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Switzerland

Festivals in Zurich and Geneva

The Zürcher Theater Spektakel festival treats itself to programming that neighbors to the north can only dream of: one would certainly have loved to see Brel—featuring Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Solal Mariotte—in Hamburg or Berlin. Now, however, one has to travel to Zurich, where the piece shares the bill with smaller yet equally compelling productions such as Joshua Monten’s rage-fueled Anger Management or Clap and Slap by Agnietė Lisičkinaitė and Igor Shugaleev. Towards the end of the month, the ideal move is to head to Lake Geneva, where La Bâtie – Festival de Genève is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Featured guests include Katerina Andreou and Carte Blanche with How Romantic, as well as Marco d’Agostin’s Astéroïde. Plenty of wonderful prospects in Switzerland!

Zurich, 13–30 August; www.theaterspektakel.ch

Geneva, 28 August – 12 September; www.batie.ch

Background photo: In Zurich: Multitud by Tamara Cubas; © Carlo Contreras

Ruhr Area

Ruhrtriennale

The most eagerly awaited event is arguably the German premiere of Marina Abramović’s stage performance Balkan Erotic Epic, but the Ruhrtriennale has plenty more to offer: Serge Aimé Coulibaly and Faso Danse Théâtre present Back to Kidal; in the double bill As We Are, the grande dame of African dance, Germaine Acogny, performs her solo Josephine, and Gregory Maqoma choreographs Bantu for twelve dancers. Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Solal Mariotte’s Brel is on the program, and Christos Papadopoulos presents Opus and Landless with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. In Bochum, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui choreographs for Ivo van Hove’s Bowie tribute Rebel Rebel.

From 20 August to 20 September; www.ruhrtriennale.de

Paris

Festival d’Automne

Meteorologically speaking, autumn is a time of transition: the year is entering its second half, the leaves are dying back, and winter is just around the corner. Culturally, however, things are really heating up, as the Paris Festival d’Automne brings countless artists from the fields of theater, music, dance, visual arts, and cinema to the French capital (and its surrounding areas). This year, for example, Myriam Gourfink presents Masse at the Musée de l’Orangerie, nora chipaumire brings Gadzi – a Paris chapter to the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker choreographs the Philip Glass evening GLA55 for La Villette.

From 11 September to 19 December; www.festival-automne.com

Berlin

Tanz im August

Ricardo Carmona has one year remaining on his contract as director of Tanz im August. The curator—born in Portugal in 1978—has successfully managed to keep the country’s most important dance festival on par with the international elite while ensuring the increasingly self-confident local scene is not left out. The current edition brings together international superstars (Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, (LA)HORDE), festival favorites (Diana Niepce, Marco da Silva Ferreira), and more unconventional acts (Dana Michel, Mélissa Guex). HAU Hebbel am Ufer and other venues,

13–29 August; www.tanzimaugust.de

Italy

Festivals

In August, all of Italy celebrates Ferragosto and heads to the beach; come early autumn, however, three festivals beckon. At the northern tip of Lake Garda, Oriente Occidente presents everything from festival favorites—such as Marcos Morau’s ensemble La Veronal performing Totentanz and the premiere of Living & Leaving— to local discoveries.

Rovereto, 3–12 September; www.orienteoccidente.it

Further south, Festival Aperto takes place, featuring—among others—Fondazione Aterballeto with creations by Marcos Morau and Philippe Kratz, as well as a highly anticipated world premiere by Crystal Pite. Created in collaboration with her company Kidd Pivot and Nederlands Dans Theater, the piece is tailored for the Collezione Maramotti museum, the historic headquarters of the fashion label Max Mara.

Reggio Emilia, 10 September –15 November; www.iteatri.re.it

In the capital, the Romaeuropa festival has been an event characterized by both reliability and innovation for 41 years. This year’s lineup includes works by Benjamin Millepied, Silvia Gribaudi, Sofia Nappi, Christos Papadopoulos, Moritz Ostruschnjak, and Romeo Castellucci.

Rome, 8 September –15 November; www.romaeuropa.net

Hamburg

Internationales Sommerfestival

The international production circuit has become a collaborative affair: even before two projects make guest appearances at Berlin’s Tanz im August festival, they will be on view at Internationales Sommerfestival. This applies to Trapicana—created by Joana Tischkau, Jeremy Nedd, and Sophie Yukiko for Cuba’s Malpaso Dance Company—and to the latest lightning bolt from France, Après moi, le déluge, which the electrifying trio (LA)HORDE is unleashing in the Hanseatic city. More precisely: at the Kampnagel complex, where Jacob Jonas, Ayelen Parolin, and Eszter Salamon will also be appearing.

5–23 August; www.kampnagel.de