan.
Pérez Avilés, Iván
Iván Pérez Avilés, known for award-winning and innovative choreography, works with prestigious dance companies worldwide. As director of Dance Theatre Heidelberg and curator of Tanzbiennale Heidelberg, he champions feminist, inclusive curation. As jury member at the Choreographic Center Heidelberg, he supports new talents. Studying "Executive Coaching and Leadership" at OBS/University of Barcelona, he will freelance from September 2026.
Pfundtner, Antje
Antje Pfundtner in Gesellschaft (APiG) has created stage works since 2001 with institutions such as Kampnagel Hamburg, K3 – Centre for Choreography, FFT Düsseldorf, and HELLERAU Dresden. Together with dramaturg Anne Kersting, she initiated TISCHGESELLSCHAFTEN, a dialogue platform for sustained knowledge exchange. Her solo works have been shown internationally and invited to Tanzplattform Deutschland. She has created numerous group and commissioned works for city and state theatres. APiG received the George Tabori Prize (2016), the German Dance Award (2020) and the FAUST Award for theatre direction in children’s and youth theatre. Since 2024 she is part of Shared Leadership in Dance with Jenny Beyer and Ursina Tossi.
Pieropan, Greta
Greta Pieropan is a dance dramaturg and writer, a professional shapeshifter working at the intersection of movement, words and communities. She approaches dance dramaturgy as a practice of care and cultural responsibility, accompanying artists and communities as they cultivate wellbeing and nurture shared narratives and embodied worlds.
Puvogel, Wanda
For more than three decades, Wanda Puvogel has been present in the dance sector and is currently active as an artistic director, curator, dramaturge, speaker, networker, and lobbyist for dance. Throughout her career, she has continually combined artistic, organisational, and political tasks, with shifting priorities, both within institutional structures and as a freelancer. Since August 2021, she has been directing TanzLuzern as head of the Dance Department at the Luzerner Theater, where she will now step up to function as its “Co-Intendantin” (Co-Artistic Director / Co-CEO) from August 2026.
Rippl, Dr. Daniela
Daniela Rippl, literary scholar and gender studies researcher. Since 1999, she has held various teaching positions, including at the Institute for Comparative Literature at Ludwig Maximilian University, with a research focus on 19th- and 20th-century literature and aesthetics, as well as literary, gender, and scientific theories. Since 2000, she has been responsible for research funding, adult education, and the exchange between science and the arts in the Department of Culture of the City of Munich.
Rivera, Dr. Manuel
Manuel Rivera studied Sociology, Philosophy, and Latin American Studies in Berlin and Buenos Aires. After working in sustainability policy at both national and European levels and as an actor, he returned in 2011 to what is now the RIFS. He received his PhD in 2015 with a dissertation on theatre as a public sphere. His research spans urban development, sustainability discourses, the energy transition, and the Anthropocene. Since 2021, he has focused on artistic formats for communication and collaboration in sustainable development.
Rech, Liz
Liz Rech works as a director, dramaturg, and performer. Since 2007, she has been working at the intersection of theater, performance, installation, and activism. She also collaborates regularly with artist initiatives and collectives (Komm in die Gänge; Schwabinggrad Ballett). Since 2015, she has been conducting research on the topic of PERFORMING CITIZENSHIP – ASSEMBLY IN (THE) MOVEMENT. She is a co-organizer of an Artist Lab, which developed the WITH CARE toolkit in 2023
Rossi, Regina
The Brazilian choreographer Regina Rossi thinks, stages and opens up spaces for dance for young audiences like no other: She encounters her audience on walk-on stages, in installation spaces, in urban space, in schools or in virtual spaces. Her interdisciplinary choreographies break down the boundaries between dance, theater, music and performance art and invite people to join. Since May 2026 she is organising a dance-container in the STS Wilhelmsburg, in which artists residencies will happen over the next 3 years.
Saberi, Sina
Sina Saberi is a performer, choreographer, and cultural practitioner based in Germany. Drawing on social and historical contexts, his artistic practice explores dance as an alternate state of being, engaging with the human condition and existential inquiry. These themes are reflected in his trilogy Prelude, Damnoosh, and Narges, presented internationally since 2016. Sina is the director of Kakeshan.org and has organized within the Iranian dance scene since 2014, first in Tehran and now in the diaspora.
Schneider, Prof. Dr. Katja
Katja Schneider, Prof. of Dance Studies at HfMDK Frankfurt, earned her habilitation on Dance and Text. Figurationen von Bewegung und Sprache at the Department of Theatre Studies (LMU), where she was employed as a research assistant. From 1992 to 2012 she wrote for Süddeutsche Zeitung and Deutschlandfunk and worked as an editor for the magazines tanzdrama, tanzjournal and tanz. She was a dramaturg for the Munich DANCE Festival, and is currently chair of the Gesellschaft für Tanzforschung gtf.
