Writing about dance - young talent meets independent scene | host Tanznetz Freiburg gUG
As part of tanzwuchs #9, young talents interested in writing are invited to a three-day workshop dedicated to writing about dance in all its facets. Dance is movement - and it moves us. But how can we put this into words?
Whether it's a review, a creative text, an essay or an experimental form - we try out together how movement can be translated into language. Participants will attend the evening performance of tanzwuchs #9, in which six short pieces from the independent dance scene will be presented. On this basis, individual texts will be written about the works shown - with space for their own perspectives, questions and formats.
The workshop is accompanied by experienced writing coaches and dance mediators. The aim is to promote new voices in the field of dance journalism and mediation - and to give them a platform. A selection of the texts will be published after the workshop on the Tanznetz Freiburg website.
Programme:
Friday, 10 October:
1:00 p.m.: Welcome
2:00 – 5:00 p.m.: Input Essayistic writing by Thaddäus Maria Jungmann
Essayistic writing: How can you write about something that defies language? Just seen – already gone. In this workshop, you will learn tools for writing about the fleeting nature of movement. The starting point is classical criticism – but we can move away from it, become more fluid, shift formats and ask new questions: How much distance does a good text need? What does objectivity mean in writing – and is it even necessary? How lively can, how artistic must a critique be? Together we will explore forms of writing that do not hold on to things, but resonate with them. Using selected short video examples, we will practise naming phenomena and developing potential interview questions. The workshop is aimed at anyone who wants to explore dance and performance through writing – whether you are writing your first texts or want to question long-established techniques. The resulting contributions can be published on a blog by arrangement. The workshop will be held in spoken German. If you have any individual requirements, please let us know in advance!
About Thaddäus Maria Jungmann: Thaddäus Maria Jungmann studied scenic arts in Hildesheim and musical theatre in Osnabrück. Thaddäus lives as a freelance performer and dramaturge in Cologne, where they are currently pursuing a master's degree in dance studies – with a stay abroad in Bern/Expanded Theater. They also work as a journalist for the two trade journals Theater der Zeit and tanz. Through writing, Thaddäus most recently came to develop artistic audio descriptions for blind and visually impaired audiences at tanzhaus NRW.
Saturday, 11 October:
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Input Performance Analysis by Dr Jutta Krauß
7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.: tanzwuchs #9 performance
Performance Analysis: How can touching bodies in motion be translated into comprehensible concepts? How can a dynamic and ephemeral dance event be captured in words without appearing rigid and static? Based on the method of performance analysis, the workshop will demonstrate approaches to making dance events conceptually comprehensible. Starting from one's own location and one's own state of being touched, encounters with dance events should take place that enable questions, leave questions open and invite possible answers that do not codify, but interact with the dance. The meanings conveyed to the audience in a dance event are to be translated into possible interpretations, which are then reflected in a text about the dance, so that the emotional response can be presented in a way that is comprehensible to others.
During the workshop, possibilities for writing about dance will be demonstrated in order to find one's own linguistic embodiment of and about dance. Based on exemplary dance events, possible moments of personal emotional response are filtered out and used as a starting point for a text-dance response. Concrete steps of being moved by dance, talking about dance and writing about and with dance are demonstrated in the workshop.
All audience members who want to not only watch a dance event but also interact with it in writing are cordially invited to the workshop to write texts in response to the dance events at Tanzwuchs 2025. Upon agreement, these can be published on a blog. Individual needs will be gladly addressed during the workshop.
About Dr Jutta Krauß: Dr Jutta Krauß is a dance scholar, dramaturge, lecturer and teacher. She studied dance culture at the Faculty of Philosophy and Humanities at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and completed a teaching degree at the University of Education in Freiburg. She is a member of the Society for Dance Research and was its first vice-chair from 2021 to 2023. Her work and research focus on contemporary dance with theorems of body and costume.
Sunday, 12 October:
10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Writing workshop
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.: Lunch break
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Writing workshop
19:00 20:00: tanzwuchs #9 performance (optional)
Thursday, 16 October:
Text submission
When: 10 - 12 October 2025
Where: H15, Haslacherstr. 15, Freiburg
Requirements for participation: You enjoy writing, are interested in dance and are not afraid of blank pages. No previous experience in writing about dance is necessary – curiosity is enough. Participation is free of charge, but the number of places is limited to 12 participants.
Registration:
To register, please send an email with the subject line ‘Writing Workshop’ to presse@tanznetz-freiburg.de.
Please include your full name and contact details (email/telephone number). Registration deadline: 26 September 2025
Please let us know in your email what you need in order to participate and we will do our best to make it happen! The two lecturers on site will also cater to individual needs.
Further information: https://tanznetz-freiburg.de/en/workshops