Tanz im August – International Festival Berlin

German Premiere | 26.–18.8. | HAU3

Love is an eroded, shabby, abused, poisoned word. But what significance does it have beyond the clichés? Maija Hirvanen devotes her lecture-performance to love in its varied forms.

Tanz im August’s venues are as diverse as its performers, with each reflecting the multifaceted character of the capital. Tanz im August means Berlin, which means spaces. Take a look at our map to see precisely where all of the venues for 30 Jahre Tanz im August are located. 

As Tanz im August’s direct predecessor, the events surrounding Berlin’s year as European Capital of Culture in 1988 paved the way for the festival.

“Blue clothes, silver hair, and a slight, inscrutable smile.” A portrait of Nele Hertling, founder of the festival, who has been a key influence on the dance scene in Berlin and beyond for years.

Any history of Tanz im August must also include the history of TanzWerkstatt, which was founded in 1989 by Nele Hertling, and under the leadership of Ulrike Becker and André Thériault, organised the festival in collaboration with HAU Hebbel am Ufer until 2012.

Of course, Tanz im August didn’t just appear out of nowhere. Its history is a part of the history of Berlin, and begins in the post-war period – in 1951, to be precise.

This year marks 30 years of Tanz im August and 40 years of Tanzfabrik Berlin – there’s a lot to celebrate! In the 1980s, Tanzfabrik established itself as the home of avant-garde dance in Berlin – which of course didn’t escape the attention of Nele Hertling.

Another forerunner of Tanz im August was the performance series PMTT (Pantomine – Music – Dance – Theatre) at the Akademie der Künste. From 1975 to 1996, PMTT was a showcase for experiments – and the first platform for international contemporary dance in West Berlin. 

The feeling of imperfection is a constant companion of dance criticism. The “question of how possible it is to describe movement and dance” is also something that is relevant to Tanz im August.