2 year programme

Karolin Stächele trained at TIP – the Freiburg Center for Dance, Improvisation, and Performance. Since 2012, she has been working as a freelance choreographer, dancer, performer, and dance instructor. As a choreographer and artistic director, Karolin has been creating full-length pieces for various spaces and stages under the label DAGADA dance since 2014. Based in Freiburg, she works with a dynamic group of artists from different genres and develops a repertoire that includes both solo and group performances. In an open, participatory artistic discourse, she choreographs a vibrant dance language that always refers to the social change surrounding her. Karolin has presented her work internationally, including in Berlin, Leipzig, Basel (CH), Haarlem, The Hague (NL), Brest (FR), Barcelona (ES), and Prague (CZ). Karolin was a co-founder and active member of tanznetzIfreiburg (2018-2022). Since September 2021, she has been co-director of the training programs at bewegungs-art freiburg e.V..

Image-trailer: https://vimeo.com/709528306   

http://dagada.dance/

Irene Carreño Monsalve grew up with dance in a family of artists in Colombia. After her training at bewegungs-art freiburg, she now works as a freelance performer and choreographer. Her dance pieces inhabit surreal moving images and have been performed in Germany and internationally - often together with the dance collective Quizzical Körper. Her most recent production "transformater" premiered at the end of March 2023. Her artistic development is deeply influenced by her regular practice and performance of Instant Composition. In recent years, she has specialized in accompanying and choreographically supporting students and professional dancers in the creation of their pieces. Her teaching work focuses on the anatomy of the human body as well as the refinement of sensory perception and its stimulation. In addition, her classes are influenced by floor technique, body mind centering and dance improvisation. She co-curates the format tanzwuchs in Freiburg and the onCe Festival. Since September 2021 she is the co-director of the VOCATIONAL TRAINING and CONTINUING EDUCATION bewegungs-art freiburg.

www.irenemovement.com

Oliver Lange is a dance & theater creator, teacher of dance, educator of movement analysis according to Cary Rick and theater pedagogue (BuT®). He originally studied psychology, however after attending a dance improvisation course he has since dedicated himself to the performing arts. He studied New Dance, Performance and Improvisation in Konstanz and Freiburg. For a long time he was a member of the instant composition ensemble "Arte Schoki" and is co-founder of k²-koreografenkollektiv freiburg. After bringing several dance pieces to the stage, he expanded his repertoire to include acting and creating theater pieces. All that he has learned about the art of the stage, he passes on as a teacher.

He is a part of the direction team of the vocational training and continued education at bewegungs-art and co-director of the training course Theaterpädagogik of the TPZ Baden-Württemberg in Freiburg. He is on the board of directors for bewegungs-art freiburg e.V. and SpielRaum Freiburg e.V..

Significant contributor to new dance developments as well as establishment of improvisation as a stage form.
Co-founder of bewegungs-art Freiburg (1979), from 2006 – July 2021 co-director of TIP – Full-time education in dance, improvisation and performance.

Since 1981 she danced and created solo and ensemble pieces, 1987 – 91 member of Anzu Furukawa`s Company Dance Butter Tokyo; she has been performing with dancers and musicians in international ensembles since the mid-nineties; she constantly works in duets with Harald Kimmig and in quintet with trio Kimmig-Studer-Zimmerlin & Michael Schumacher / Michael Shapira.

In 2021 she was working on „what if“ – part of a solo research «silence & noise» supported by DIS-TANZ-SOLO – premiere sounDance-festival Berlin June 21.
In her teaching she draws from decades of research in dance, improvisation and performance. Her interest is exclusively in artistic processes. The focus of her work is equally on the body, breath, intensity and devotion as well as the breaking of movement and thought patterns. Dance technique, dance expression, creativity and design unite.

After receiving her BA in Anthropology (Smith College, USA), she returned to dance in 2013.
She studied and worked in New York, Spain and Germany, and graduated from bewegungs-art - centre for Dance, Improvisation and Performance (2017 Freiburg). She is co-founder of Quizzical Körper – a dance theater collective focused on improvisation, performing in Germany and abroad.
Her choreographic work (new website – www.rebecca-mary.com) is characterized by her interest in the expressive potential of the body in relation to space and sound, as well as how to create a sensory resonance with the audience.

In her classes, she imparts a deep, anatomical understanding combined with precise movement patterns. She blends the boundaries between technique and improvisation/exploration to open a space where dancers experience different movement principles to learn to move with grace, ease, and expressivity.

