What is the internationale tanzmesse nrw? 
The internationale tanzmesse nrw is a biennial marketplace and festival platform for communicating and networking in the field of contemporary dance. At the Tanzmesse international dance companies and artists present their work live on stage and choreographers, dancers, agencies, presenters and cultural institutions worldwide network and co-operate in a lively marketplace. The internationale tanzmesse nrw also hosts numerous international gatherings and meetings. The Tanzmesse is a project of the nrw landesbuero tanz, based in Cologne, Germany.

History of the Tanzmesse
The Tanzmesse was initiated in 1994 as the “Tanzmesse NRW” in Essen, Germany. The founders of the Tanzmesse NRW were the Gesellschaft für Zeitgenössischen Tanz NRW e.V., Stadt Essen, the Kultusministerium NRW and the Stiftung Kunst und Kultur NRW.

The original goal of the Tanzmesse was to create a platform for dance companies from North-Rhine Westphalia that would introduce and present choreographic work from the region to a larger regional audience as well as to the professional dance world. The Tanzmesse sought to create a presentational duality of performance and discussion. The companies could perform their work as well as talk about their projects in a marketplace environment. In 1997 the second Tanzmesse in Essen expanded the marketplace to include international companies and organizations to become a “World Market of Dance Regions”.

In 2002 the internationale tanzmesse nrw relocated to the City of Dusseldorf, the capital of North-Rhine Westphalia, to take advantage of additional stages and the excellent facilities at the NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft.  The last Tanzmesse edition in 2010 took place from 25th to 28th August. That year a new record was set by the internationale tanzmesse nrw. International organizations numbered 256 were present at 102 exhibition booths. The majority of exhibitors at the Tanzmesse 2010 came from outside of Germany.To meet the increasing demand for more exhibition space a third exhibition hall was openend on the first floor of the NRW-Forum Kultur und Wirtschaft. More than 1.000 dance professionals from 42 different countries participated in the event. On the four Tanzmesse days 60 dance companies from 23 countries performed in the theaters of Düsseldorf and Krefeld, presented Site-Specific Performances in and around the Düsseldorf Ehrenhof and introduced their work in an Open Studio session in the tanzhaus nrw.

Today the internationale tanzmesse nrw is an international hub for dance professionals from around the world and for the dance audiences of the region. The Tanzmesse is a festival, marketplace, discussion platform, and network.

 

The next internationale tanzmesse nrw will take place in Düsseldorf from 29th August 2010 till September 1. 2012!