What is Prague Dance

TANEC PRAHA

Tanec Praha (Dance Prague) is a non-government non-profit organisation that was established in 1991 to further develop modern dance in the Czech region and contribute to its international acclaim through the annual International Festival of Contemporary Dance and Movement Theatre TANEC PRAHA.

In 1995, the Foundation Tanec Praha was established in order to support this mission. In accordance with the new legislative, it was re-registered and became the Foundation Fund Tanec Praha.

The activities of the Association touch several areas:

The most significant is the TANEC PRAHA Festival held every year in June. The festival's mission is to inspire domestic artists and familiarise the general public with the art of contemporary dance. An integral part of the festival is the collaboration between foreign artists and the Czech dance community, as well as discussions with media representatives. Since the mid- nineties, the festival's attendance has increased dramatically, and many of the festival's performances continually sell out. The interest of the general public and the media has led to a growing appreciation for the festival abroad. This recognition has also been reflected by the establishment of a permanent dance venue as well as by the many invitations for the festival's director to become a member of recognised international organisations and juries.

Tanec Praha is a member of IETM (Informal European Theatre Meeting). As well, its director serves as an elected member of the IETM Council and was invited to represent the Czech Republic in the international jury Aerowaves (European choreographic competition). Additionally, she is a partner of the Trans Danse Europe Project and was consulted regarding the revitalisation of the Czech National Council for Dance by UNESCO. Tanec Praha co-operates with artistic schools as well as renowned festivals as Prague Spring or Zlatá Praha.

The other significant event organised by Tanec Praha is the Czech Dance Platform. The platform was created by a show of Czech dance organised in the Duncan Centre facilities. Over the next four years, this show remained a prominent event in the town of Hradec Kralove, and was referred to as the "Entrée to Dance". On the occasion of the IETM Full Session, held in April 2000 in Prague, the event was permanently relocated to the capital city. The aim is to use the Ponec facilities, as well as other spaces, to organise an annual presentation of Czech modern dance for both foreign partners and the domestic audience. Recently the Alfred ve dvore Theatre, lead by Motus Art Association, and the Archa Theatre have a hand at the Czech Dance Platform as well.

The Foundation Fund Tanec Praha has been dedicating its efforts to support the domestic dance community in several different ways. In addition to awarding grants and scholarships to young dancers and choreographers, it has raised the necessary funds for the reconstruction of the former Ponec Cinema that already provides a space for the Czech professional dance scene.

A considerable part of Tanec Praha's work goes towards supporting legislative changes and terms of financing for NNO's (non-governmental non-profit organisations) in the Czech Republic. The director of the foundation co-established two nation-wide subject conferences for the area of art, as well as the "VSNNOKU" (Free Association of NNO in Culture and Art) and was an active member of the Council for NNO's in the Office of the Czech Republic Government.

Tanec Praha also provides the professional public with access to its video library and information centre (contact person: Marta Lajnerova).

REALISATION TEAM OF TANEC PRAHA

Never-ending number of hours of work is behind the success of Tanec Praha, work of a small, but very effective team of people.

The founder and director of the association is Yvona Kreuzmannova. She is responsible for dramaturgy, fundraising, economy operation and she is the statuary representative of the association.

The same fundamental background of all activities has become the co-director Marta Lajnerova. She looks after management of the festival, the office, the centre of documentary, and she share the dramaturgy of the festival and the Ponec Theatre. The running of the theatre was in her view for the first year of its existence, too.

Economy, cash-box, accounting and tax are under a careful concern of Dana Kopanicova. She tries to comply with all disunited requires of various grant givers from Czech to international ones.

Marketa Lajnerova is also another outstanding manager personality co-ordinating a part of international projects as well as the running of the Ponec Theatre including advertising.

Among the permanent extern co-operators of the Tanec Praha belongs Libor Gross. He is ready to manage the most demanding projects in the open air as well as tours of domestic and guest artists throughout the Czech Republic.