Zina Vaessen is a freelance choreographer, dancer and lecturer for contemporary dance and improvisation, living and working between Basel and Freiburg. In 2013 she completed her training as a professional dancer at the TIP in Freiburg. From 2013-2018 she was a permanent member of the company OFFSPACE in Kassel. Since 2018 she has been developing her own choreographic works in different ensembles. Her artistic practice is strongly influenced by practices from visual art and experimental film but also by contemporary philosophy, astonishment, the enjoyment of the unknown and not-knowing. A member of bewegungs-art since 2016, she was actively involved in building structures from which the current Tanznetz emerged. With projects such as the Triangle Meeting, she is committed to increasing networking among dance professionals in the tri-border region. She feels at home in wordless and empty spaces, with other bodies and with ants - and crickets.

zinavaessen.net/

Dagny Borsdorf

works as a freelance dance artist in Germany and abroad, is co-founder of Tanznetz Freiburg, and has been on the board of bewegungs-art freiburg e.V. since 2016.

Dance offers unique opportunities to develop potential, discover the undiscovered, and immerse oneself completely in the present moment. In my dance, I feel particularly connected to the poetry of the moment, believe in the impact of art on society, and in the synergies that arise from the interaction between artists.

Since 2022, she has been devoting herself again to dance improvisation as an instant composition, researching with ‘The Accomplices’/ FINDINGS VOL 1-13 under the direction of Lilo Stahl and performing instant compositions in various contexts, such as the international onCe Festival Freiburg (2023 & 2025).
As a choreographer, she has presented UPCYCLING (2021), KIN (2018), and LOOPING (2016) and accompanies dance and theater productions as a choreographer and choreographic assistant. As a performer, she has danced with Cie LaPerformance (2019), previously as a guest at Theater Freiburg (2016) and Theater Marienbad (2012-2016). She was a member of the Companie UrbanReflects ensemble (2010-2015) and toured with the action theater PAN. OTPIKUM (2009-2016) and COMPANY BLUE (2007). She received her training at the Zentrum für Neuen Tanz bewegungs-art freiburg e.V. (2005-2007), among others.

www.dagnyborsdorf.com

After a three-year training program at the Freiburg Academy of Dance, Jonas Onny studied contemporary and modern dance for another four years at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, where he deepened his knowledge of various dance techniques and further developed his own style. He has worked for years in the independent scene as well as at various theatres and has been seen in pieces by numerous renowned choreographers.

Jonas works with modern and contemporary dance techniques with influences from West African dance: rhythm and dynamics, from the floor to standing and back to the floor are cornerstones and core content of the lessons.

My interest in dance started from a very young age studying different forms of dance such as ballet, modern-jazz, hip hop and Afro dance. My education then continues with ballet and contemporary dance studying at BTT(Turin) and Dancehouse (Milan).

In 2013 I took part in the two-year professional course Agora Coating Project(Reggio Emilia) performing works by various choreographers on the European scene and enriching my artistic “baggage” with other techniques such as floor work, acrobatics and contact. Since 2015 I have been working as a freelance dancer and teaching contemporary dance for various levels.

I would define my language as very multifaceted, a contaminated mix of styles from different backgrounds.

After her training at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen under the direction of Pina Bausch (1984-1988), she joined the Mark Morris Dance Group in her hometown Brussels, and followed them back to New York in 1991. She assisted Mark at the Opéra de Paris and the San Fransisco Ballet.
Back in Europe, under the direction of Joachim Schlömer, she first joined the Tanztheater Weimar in 1994 and then the Tanztheater Basel till 2000.
Since 2000 she participated and taught movement in projects all over Europe, predominantly with non-professionals of all ages.
In Freiburg since 2008, pedagogical and choreographic projects followed at the Theater Freiburg and other institutions in the city.
Since 2016 she performs with the Compagnie LaPerformance, under the artistic direction of Julie Jaffrennou.
A certified Feldenkrais® teacher since almost 20 years, she teaches this somatic work intensively these days. 

What drives her is to stimulate a process of awakening consciousness in people through embodiment and self-awareness, and thus enabling social change.

