On 28 August, one of the most important events for dance professionals will begin in Düsseldorf (Germany): the 15th international dance fair Tanzmesse NRW. The fair, held every two years since 1994, has become an important meeting place and forum for exchange, knowledge transfer and networking among dance creators, performers, managers, producers, festival organisers and other dance professional from around the world. It is expected that the anniversary Tanzmesse NRW will bring together around 1500 participants and guests from 50 countries over the course of four days. This year’s programme will focus on the themes of cultural identity, community, migration, and the diversity of bodies.
Dirk Rose/Tanzmesse NRW
“The best results in the dance field are achieved when the continuity of activity is ensured. Each country’s dance finds its place under the sun thanks to the consistent presentation of that country’s dance community and the involvement of artists and dance organisations in international projects. Tanzmesse NRW, held for thirty years now, has become a wonderful platform for making new connections, sharing ideas, spreading the word, and at the same time nurturing and developing existing partnerships,” says Gintarė Masteikaite, Director of the Lithuanian Dance Information Centre.
Visibility of Baltic dance in the world
This year, the joint booth of the Baltic countries returns to Tanzmesse NRW for the second time, presenting the dance of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The idea of participating in the dance fair together occurred to the dance organisations of the Baltic countries after their successful cooperation while preparing the Baltic Dance Platform. “The Baltic Dance Platform in Riga was an extremly important event for the contemporary dance context in Latvia. The opportunity to host this prominent international event showcasing the strength of Baltic collaboration not only strengthens the presence of the Baltic countries in international dance, but also strongly supports the Latvian dance community in its hard work to improve conditions for local dance makers. The Baltic Dance Platform in Riga closed the first circle of the biennial forum that started in Vilnius in May 2019, went to Tallinn in May 2022 and landed in pleasant February weather in Riga in 2024. Heart-warming encounters, exciting pitches, a vast variety of styles in performances and shared meals – this is Baltic Dance. Impossible to define, impossible to be indifferent,” shares Inta Balode, Chair of the Board at the Latvian Dance Information Centre.
Rihards Klauzs/Baltic Dance Platform
The fourth Baltic Dance Platform will return to Lithuania on 23-25 April 2026. It is planned that more than two hundred international dance professionals will gather in the city of Vilnius. Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian dance artists will perform. Networking events will be held. The activities of cultural and educational institutions and organisations operating in Lithuania will be showcased. LDIC Director Gintarė Masteikaitė is certain that the Platform will attract the attention of many foreign managers and producers to dance in the Baltic countries and open up new opportunities for dance professionals, critics, and the academic community to share knowledge and experience.
Baltic Dance Platform team
At Tanzmesse NRW, international guests will be invited to come and participate in the Baltic Dance Platform. At the joint booth of the Baltic countries’ dance organisations, visitors will also be greeted by dance artists and representatives of dance troupes, theatres, schools and other organisations, who will acquaint the visitors with each Baltic country’s dance and jointly present the countries’ dance.
In the fair’s programme – a Baltic dance artist’s work
An essential part of the Tanzmesse NRW programme is the presentation of dance performances and projects, selected from around the world, to an international audience. The Tanzmesse NRW jury, composed of dance professionals from various countries, evaluated 900 applications for this year’s programme. The jury members selected, among others, the work of dance artist Lukas Karvelis; excerpts of his latest work, Kur krantas (She Dreamt of Being Washed Away to the Coast) (performer – Dominyka Markevičiūtė; producer – Be Company LT), are part of the fair’s artistic programme, and the work will be presented to foreign dance producers as well.
Lukas Karvelis is one of the most prominent Lithuanian contemporary dance artists of the younger generation. He studied at the National M.K. Čiurlionis School of Art, then studied at the prestigious Codarts University for the Arts in the Netherlands. He has received international awards, and in 2023 he received the Young Artist Prize of the Republic of Lithuania Ministry of Culture. At present, Lukas Karvelis lives in Amsterdam, working with well-known dance theatres and choreographers. Audiences in the Baltic countries have seen the artist’s works at the Baltic Dance Platform in Vilnius, Tallinn and Riga.
Lukas Karvelis and Dominyka Markevičiūtė. Donatas Ališauskas/New Baltic Dance
A total of 64 dance performances, sketches, installations and other projects, created by artists from Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas, will be presented on the stages of the international dance fair.
Dirk Rose/Tanzmesse NRW
Organised by: Lithuanian Dance Information Centre, Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava / STL, Latvian Dance Information Centre
Supported by: Baltic Culture Foundation, Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuanian Council for Culture.
For more information about the Baltic Dance Platform: balticdance.org