The TANEC PRAHA international festival of contemporary dance and movement theatre, traditionally one of the highlights of the season in the Czech Republic, will enter its 36th year in June. What will it be like? Extremely diverse and colourful. Each performance stands out significantly, whether in theme or presentation. However, they all share one common goal – to dissolve the barriers of nationality, gender, race, and age through the power of dance. 

This year's TANEC PRAHA will be opened by the renowned Lia Rodrigues on the New Stage of the National Theatre on June 2. The icon of the Brazilian dance scene will appear in Prague for the very first time. Her Encantado is full of expression, physicality and spontaneity. It is a wild jungle teeming with colour, movement and radiating vital energy. The conclusion of the festival will also be marked by a celebration of diversity. On June 26 and 27, Erica Zueneli, a distinguished choreographer of Italian origin working in Belgium, will be at the PONEC Theatre. In Landfall ten young male and female dancers will raise questions about our world and future through dynamic, rhythmic and spontaneous dance. What should we do? What do we want to be? How can we achieve absolute freedom?

Portuguese choreographer Marco da Silva Ferreira will present two of his works – the captivating CARCASS will fill the stage of the Archa+ theatre with ten energetic dancers. Meanwhile, an open-air experience will be offered by Fantasie Minor, an unusual duet built for street performers from France. 

Stories of Africa guide us through three solos, each evoking distinct emotions. On one hand, we witness the resilience and strength of the Mai Juli women from Mozambique; on the other, we experience the sensitive adaptation of a male solo by Amaly Dianor, a Senegalese artist residing in France, performed by an inspiring female dancer.

Of course, there will be no shortage of domestic artists. After conducting research on the African continent, Spitfire Company will premiere Vivat Messi in a co-production performed at the Hybernia Palace. World champion in freestyle football Daniel Pražák will meet on stage with DJ and musician badfocus and a talented dancer from Kenya to tell a story about determination, will and the desire to follow your dream directed by Petr Boháč and Miřenka Čechová.

But the co-production of the TANEC PRAHA Festival involving Czech artists in international projects does not end there. Brazilian dancers are involved in two other open-air projects: Clara da Costa is preparing Womanhood, a celebration of femininity with everything, with Yana Reutová and musician Jana Kubánková. Flávia Tápias invited Jitka Čechová to her new trio for Flea Behind the Ear. The fourth co-production of the festival is being prepared by Jaro Viňarský as part of the European Dance Well project entitled Elevated.

TANEC PRAHA 2024 traditionally also welcomes children. Ten years after the fascinating experience of the production of DESH by Akram Khan, one of the most important artists in the field of contemporary world dance, the festival will bring an adapted version for children and their parents titled Chotto Desh. Together, they are swept away by the dreamy and poignant tale of a boy who, much like all of us, seeks his place in today's chaotic world. The Norwegian performance, or rather the danceable punk-rock concert Rock Me Baby, will show that creations for children can have completely unexpected nuances. Sparkling costumes, gelled hair, playful antics, fits of laughter... While the creators have crafted a piece for children, it will captivate not only the younger audience but also their older siblings and parents alike.

For the third year, TANEC PRAHA will focus on the contemporary Ukrainian scene. It will bring new performances from the workshop of dancers hailing from EU countries, featuring talents such as Yana Reutova, who has resided in Prague for the past two years: Paradoxical Bodies and Womanhood. Other Ukrainian artists working in Poland are in talks to bring their works over here.

The festival selected three shorter performances from the Aerowaves platform. One is MOS, in which Greek choreographer and dancer Ioanna Paraskevopoulou will stage a fascinating multimedia spectacle that does not lack playfulness, precision or originality. In a scenic interaction of movement, sound and image, two dancers create a live soundtrack. Icelandic choreographer and dancer Lovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir will focus on a completely different topic – menopause. However, the production of When the Bleeding Stops is above all a dance celebration of life and the female body in all its phases. Women from the Czech Republic will also be involved in the project. Emma Martin will present a dance performance titled Birdboy, dedicated to those who feel like they don't quite fit in. It speaks to young individuals navigating the journey of self-discovery, where their uniqueness may evoke anxiety and a sense of solitude in the world.

As is tradition, the festival will venture into the regions this year. Jazmína Piktorová and Sabina Bočková will engage the audience with the acclaimed production Microworlds. Through micro-movements, body landscapes and the manipulation of small objects, this playful and poetic performance draws attention to the often-overlooked intricacies of everyday life. Václav Kuneš and Helena Arenbergerová from 420People impressed partners outside of Prague with their sensitive duet Where. Many others prefer open-air projects, i.e. Brazilian-Czech co-productions, to which Peter Šavel will join. The dance quintet TETSU – The Energy That Shapes Us will perform. The festival will again be held in more than 20 cities and towns in the Czech Republic.

Advance tickets for the TANEC PRAHA 2024 festival will go on sale beginning March 11. Until March 20, tickets for performances can be purchased with a 20% discount. 

Thank you to all partners and supporters of the festival:
Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, City of Prague, Creative Evropa
Main media partner: Czech Television