Renate Wehner came to bewegungs-art and New Dance from Munich to Freiburg in 1989 through her passion for contact improvisation. She taught for many years in the 2-year-programme of bewegungs-art (dance technique, contact improvisation, anatomy and AT) and, together with Bernd Ka and Eckhard Müller, led the “Contact Intensive” training. At the beginning of the 90s, she founded the dance and music ensemble TRIO IDA together with Angelika Ächter and Christine Engel and danced with Lilo Stahl in “Flowers Showered” and “Himmel und Erde” until she concentrated entirely on teaching and training at the end of the 90s. Together with Olivia Rohr, she founded the ZAYT, Center for Alexander Technique, Yoga, Dance and Counseling in 1999, where she offers individual lessons in Alexander Technique and counseling sessions as well as training and further education in Alexander Technique and person-centered counseling (PCC).  What she loves so much about her work is experiencing how finely constructive mental processes can release and delight the body.

Mileen is a dancer & performer, poet and dance teacher. Some years after her master in social work & pedagogics (University of Ghent), she graduated in 2011 at TIP, school of dance, improvisation and performance in Freiburg (DE), which nourished and deepened her love for instant composition, contact improvisation and the many layered world of our moving and poetic body.

Along the way Mileen as well fell in love with teaching. She completed a degree in art education and has been deepening her practice for many years teaching and performing nationally and internationally. Since 2012 Mileen coordinates and teaches the dance classes at WISPER, a leading organization for art education for adults in Belgium. Since 2013, she regularly initiates and teaches CI classes and jams in Ghent (BE), which has developed into a beautiful young and growing community. Since 2013 she is part of the Belgium based artistic collaboration POST.TRAUM.Collective.

In her teaching Mileen is passionate about supporting a space, a container where people can grow in their (body) awareness. She values a profound as well as playful approach to empower people to unleash their movement potential, and their multi-layered physical and artistic expression.

After his dance training in France, Jonathan has been teaching and performing throughout Europe since 2011. He works within the framework of PLAY, led by French American choreographer Michèle Murray, and since 2017 with Sita Ostheimer as a performer and rehearsal director.
The main focus of his week as a guest at the school is to give the performers the opportunity to express their own selves in a very complex and precise frame, where movement, musicality and group awareness merge together.

Originally from South Tyrol, Italy, Marion received her professional dance training at Varium at Barcelona (Spain) and Iwanson International Munich (Germany) where she graduated with the scholarship „Student of the year“. For the past fifteen years Marion has been teaching and choreographing internationally in companies, dance-centers and festivals all over the world. Many of Marion´s choreographies are a playful connection of highly physical dance, dance-theatre and videowork by Projeto Solo. Her work has been performed at several international theatres and festivals in Europe, South- and North America as well as in Asia.

The mexican artist received his education in dance at the academy SEAD Salzburg, Austria (2016), studying at the post-graduate program BODHI Project and at the EPDM in Mazatlán, Mexico (2012) where he received his Bachelor in Contemporary dance. Since 2017 Alan is based in Berlin and is researching in improvisation and theatre showing a strong connection with physical dance and movement. Alan is choreographing, performing and teaching internationally in venues, companies, schools and festivals all over the world.

The mexican artist received his education in dance at the academy SEAD Salzburg, Austria (2016), studying at the post-graduate program BODHI Project and at the EPDM in Mazatlán, Mexico (2012) where he received his Bachelor in Contemporary dance. Since 2017 Alan is based in Berlin and is researching in improvisation and theatre showing a strong connection with physical dance and movement. Alan is choreographing, performing and teaching internationally in venues, companies, schools and festivals all over the world.

Shared Levitation is a platform for performance and training in Contemporary Dance and Partnering. It is founded by Marion Sparber and Alan Fuentes Guerra. Shared Levitation Partnering is based on the principles of action – reaction and wants to liberate us from aesthetics of dance and instead enhance playfulness and functionality: an easy way to get excited again and again and to draw out the inner child. 

Partnering is a danced relationship based on communication. Especially from the difficult situations we learn to act as a team, to adapt and to communicate our own needs better and understand the universe of the other. A true enrichment – not only as a form of dance, but also as a social experience.  

Jānis is choreographer from Riga, Latvia, currently living in Freiburg. In his artistic work he focuses on partnering (incl. CI) and contemporary dance style, which could be describe as power or muscle work in combination of release techniques, and floor techniques to achieve functional meaningful physicality of expression. As well as stage and dance improvisation techniques.

Kirill Berezovski was born in Odessa (UKR) and received his formal training in stage dance and choreography in Mannheim. This was followed by further training with Hofesh Shechter Company and Johannes Wieland, among others, as well as a six-month residency with Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company in Israel. As a dancer he has worked internationally with Yasmeen Godder Company, SHIBUI Kollektiv, Edan Gorlicki, Ashley Wright, Carla Jordao, MIRA Dance Company and Max Levy, among others. Thus, in recent years he has been able to expand his international network as a dancer, teacher as well as a choreographer (including My Hungry Heart for Fullstop Dance Company San Francisco or Of Dreams to Come for several Festivals in Germany.

