Rückblick auf zehn Tage Tanzbiennale 2023

The Tanzbiennale Heidelberg 2023 was a complete success. 

After ten days, during which the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg together with the UnterwegsTheater Heidelberg brought great international dance to the city along the Neckar and provided a platform for the rich and diverse dance scene of Baden-Württemberg, both cooperation partners look back with satisfaction and pride on a festival that exceeded all expectations.

Increased audience numbers 

The Tanzbiennale Heidelberg 2023 looks back on an overall occupancy rate of around 85 %, which is more than remarkable compared to other contemporary dance performances. About 6,200 people visited the dance festival from 27 January to 5 February 2023. This was around 2,000 more people than in 2018, when the Biennale was last able to take place at its usual level, unmolested by Corona. This year's festival edition hosted 26 companies from all over the world. There were 29 different performances, with 33 shows in seven venues in Heidelberg. The fact that the 2023 Biennale was able to return to the dance world not only in its usual format, but even more extensively than all its previous editions, is thanks to the TANZallianz (an association between the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg and the UnterwegsTheater Heidelberg) and the Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation, whose generous support made possible to invite top-class dance personalities.

The positive response from the press 

In the Mannheimer Morgen, Ralf-Carl Langhals is pleased about »this energetic dance festival« that »brings everyone together: city and state theatres, independent houses, independent groups, lone fighters and the venerable Mannheim Academy of Dance«.

And Isabelle von Neumann-Cosel sums up in the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung: »The motto »Dance breaking free« was fulfilled to the highest degree – also because the international dance scene has powerfully fought its way through the dark Corona past. The audience also literally craved dance – there had never been so many visitors, so many curious questions, and excited debates. Heidelberg has probably never been so closer to the label »dance city«. There is only one conclusion: more of it!«

Unique cooperation in Germany 

As a cooperation between the independent scene and the city theatre, the TANZallianz is unique in Germany. The successful Tanzbiennale 2023 was the 5th edition of the festival jointly organised by the Theater und Orchester Heidelberg and the UnterwegsTheater Heidelberg.

The next festival edition in 2025 on the horizon

In 2023, for the 5th time, the Tanzbiennale united the great dance scene of Baden-Württemberg with outstanding companies from city and state theatres as well as excellent independent ensembles with renowned dancers from all over the world, celebrating the entire spectrum of contemporary dance in Heidelberg. With this positive summary, the TANZallianz is already looking forward to the next Tanzbiennale Heidelberg in 2025.