WE ARE the national platform danse danza tanz!
We carry out two cultural actions in parallel: the production of reinterpretations of choreographic repertoire works in the form of short pieces, and the organization of workshops choreography. The productions are presented during an edition held every two years, and the workshops choreography are offered in preparation for an edition. The reinterpretations are conducted by the authors or their rights holders and performed by non (semi) professional groups. They are created over a season and presented twice to the public on a national stage. In the workshops choreography, which are free, participatory, inclusive, and open to a wide audience, personal and group discovery and experimentation of the art of choreography are at the forefront. In both of our missions, we aim to strengthen attention and reflection on contemporary choreographic practice, its heritage, and contribute to the (re)discovery of significant works by a broad public.
In addition to our workshops choreography offered before an edition, we are launching, starting from the 2026-2027 season, a decentralized series across Switzerland, allowing a wider public to benefit from this opportunity. This is the reason for this call to you, choreographers.
CALL
The call is addressed to choreographers residing in Switzerland, active artistically and pedagogically in their region, as well as to all institutions and dance schools wishing to integrate the workshop into their program. Proposals from non-urban regions will be prioritized, but all proposals are welcome and will be considered. We initiated and tested this format before the 3rd edition and currently offer three in preparation for the 4th edition at ZeughausKultur in Brig. You are welcome to join! WORKSHOPS / 4th EDITION
WORKSHOP CHOREOGRAPHY AND SERIES
These are free, participatory, inclusive workshops open to everyone from 8 years old, with no prior experience required. Each workshop lasts three hours and, unlike a masterclass or a dance class, offers participants the chance to experiment with choreographic artistic composition in a participatory mode. At the center of the process is the involvement of each participant within the group according to their own possibilities and motivations, in a free artistic process around movement in space, time, and with others. The implementation of the format is flexible, provided the basic conditions are respected. It can be a single workshop or a series of workshops throughout a season.
ORGANIZATION
The workshop must take place in a space large enough to accommodate up to 30 people (dance studio, sports hall, municipal hall…). This space must be accessible to people with disabilities. The persons responsible for the workshop — the choreographer and the coordinator — must ensure local communication, registrations, participant reception, and smooth workshop execution. The platform will fund the workshop choreography with a flat-rate sum between CHF 1,000 and CHF 1,500, which must cover all work, including preparations and expenses. Payment will only be made to an association, which will then be responsible for distributing salaries, fees, and invoices. The association must be up to date with social contributions and insurance. The workshop will be governed by a contract between the platform and the organizer. Adaptable communication materials will be provided.
DOCUMENTATION (danse danza tanz! can also take care of the documentation.)
Each workshop must be documented concisely but accurately through a written report, a few photographs, and short videos showing the process, participant feedback, and organizational notes, including a conclusion on the lessons learned. A sharing session will be offered at the end of the season to allow the format to adapt according to real experiences.
CONDITIONS
– Justify relevant training or experience.
– Have access to an association, suitable space, and a local audience.
– Be motivated to create a genuinely participatory and inclusive workshop.
TIMELINE
– UNTIL END OF MARCH 2026: submission of proposals
– UNTIL MID-APRIL: review, responses, confirmations
– MARCH/APRIL: funding request for the workshops choreography series
– JULY/AUGUST: decisions and contracts
– FROM SEPTEMBER 2026: launch of the 2026-2027 series
OUR MOTIVATION AND LEGITIMACY
Our central mission is the production of reinterpretations of choreographic repertoire works in the form of short pieces. Conducted by the authors or their rights holders and performed by non-(semi) professional groups, these represent a season-long work with two performances on an official stage before the public. By offering this three-hour workshops choreography series between editions, we aim, through a format freed from performance, to encourage the discovery of choreographic composition, an art rarely practiced by the general public. This offer allows us to reach a wider audience and promote our mission of popular education through a living practice of choreographic repertoires.
WORKSHOP CONTENT
The goal for participants is to explore, accompanied by dance professionals, the art of choreography in general. Unlike a masterclass or dance class, the workshop focuses on the practice of choreographic composition. At the core of the process is the involvement of each participant according to their own abilities and motivations, in a short artistic process around movement in space, time, and with others. Participation is central and requires keeping content open. Different phases may offer varied exercises and experiments, promoting kindness, curiosity, exchange, courage, and creativity. Dance classes with frontal transmission of fixed sequences should be minimal. For participants, these workshops offer a vast space for personal development, highly attractive as they allow new experiences that can inspire daily life. The number of participants should not exceed 30.
ENCOURAGING ARTISTIC PRACTICE
Dance movement has always played a central role in societies, enabling individuals and groups to exchange and communicate through presence, action, and participation. Focusing on the reality of being in its plurality — body, mind, and soul — encourages each individual to consider the ground, space, time, and others as the foundation of all actions and decisions. Superficiality fades, making room for connections that develop through capillarity and tension between individuals, following rules that can also evolve. Writing movement in space, choreographing, can then become both a personal and collective act. This practice, from its first moments, evokes joy embodied in the engagement of the moment. It invites taking time to observe, understand, repeat, and compose. It can become a liberating and foundational act, a path in itself.
SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL to workshop@dansedanzatanz.ch
– Your choreographer–support duo with first names, last names, birth years, places of residence
– Your training and experience
– Briefly explain your proposal with suggested locations and dates
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST AND COMMITMENT!
On behalf of the board of danse danza tanz!
Toma Péronnet, presidency and direction
Mobile: +41 76 526 78 44