Shugaleev, Igor
Igor Shugaleev is a Belarusian-born choreographer, actor and performer based in Warsaw. Since 2019, he has created interdisciplinary solo works at the intersection of dance, physical theatre, performance and political activism. His practice explores the vulnerable body through endurance, repetition and intensity. His internationally acclaimed work 375 0908 2334 / The Body You Are Calling Is Currently Not Available addresses repression in Belarus and struggles for freedom. He is a member of Nowy Teatr Warsaw.
Slettevold, Kristine
Kristine Slettevold has been Artistic Director of Cullberg since 2022. As a freelance dancer and dance maker for over 25 years, she has collaborated internationally with leading choreographers. She previously held senior roles at SKH, shaping dance education in Sweden. At Cullberg, she leads with a radical artistic vision, strengthening the company’s identity, fostering innovation and research-driven practices, and expanding its international presence.
Smith-McDowell, Monique
Monique Smith-McDowell is a British choreographer and performer based in Hamburg, Germany. A graduate of LCDS, she has worked with Richard Alston Dance Company, The Lion King, Michael Turinsky and Regina Rossi, among others. Her practice combines dance with aesthetics of access, centring marginalized perspectives in relation to sociopolitical issues. Through emotive, story-driven theatre, she challenges boundaries, barriers and perceptions, both within and beyond the theatre doors.
Ssempijja, Robert
Ssempijja is a Ugandan contemporary artist, dancer, and researcher working across performance, installation, and film. Presenting in both traditional and non-traditional spaces, his practice is deeply informed by his conceptual framework, Ugandan Pathology, and ongoing processes of decolonisation. He challenges dominant narratives and inherited structures of knowledge to develop regenerative cultural practices connecting Uganda's complex history with its digital futures.
Starr, Univ. Prof. Andreas
After his active stage career, Andreas Starr studied dance pedagogy and dance science. In his career as a teacher, rehearsal director, choreographic assistant, and research associate, organization and its structure became an increasingly important part of his work. As a university professor of dance technique combined with dance science at the Anton Bruckner Private University, he heads the Institute of Dance Arts (IDA) there.
Stehfest, Rico
Rico Stehfest is a freelance journalist and editor based in Dresden. In addition to his specialization in dance, ballet, and performance, he covers the nonprofit sector and civil society. For 25 years, he has been working for local, regional, and national media outlets in print, online, and radio.
Steinmüller, Dr. des. Ellen
Dr. des. Ellen Steinmüller is a Munich-based dance therapist, choreographer, and dance artist specialising in community dance and social inclusion. After many years of working in London, she founded ExisTanz, an innovative dance development organisation at the intersection of artistic practice and social engagement. She also conducted her doctoral research at Ludwig-Maximilian-University of Munich on the theoretical foundation of dance as a practice of transformative learning. All of her work aims to motivate both personal and social change.
Stoecklin, Angela
Angela Stoecklin, grew up in Iran and Nepal. She found her way to dance through music and fine arts. She works with numerous companies in Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, and creates her own works. She explores communication, interaction and perception in their manifold facettes, also in interdisciplinary and inter-cultural contexts. She is more and more interested in process-oriented work and a member of the Kollektiv dance me to the end, for dancers above 60.
Szemessy, Dr. Kinga
Kinga Szemessy is a Hungarian-born, Austria-based researcher who is interested in how affect and power are mobilised in participatory settings, as well as investigating critical eco-somatic practices. By training, she is a dancer and dance anthropologist, and is currently employed at the Wissenschaft & Kunst Inter-university Organisation of Mozarteum University and University of Salzburg, and also at Mozarteum's 'Applied Theatre - Critical theatre practice & community' MA programme.
Tanurovska-Kj, PhD Biljana
Biljana Tanurovska-Kj, PhD, is a cultural worker, researcher and curator at the intersection of dance, theatre and visual arts performance, art history, cultural policy, independent art scene, feminist and environmental (curatorial) practices. She is a co-researcher on Dance Map, curator of Performance Platform festival and Curating in Context, board member and lecturer of the Curating Performing Arts program at the University of Salzburg. She is part of Lokomotiva, Skopje, and a freelancer.