Dagmar studied Dance at University for Music and Performing Arts Mannheim and Palucca University of Dance Dresden where she  graduated in 2010.
She has worked with Emily Molnar, Yuval Pick, Amanda K. Miller, Yeona Yu, Cindy Hammer, Rebecca Mary Narum and Laura Heinecke, among others.
Since 2021 Dagmar creates together with the musician and performer Christian Herrmann interdisciplinary performances and workshop formats that combine dance, loopstation, drums, beatbox and body percussion.

In her Contemporary Ballet classes Dagmar applies her big interest for music in order to create awareness for the body in space with different dynamics. Her training leads towards finding availability, precision, the flow within a structure, strengthening the muscles while letting go of unnecessary tension.

Fenia Chatzakou (1991, Greece) holds a BA (Hons) in Dance Education (University of Bath) and a BA in Pedagogical Studies (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki). Fenia started her training with rhythmic gymnastics before transferring to dance under the instructions of Nadia Koutziampasi and Ioannis Margaronis (Diagonal Dance School, Thessaloniki). In 2018-2019, she was part of the Bodhi Project Company collaborating with choreographers Guy Nader/Maria Campos, Francesco Scavetta, Jose Agudo and Lisi Estaras. As a freelance dancer, she worked with Georgia Tegou and Michalis Theofanous, (7th New Choreographers Festival, Onassis Cultural Centre/Athens, Helllenic Centre/London). From August 2020, Fenia was part of Braunschweig Staatstheater company, co-creating pieces with guests choreographers such as Ryan Mason, Annamari Keskinen, Henrieta Horn, Rainer Behr, Danae Dimitriadi and Dionysis Alamanos, Stijn Cellis, Guy Nader & Maria Campos. During the 2021-2022 season, Fenia was awarded as the ‘Young Artist of the year’ by the Staatstheatre Braunschweig. Currently she is a freelancer dancer based in Germany, undertaking projects in Germany and rest of Europe.She has an ongoing collaboration with Csenger K.Szabo, with whom they co-created the duet "Still Love” and have been sharing their workshop material ‘Physical Alertness’ in various venues and educational contexts. During 2024, together with the urban sociologist Danai Toursoglou, they founded ‘Urban Pulse Collective, working at the verge of research and action and seeking to support common processes in multi- cultural environments.

Maya Matilda Carroll is a choreographer, dancer and mentor, based in Europe since 2004. For over 18 years she has been creating independent work; from solo to extended group pieces, which she presents all over Europe and worldwide. In 2011 Maya formed The Instrument with her partner, composer / musician Roy Carroll. Collaboratively they create work that is unflinchingly sensual, characterised by an almost molecular tactility encountering fantastic viscerality. In her work Maya expresses human conditions intimately and universally; seeking a deeper connection to the (mystery / reality of) self, other/s and to nature. Working independently as well as being commissioned to create pieces for state theaters, independent ensembles and dance academies, Maya leads master classes and workshops in Europe and abroad, extensively developing her teaching alongside her artistic work; drawn from and towards the limitless expression of the dancing body. theinstrument.org

Sten Rudstrøm, Improviser/performer/choreographer, Berlin. He founded Action Theater™ Berlin; two improvisation ensembles: Streugut; and EAT (International Action Theater Ensemble). Recent performances: Next Step Is /Berlin (2025); ONCE! Festival/Freiburg (2023); 48Hours Neukölln (2020). He is the artistic director of the NOW! Festival of Improvisation/Berlin; holds an MFA Creative Writing/Poetics; MFA Live Art/ Performance; Jury Award Winner 2022 Solo/Duo Festival, Barnes Crossing /Köln; and supported by Fonds Darstellende Künste, and Dis-Tanzen Solo.

Marko Hefele is a musician/performer who works in the artistic, social, and educational fields. Fundamental to his work is his interest in inner development processes in connection with artistic expression. Improvisation plays a central role in this as a constant opportunity to connect with what is happening in the moment, to deal with the seductive terror of empty space, and to remain open. Entering this field of play and research together with a group, using body and instrument, is always an adventure and a joy for him. He lives with his family in Berlin.

