25 Years of the TanzArt Ostwest Festival
The Anniversary
On June 5, 2026, the 25th TanzArt ostwest Festival will be officially opened at Halberstadt Cathedral as part of the Cathedral Festival. This is reason enough to look back on a quarter-century marked by a pioneering spirit, artistic excellence, and European collaboration.
The Success Story
In 2001, Tarek Assam, then ballet director at the Nordharzer Städtebundtheater (now Harztheater gGmbH), together with seven other ballet directors and Dr. Mechtild Hobl-Friedrich in her capacity as director of the Theater in Herford, took the plunge into an adventure with an uncertain outcome. They founded a festival that was unique and innovative in its kind.
When Assam moved to the Stadttheater Gießen as ballet director in 2002, he continued to lead the festival. Gradually, a unique collaborative network emerged involving numerous participants. In 2022, Assam accepted an invitation to return to the Harz region, thereby bringing the festival back to its place of origin.
Today, TanzArt ostwest looks back on 25 successful years—with nearly 200 partners in Italy, Spain, Poland, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Japan, and China. In addition, numerous German companies and theaters with dance ensembles—both those with permanent structures and independent groups—are members of the network, which offers them a rich and multifaceted platform for presentation.
The Concept
TanzArt ostwest is based on a virtual ring model: Each participating company takes part in the events organized by the other theaters and hosts at least one event itself. It is the first international project dedicated exclusively to contemporary dance and based on mutual exchange between Eastern and Western European ensembles. Since its founding, the network has continuously expanded and offers more and more ensembles and solo artists from independent structures a professional stage for their work.
2026 Program
To mark its 25th anniversary, the audience can look forward to a special program. Detailed information is available at: www.tanzart-ostwest.de
The TanzArt ostwest Festival is supported by LOTTO Saxony-Anhalt.
