SCHOOL
SCHOOL
ABOUT US
CENTER FOR DANCE AND CREATIVITY IN BIELEFELD
DansArt TANZNETWORKS has been the epicenter of dance and creativity in Bielefeld since 1995. With its growing success and public recognition, the Agbetou team has expanded its scope to encompass a broad range of dance-related activities.
DansArt TANZNETWORKS presents captivating and impressive performances across its various departments, including
DansArt SCHOOL, ACADEMY, COMPANY, THEATER, FESTIVALS und ON TOUR.
This encompasses dance training for both amateurs and professionals, productions by its own and guest companies, major festivals, and presentations in its own theater.
INSPIRATION AND EDUCATION
DansArt aspires to be a "University of Dance", offering international-level education, training, seminars, and further education. Its educational concept is created to facilitate the crossover between different disciplines. Visual arts, architecture, literature, music, video, film, and dance converge at DansArt, making it a vibrant and innovative platform.
IN RETROSPECT
In 1995, Ulla Agbetou and Tchekpo Dan Agbetou, two dancers, choreographers and instructors, founded DansArt TANZNETWORKS as a professional training and production center for contemporary dance with its own theater, open-air stages, artist residencies and a diverse global festival program in Bielefeld. Due to the positive response and demand, the Cultural Office of the City of Bielefeld has entrusted them with the artistic direction of the TANZFESTIVAL BIELEFELD since 2002.
In 2006, Ulla and Tchekpo Dan Agbetou established the BIENNALE PASSAGES and in 2009 the BIENNALE ARTISTS IN FUSION, festivals that bring together artists from diverse nations and disciplines. In 2017, Dhélé Agbetou launched the URBAN STYLEZ FESTIVAL under his artistic direction. This festival combines urban traditions with modern contemporary dance art and appeals to a new, young audience.
MANAGEMENT TEAM
ULLA AGBETOU
Ulla Agbetou has had a remarkable career as a dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor. She was trained at prestigious institutions such as the Ballettakademie Berlin, the Dance Academy Amsterdam, the École de Danse, and the Centre de Danse du Marais in Paris. To complement her skills and her knowledge of the biophysical functioning of the body, she also pursued training as an office administrator and physiotherapist. Based on her extensive experience as a stage dancer, dance teacher, and physiotherapist, Ulla Agbetou has developed an innovative methodology and pedagogy for early dance education, as well as specific dance training programs for children and adolescents. These approaches aim to take into account the individual physical, cognitive, and creative needs of young students, providing sensitive support to help them thrive.
Tchekpo Dan Agbetou is an internationally renowned figure in the world of stage dance, with a dual reputation as a choreographer and dance instructor. His extensive training includes African dance in Benin, West Africa, as well as modern and jazz dance from the prestigious Alvin Ailey Dance Theater School and Steps on Broadway in New York. Agbetou founded and directed the Nebulyse Dance School in Angers, France, from 1989 to 1993 and established the Tchekpo Dance Company in 1991. He co-founded DansArt TANZNETWORKS with his partner, Ulla Agbetou, a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, in 1995. Tchekpo Dan Agbetou's unique dance style is characterized by a harmonious fusion of contemporary Western ballet with archaic African dance forms. With engagements and performances spanning Europe, the United States, Asia, and Africa, Agbetou is an internationally sought-after adjudicator and teacher. In recognition of his dedicated and extensive contributions to the world of dance, he was appointed to the Ethics Commission of the German Dance Association (DTD) in 2021.
More at: https://tchekpodancecompany.com
TCHEKPO DAN AGBETOU
Ulla Agbetou and Tchekpo Dan Agbetou jointly manage DansArt TANZNETWORKS, with a team of dedicated professionals from diverse artistic disciplines providing support.
QUALITY
DansArt TANZNETWORKS sets artistic benchmarks across Germany, collaborating with esteemed institutions and regularly working with guest artists from the international dance, art, and music scenes.
At the state-certified DansArt ACADEMY, internationally qualified instructors and guest lecturers teach stage dance, choreography, and dance pedagogy. The affiliated DansArt SCHOOL offers a diverse range of open dance courses for children, teenagers, and adults at various skill levels.
In collaboration with stage dancer, choreographer, and dance pedagogue Dhélé Tchekpo Agbetou, DansArt TANZNETWORKS focuses on kids, teens, and young adults through internationally promoted urban dance battles, workshops, and dance camps lasting several days, as well as an extended weekly dance course program. With DansArt TANZNETWORKS support, Dhélé Tchekpo Agbetou founded the Wake Up OwL movement and subsequently the unique URBAN STILEZ FESTIVAL.
The artistic work of DansArt TANZNETWORKS is characterized by a trans-cultural and interdisciplinary approach. In close collaboration with visual artist, author, stage director, and dramaturge Elisabeth Masé, DansArt TANZNETWORKS has conceived and realized several dance theater pieces and extensive artistic programs and projects of innovative quality. Their interdisciplinary productions have enjoyed great success at numerous festivals, renowned theaters, museums, and galleries in Europe, the USA, and Africa.
CO-ORGANIZATION