Torabi, Tanin
Tanin Torabi is an award-winning filmmaker and choreographer, and is known for her single-take dance films shot in the urban spaces of Tehran, Iran. In her work, Tanin questions the grey area between dance and pedestrian movement and explores the socio-political issues around that. Her films have received many awards, including Cinedans Jury Award, Light Moves Outstanding Film Award, and Hangart Dance Film Award, among others. She is currently an artist in residence at Villa Arson, France.
Tossi, URSina
URSina Tossi is a freelance artist, dancer, choreographer, director, writer, lecturer and systemic coach. Her transdisciplinary, collaborative work combines political, queer and feminist perspectives with intense physicality and Aesthetics of Access. Recent productions include SWAN FATE, HELL, E(R)DEN, GHOSTS, DIE NASHÖRNER and FÜHLER. FUX won the Hamburg Children’s Theater Award 2023 and the Hart am Wind Audience Award; HELL received the Cologne Dance Theater Award 2024. URSina has been part of SHARED LEADERSHIP in DANCE since 2025
Toukabri, Mohamed
Mohamed Toukabri is a Brussels-based Belgian-Tunisian choreographer, dancer, and performer. Rooted in hip-hop and contemporary dance, his work explores migration, identity, and embodied knowledge. Trained in Tunis, Paris, and Brussels (P.A.R.T.S.), he has collaborated with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Needcompany, and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. His acclaimed choreographic works investigate memory, transmission, and dance as a living archive.
Traversi, Giulia
Giulia Traversi is a curator and dramaturg in the performing arts. She has worked with the NID Platform, Teatro Era in Pontedera, and curated the Maps to the Stars festival in Pisa. She currently manages artists including Chiara Bersani and Doris Uhlich. In 2025, she co-curated the Bastard Festival in Trondheim with Chiara Bersani. Traversi is co-artistic director of Spazio Kor in Asti, head of accessibility and dance at Teatro Mercadante, president of Teatro di Buti, and teaches cultural event communication at the University of Pisa.
Urbina, Ricardo
Ricardo Urbina is a Mexican ballet dancer, choreographer, and multidisciplinary artist from Torreón, Coahuila. Trained at Corpus Danza, Idyllwild Arts Academy, and the Hamburg Ballet School, they danced with the Bundesjugendballett, Hamburg Ballet and ballet Kiel, as well as a guest artist with multiple German based companies. Ricardo has created works for festivals and youth companies in Germany and is co-founder of House of Brownies. They are also the founder and director of URBINA, an international choreographic platform connecting Germany and Mexico.
Valdés Vega, Noé
Noé Valdés Vega’s artistic practice focuses on bodily dramaturgy through solo performances and collaborative choreographies. A 2024 Master’s graduate in Choreography from Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden, he is now in its Künstlerische Meisterklasse program. He is also a member of the "WeAreOne" doctoral research group at the University of Göttingen and collaborates with the Friedland Museum and The Boat People Project.
Wieczorek, Anna (Laura)
Anna (Laura) Wieczorek is Assistant Professor of Applied Dance Studies at the Orff Institute of the Mozarteum University Salzburg (since 2025). Her work sits at the intersection of dance studies, dramaturgy, and critical historiography, focusing on theory and practice, accessibility, and the aesthetics of dance and audio description. Since 2022, she has served as deputy chair of the Society for Dance Research (gtf).
Wu-Kang, Chen
Wu-Kang Chen, born in Taiwan, began a 12-year collaboration with New York choreographer Eliot Feld in 2001. In 2004, he co-founded HORSE and became its artistic director. His acclaimed works include Velocity (Taishin Art Award, 2007) and 2 Men (Kurt Jooss Prize, 2012), both internationally touring. He co-created and performed Dances for Wu-Kang Chen (Taipei Art Festival 2020), which received the Taishin Performing Arts Award in 2021. His recent works span stage and digital formats.
Zahn, Sabine
Sabine Zahn (Berlin) is an artist, researcher, and educator working at the intersection of choreography, urban practice, and spatial transformation. Her work explores how space is shaped through embodied and sensory action and its transformative potential. Through collaborations with architects and dance artists, as well as fellowships and research projects, she has developed a movement-based practice that informs performances, walkshops, seminars, and publications. Most recently, she was a Fellow at THIRD and DAS Graduate School Amsterdam, and a Senior Fellow at the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS).
Zou, Long
Long Zou trained at the Guangzhou Art School in China and the Central School of Ballet in London. A Prix de Lausanne semi-finalist (2007), he danced with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo and served as Ballet Master at Jinxing Dance Theatre in Shanghai (2013–2015). He toured internationally across Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. From 2019 to 2023 he was a soloist with Richard Siegal / Ballet of Difference at Schauspiel Köln. Since the 2023/24 season, he has been a soloist with Ballett am Rhein.