Stable technique experts of the festival and theatre are Petr Vorisek and Daniel Tesar representing the WD Lux company. The boss of the technique and stage run of the Ponec Theatre became Pavel Kotlik co-operating closely with the same firm.

The maintenance of the theatre is in care of Lubos Moravek, with the sale of tickets helps markedly Lenka Vilimovska.

Permanently on disposal to all these people are Jan Dvorak, Filip Svacina, Jakub Stark, Michal Rasin, Mirek Michalek, and after them other "voluntaries" will come, as the running of the theatre as well as particular festivals is hardly possible without them.

Image of the TANEC PRAHA is, following the logo of Saša Vejnovic, in care of Studio Garfield with the director Stepan Bahensky, author of the graphic appearance of the TANEC PRAHA 2002.

For help with every public activity and distribution of advertising materials, Tanec Praha asks other external employees, many from whose belong to permanent supporters of the team.

HISTORY OF TANEC PRAHA

The history of theTanec Praha festival goes back to the summer of 1989, when the PKS Agency (Prague Cultural Centre - no longer in existence) included several modern dance performances in its so called Prague Cultural Summer, organised in the Municipal House. Several Czech ensembles joined two foreign guests, and the whole event was held more or less as an attraction for tourists in the month of July.

Only after November 1989, it was finally possible to hold a fully realised festival of modern dance. This corresponded with the magnificent concept of Tanec 90, organised under the PKS Agency and with major contributions from several domestic specialists and Swiss partners from Berner Tanztage. The year 1990 represented a real milestone for the existence of the festival: on one hand, the end of the PCKS was inevitable, but on the other, the Ministry of Culture and the Prague Municipal Authority showed an interest in preserving this promising event even though the modern dance was still finding its auditorium.

The third year of the festival (1991) was accompanied by even more problems. It was co-organised by the Theatre Community, and its size exceeded the demand of the public, resulting in a deficit. In spite of this, the third year was met with wide public acceptance, especially the "Ballet Pathétique" of Jorma Uotinen and the brilliant Geneva Ballet, led by Gradimir Pankov at that time. A new act on NNO's enabled the creation of an independent legal entity; therefore, in the autumn of 1991, the civic association Tanec Praha could become incorporated. This association took over the responsibility of organising the festival, and it started working (still under very complicated conditions) on the principle shape of the festival, which would be directed towards international modern dance with an emphasis on quality and variety instead of the quantity of invited artists.

From this, a more modest and dramaturgically sophisticated fourth year (1992) emerged. It was this year, which - in spite of all the resistance shown from the official critical community - inspired an increase in the significance, prestige and popularity of the festival with the audience.

The fifth year of the festival, held under the auspices of President Havel, could only improve. Prestigious artistic personalities such as Bill T. Jones and Maguy Marin, and the dynamic Brazilian ensemble Bale Teatro Castro Alves secured an attraction from the audience, and attendance of the festival began to grow.

A big highlight of the festival was the participation of American tap-dancers headed by Savion Glover in 1994, as well as several years' systematic introduction of personality Hervé Diasnas and other artists.

The pinnacle of the next season was the arrival and participation of DV 8 physical theatre in 1995. They contributed to the festival's success with a felicitous performance called "Enter Achilles". A solo performance of the American legend Trisha Brown in the State Opera was also ranked among brilliant and unforgettable experiences.

The Geneva Ballet witnessed its triumphant return to the festival in 1996, with special thanks to a highly impressive piece of Ohad Naharin. In the autumn of the same year, Michail Baryshnikov accepted the invitation of Tanec Praha and paid his first visit to a country of the former eastern block. His brilliant solo evening met with great success. The significance of Baryshnikov's first performance was further enhanced by the attendance of Vaclav Havel at the event.

The following year, Tanec Praha managed to introduce another legend of modern dance to the Prague audience - Merce Cunningham. His short solo performed on a chair placed in the huge hall of the Veletrzni palac will remain engraved in the memory of many attendants. The Alias from Switzerland appeared at the same festival, marking their first participation in the festival and causing a similar sensation as DV 8.

