April 29 is the International Dance Day. At Momondo we totally support a day dedicated to dancing and we've decided to celebrate the day too. Therefore we’ve asked our city bloggers to come up with their favourite spots to go and dance or watch others do it. So put on your boogie shoes and let our bloggers guide you through the best dance spots in cities across the world.
Let's dance #3: Berlin
Bad girl Anita Berber
Modern Dance has been a part of Berlin's cultural landscape ever since its beginnings in the early 20th century. As a rebellion against the formal strictures of Classical Ballet and a companion to the Expressionism taking hold in the realms of cinema and theatre Modern Dance found enthusiastic support in a Weimar-era Berlin hungry for new sensations. Pioneers such as Mary Wigman, Valeska Gert and Berlin's legendary bad girl Anita Berber revolutionized and scandalized as they developed a new language of dance and spatial dynamics.
Copyright: German Press Agency
In modern times dance continues to fascinate Berliners - a week long performance by dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests to inaugurate the recently renovated Neues Museum sold out within minutes and local media breathlessly recounted every awkward headdress and bent knee.
While I can't say I've extensive experience or understanding of dance in all its variety, it's difficult to spend much time in Berlin without eventually being invited out to a dance performance, and so I've spent more than a few evenings marvelling at the creativity and flexibility of a troupe of attractive artistes.
If you're traveling to Berlin and hoping to take in some of the local dance talent, waltz into one of the the following theaters, you're sure to find something to put a spring back into your step.
Sophiensæle
Housed in a hundred year old factory in one of Berlin's oldest streets the Sophiensæle was founded in 1996 by dancer Sasha Waltz and houses the offices of her company Sasha Waltz & Guests as well as many other artists. The calendar at Sophiensæle is packed with dance and theater pieces as well as the occasional musical performance and is home to the annual festival Dance Days Berlin. Additionally, their central location is convenient to many restaurants and bars, which makes it perfect if you're like me and can work up a hearty appetite observing the bounding and leaping of those in tights.
Hau Eins, Zwei, Drei
In their short existence the three theatres of Hebbel-am-Ufer (The HAU) have become a Berlin sensation and central to the city's dance and theatre community. Intendant Matthias Lilienthal guided the HAU to their success by concentrating their performing energies on the "experimental" and the Kreuzberg theaters have become renowned for their innovative and provocative productions. I can still remember the first performance I attended at Hau Zwei, a Finnish choreographer's piece written for a half dozen physically disabled dancers, it opened my eyes to the possibilities of dance to transcend the limits of our bodies. Hau-ghly recommended!
Radial System V
The newest and most polished institution of the three, RADIALSYSTEM V opened a few years ago in an old water pumping station on the edge of the Spree, Berlin's central waterway. Situated between Kreuzberg's old school grunge and Friedrichshains gritty glamour the theater's program includes not only dance and theater, but cinema, music and lectures as well, and as a nod to Berlin's new demographics they've also programming for parents and children. While there's always something of interest on their calender, make sure you purchase tickets early as the heavy advertising ensures that performances sell out early - believe me, I know!
Go further:
Let's dance #1: Moving and shaking with Cairo's own
Let's dance #2: Swinging New York: Fancy a shag?
Let's dance #4: So you think you can dance(hall)
Let's Dance #5: Dancing 'til dawn on the booze cruise
Let's dance #6: London's retro dance explosion