Olivia Grassot (Belgium) is a freelance movement artist: performance and visual art, choreographing motion of a body in space. She graduated from the Rambert School of ballet and Contemporary dance in 2019. Since then she has freelanced as a dancer, movement director, creative assistant and teacher in Europe, UK and Asia. Olivia performed works from Karolin Stächele, Brandon Lagaert, Lea Ved, Lorena Nogal, Roberta Ferrara, Minsu Kim, Elena Puchol Sola, Lin Wen- Chung, Cheng Yi-wen, Magnus Westwell, Oscar Schlemmer, Jason Mabana- Around the UK, Europe and Asia. She has worked with different companies such as Equilibrio Dinamico, Royal Opera House, B21 Company, Matsena Productions, Kennedy Muntanga Dance Theatre, Lucas Crew and Dagada dance company. Alongside performing, Olivia creates her own work, teaches and choreographs. her work ‘Hiddentity' was awarded with the First prize of the Jury -Performance and the special Peeping Tom award. She co-choreographed for AOmaon collective. They became an associate artistic collective of the Gallery Messums Wilthsire in 2022. Olivia worked beyond stage performances: Films, events, gallery work,...

https://www.oliviagrassot.com/bio-1

Smadar Goshen is a dance maker, a performer and a trainer. She completed her Bachelors degree in dance and her Masters degree in choreography at the Jerusalem Academy for Music and Dance (JAMD). Born in Israel, she had shifted her professional base to Stuttgart since 2019. Smadar is a certified Gaga teacher as well as GYROTONIC & GYROKINESIS® Trainer and Pre-Trainer. Her extensive knowledge about the moving body is an important part of her work with both, professional and non-professional movers. In the current yearbook of the magazine Tanz, she was honored as one of the 10 most promising pioneer dance makers in Germany. 

https://smadargoshen.com 

Brandon Lagaert (1992, Ghent, BE) joined Peeping Tom in 2013 for the creation of Vader, and has also created Moeder, Kind, Dido & Aeneas and La Visita. It is at this company that he has crafted his signature style as a multidisciplinary performer in which he combines elements from different disciplines, such as urban and contemporary dance, theatre, and film. 
As the director of his dance-theatre company KAIHO, Brandon has directed and created various productions for professional companies as well as conservatories such as the award-winning performance Doggy Rugburn for Lithuanian dance company Aura, Welcome To My Funeral for Italian dance company Equilibro Dinamico, Next Stop with the students of the Amsterdam University of the Arts and Oni Wa Soto with the students of Civica Scuola di Teatro Paolo Grassi in Milan. Brandon is also a recurring teacher at the PERA School of Arts in Cyprus, where in 2024 he made the award-winning short film The Currency Of Time in collaboration with the students. He is often invited as a teacher of choreography, dramaturgy and movement classes at institutions such as P.A.R.T.S., The Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp, Institute of the Arts Barcelona, Fontys Academy of the Arts in Tilburg, École du Nord in Lille, Performact in Portugal, Architanz in Tokyo, and many others.
With KAIHO, he is currently focused on touring the newly created duet Facing Familiar Faces and fostering long-term artistic relationships with the Portuguese circus artist Rui Paixão whom he collaborated with in 2023 for the site-specific production Abandoned Minds and Korean dancer Seungkwan Yang who he collaborated with on the solo Mille Moules in 2024. 

Sara Angelucci is a dance movement artist based in Brussels, working as a performer, assistant, and choreographer for different projects between contemporary dance, multidisciplinary, and physical theater.
Since 2020, Sara has been part of KAIHO Company, directed by Brandon Lagaert, as an artistic assistant for creations with companies and schools such as Equilibrio Dinamico, Amsterdam University of the Arts, Paolo Grassi, Fontys, and PERA. She has been collaborating as a performer for the solo Mondo Fuso and the duet Facing Familiar Faces, premiering at Charleroi Danse La Raffinerie in September 2025.
In the next season, Sara will collaborate as a choreographer for the production Mahla Khyelek - Beautiful Shadows, directed by Ahmed Ayed. In 2020/2022, Sara is part of Snorkel Rabbit Company, directed by Bryan Arias and Alba Castillo, on stage for three different productions. In 2021, she collaborates with Antonin Comestaz, starring in the solo Zèbre for the evening Here We Live and Now, produced by Korzo and NDT. Sara took part in the two-year creation for DDOS, a multidisciplinary project involving dance, music, and Sistema directed by Nsdos and produced by CCNRB Faire, performed at Theatre de la Cité Internationale in 2024.