TANEC PRAHA celebrated its 10th anniversary with an exploration into untraditional spaces. The highly impressive Anomalie, directed by Joseph Nadje (also acting a as choreographer in this case) received a big ovation in the Folimanka sport hall. The famed artist Twyla Tharp introduced her ensemble in the chapiteau at Letna. Artists from Taiwan, as well as other artists, introduced their art for the first time in the festival's history.

The year 1999 saw the return of the festival to the State Opera in connection with another dance legend, Martha Graham, whose art remains topical after more than 50 years. The real catharsis came at the end of the festival with the Naharin's juniors - Batsheva Ensemble. For three years in a row, the festival practically sold out, and the interest and reception of the festival shown by the public were the best indicators that more modern dance events were needed year round. Therefore, the most daring plan for the year 2000 was to establish a steady theatre and studio facility in Prague - the former Ponec Cinema.

TANEC PRAHA 2000 was organised under the Trans Danse Europe event, a project connecting seven Cultural Cities of Europe (Avignon, Bergen, Bologna, Brussels, Helsinki, Reykjavik and Prague). However, the biggest star of this event was undoubtedly the Frankfurt Ballet, which was performing in a country of the former eastern block for the first time in its history. Two pieces on the edge of modern dance and neoclassicism, as well as the striking choreography of William Forsyth performed at the end of the programme, left indelible marks on dance history in the Czech region.

The year of 2001 was marked with the reconstruction of Ponec. Although unfinished, this space hosted the festival in June. Benefit live broadcasting of the event and an additional 90-minute programme called "Dances around Ponec", as well as a documentary programme of the CT Brno, contributed to the success of Tanec Praha's activities prior to the launching of its first season. The highlights of this year's festival were performances of Marie Chouinard - "Solos" in the State Opera, and also the Israeli Sheketak at Ponec.

The 14th year marked a great success of TP 01 in the programme of Culture 2000. It presented artists from 11 European countries, Thailand and Dominican Republic. Besides the Ponec and Archa Theatres the festival used the room of the Vinohradske Theatre and for the first time also the spaces of the Prague Castle - beginning with the South Gardens and the Old Royal Palace including the Vladislav Hall.

What will the 15th year bring?

Interest of the abroad artists is markedly great, but the finance possibilities of the organiser are still very limited. The costs of the festival overcome 15 million crowns every year, a great deal share foreign partners and institutions, permanent co-organiser is the City of Prague contributing with 2 mil. crowns. Fundamentally lesser sum gives the Ministry of Culture what is reflection of the economy problems of the whole country. Partners and sponsors belong inseparably to the festival and they mainly make possible to enlighten modern dance and make it visible in eyes of the widest public.

One of the ways, how to develop the festival and its impact at the domestic scene are going to be the long-term projects of international co-operation. Trans Danse Europe belongs to those ones, which success in the year 2000, when seven cultural metropolises of Europe including Prague were connected, should be followed by a three-year project of co-operation of Prague with Avignon, Brussels, Helsinki, and more Aarhus, Ljubljana, and Poznan. More-year co-operation with qualitative partner organisations in abroad make the continuity of the festivals possible, as well as providing more space to artists and enriching that way significantly the cultural life in all participating countries.

RETROSPECT - FOREIGN PARTICIPANTS OF PRESENT FESTIVALS

TANEC PRAHA ´89

Nederlands Dans Teater/2 (Nederland), Siobhan Davies Dance Company (UK)

TANEC PRAHA ´90

Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve, Paragods, CH Tanztheater Zurich, Mobile Ballett Bern (Switzerland), Ivan Liska / Chantal Lefevre (BRD), Lines Dance Company (USA), London Contemporary Dance Theatre (UK)

TANEC PRAHA ´91

Lyon Opera Ballet, Maguy Marin, Jean Gaudin (France), Sinopia, Tetratheatre, Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve (Switzerland), Ton Simons and Dancers (USA), José Besprosvany, Tandem (Belgium), London Contemporary Dance Theatre (UK), Perth City Ballet (Australia), Liat Dror & Nir Ben Gal (Israel), Jorma Uotinen (Finland)

