It seems like an eternity since we were able to enjoy the international dimension of the TANEC PRAHA Festival, but it has been only two years. This year, the artists will make the wait worthwhile and there are more than a few of these events. In the performance of GRACES, three “male graces” full of lightness, self-irony and contrasts of our reality will entertain and caress the audience to kick off the festival in Prague and three other cities. And another Italian production, Harleking, will tour the regions. But now we are getting closer to the top of the June program, which culminated in an extraordinary new work by the icon of Greek and European dance, Dimitris Papaioanna. The imagination of the originally visual artist combined with the courage to take risks and chart his own path evokes both admiration and rejection – controversy is an inextricable part of such artists. We should not expect a clear-cut response here either, but this is the risk we take in discovering the new, as offered by Transverse Orientation.

As much as it may seem that the Covid era deters participatory creation, the opposite is true. Public involvement in the creative process and their own performances attracts both Czech and foreign artists. There are many such calls to participate this year, from Hungarian artists inviting teenagers to the world of Nibiru, to Marie Gourdain and Jaro Viňarský in Icarus. Viktor Černický or Tereza Ondrová each work with the public in their own original way, as does POCKETART, flexibly responding to the demand for open-air projects in the public space. Site-specific events are becoming increasingly popular, so the last weekend of June will be dedicated to just such a project – Žižkov in Motion, this time based on deeper research into the roots of the genius loci of Prague’s Dolní Žižkov district.

Open-air adaptations of several works by local artists, as well as performances in theatres will take place in another 21 cities and towns throughout the Czech Republic. Dance offers space for the viewer’s imagination, touches the senses, evokes memories, emotions, joy and questions. And that is where beauty is to be found – let’s all enjoy it!

For more information about the festival please visit https://tanecpraha.cz/en