TANEC PRAHA ´92

CH Tanztheater Zurich, Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve (Switzerland), Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (Israel), Michele Abbondanza (Italy), Choreographisches Theater Freiburg (BRD), Hervé Diansas (France)

TANEC PRAHA ´93

Compagnie Maguy Marin (France), Balé Teatro Castro Alves (Brazil), S.O.A.P. Dance Theatre Frankfurt (BRD), Ton Simons and Dancers (USA), Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Co. (USA)

TANEC PRAHA ´94

American Jazz Tap with Savion Glover (USA), Angelin Preljocaj (France), Hervé Diansas (France), Tanzfabrik Berlin (BRD), Sasha Waltz (BRD), Danat Danza (Spain), Sarah Skaggs (USA)

TANEC PRAHA ´95

Trisha Brown (USA), Margaret Jenkins (USA), Amanda Miller (BRD), Edyta Kozak - Teatr Tanca nei (Poland), Montažstroj (Croatia), DV 8 physical theatre (UK), Hervé Diansas (France), Marta Renzi (USA, Slovakia)

TANEC PRAHA ´96

Joseph Nadj (France), Yoshiko Chuma (USA), Hervé Diasnas (France), Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve (Switzerland), Ernesto(Italy, Belgium, CZ), Iztok Kovac & EN KNAP (Slovenia)

TANEC PRAHA ´97

Merce Cunningham Dance Company (USA), Company 2 in 1 (Hungary), Studio Mare (Croatia), Alias (Switzerland), Betontanct (Slovenia), Clara Andermatt (Portugal)

TANEC PRAHA ´98

Anomalie (France), Pilottanzt (Austria), Wendy Houston (UK), Twyla Tharp (USA), Holy Body Tattoo Dance (Canada), Anna Huber (Germany), Alias (Switzerland), Taipei Dance Circle (Taiwan)

TANEC PRAHA ´99

Martha Graham Dance Company (USA), Karine Ponties (Belgium), Granhoj Dans (Denmark), Compagnie Maguy Marin (France), Eva Klimackova (Slovakia), Ensemble Batsheva / the Junior company (Israel)

TANEC PRAHA 2000

Kubilai Khan Investigations (France), Monica Francia (Italy), Nicole Mossoux (Belgium), Granhoj Dans (Denmark), Paula Tuovinen (Finland), Mirka Eliasova (Czech republic), Carte Blanche (Norway), Ballett Frankfurt Williama Forsytha (Germany), Seven Sisters Group (UK), Icelandic Dance Theatre (Island), Jan Kodet (Czech republic)

TANEC PRAHA 2001

Teatr Dada von Bzdülow (Poland), chanti&Kay Grigar (Canada, CZ), Marta Poláková (Slovakia), Artyci (Slovakia), Drift (Switzerland), Compagnie Catherine Diverres (France), Cerna&Vanek Dance (CZ, Germany), Sheketak (Israel), Beatrice Libonati (Germany), Ádám Fejes (Hungary), Karine Ponties (Belgium), Compagnie Marie Chouinard (Canada)

TANEC PRAHA 2002

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan (Taiwan), Odile Duboc (France), Fin Walker, Robert Hylton and Protein Dance (UK), DANS.KIAS (Austria), Conny Janssen Danst (Netherlands), Susanne Linke & Reinhild Hoffmann (Germany), Dame de Pic - Karine Ponties (Belgium), Metzger/Zimmermann/de Perrot (Switzerland), Bern Ballet (Switzerland), Studio tanca (Slovakia), Lizzy Le Quesne (UK) & Pierre Nadaud (France), Irene Borguet-Kalbusch (Belgium), Monika Rebcova (CZ) & Ruben Peguero (Dominican Republic), Apostolia Papadamaki (Greece), Rosa Munoz (Spain), Sandrine Harris (USA), Ioana Mona Popovici (Romania, CZ)