After engagements at the Texas Ballet Theater and the ballet of the Hannover State Opera, Michael Foster’s repertoire includes many leading roles in ballets by Jörg Mannes (including ‘Madame Bovary’, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ and ‘Ein Stück Zeit’) as well as works choreographed by Ben Stevenson, Mauro Bigonzetti (‘La Piaf’) and Hans van Manen (‘Five Tangos’). Having trained at the Tulsa School of Ballet, the Tulsa Ballet Center for Dance Education and Houston Ballet II under Claudio Muños, the American dancer has also been active as a choreographer. For ‘New Steps’, the evening for young choreographers at Hannover State Opera ballet company, he contributed the pas de deux ‘Engel’ in 2010, ‘This May Be Our Last Time …’ in 2011 and ‘Storm Birth’ in 2012. He then moved to join Martin Schläpfer’s Ballett am Rhein company at the beginning of the 2013/14 season, where he was able to supplement his repertoire with works choreographed by Martin Schläpfer, Nils Christe, Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins and Marco Goecke, and many others. He made his debut as a choreographer with the Ballett am Rhein in 2016 with ‘Rapture’ as part of the choreography platform “Young Moves”. This was followed by ‘East Coasting’ (2017) and ‘Opus 29’ (2019). In the summer of 2021, he completed his Master’s degree in Dance Pedadogy specialising in professional training in classical ballet at the Palucca University of Dance, Dresden and at the start of the 2021/22 season he assumed the leadership of the Ballett am Rhein’s newly created dance education programme ‘Tanz mit!’ He was most recently seen on stage here as the Fire Captain in Andrey Kaydanovskiy’s ‘Die kahle Sängerin’, as the Grandfather in Demis Volpi’s ‘The Nutcracker’ and the Office Worker in ‘Geschlossene Spiele’. He also worked on ‘The Nutcracker’ as a choreographer. https://www.operamrhein.de/en/people/michael-foster/ https://www.theater-duisburg.de/jung/tanz-mit/ Reading tips and other food for thought: Constructivism Learning Theory & Philosophy Of Education: https://www.simplypsychology.org/constructivism.html Photo by Sigrid Reinichs

Jo Parkes is a dance artist, facilitator and educator (D/UK). For over two decades, she has worked internationally with co-creative, participatory dance and creates installations, encounters, performances and videos. She is the founder and artistic director of Mobile Dance e.V. Mobile Dance offers art projects at the intersection of artistic and socio-political concerns. Mobile Dance has created projects in which hundreds of artists in Germany and the UK have been employed in participatory dance. In 1995, Jo received a Fulbright Scholarship to pursue her Master's degree in Choreography at the University of California (UCLA). She earned a degree (First Class) in English Literature and Modern Languages at the University of Oxford. In 2019, she won the Honorary Award in the German Dance Prize. Her most recent work, The Walking Projekt, received the IKARUS prize (DE) in 2021. From 2019 - 2021, Jo was on the board of Aktion Tanz: Dance in Education and Society the membership body for community and participatory dance in Germany, where she is now associated artist.  From 2020 - 2022, she was visiting professor at Inter-University Centre for Dance (HZT) in Berlin (UdK/Ernst Busch). In September 2022, Jo began as Course Leader for the new MA Dance: Participation, Communities, Activism at London Contemporary Dance School, which she co-wrote with the team at LCDS and which begins in September 2023. Jo understands artistic co-creative processes with communities as research into how we live together: a laboratory in which diverse groups of people can investigate issues relevant to them. She is passionate about the potential of collective dance-making to help us imagine alternative ways of being together and creating opportunities for dance artists to expand and challenge their practice in exchange with communities. www.joparkes.com www.mobile-dance.com https://theplace.org.uk/lcds-courses/madancepca Reading tips from Jo:  François Matarasso https://arestlessart.com/home-2/francois-matarasso/ https://www.transcript-verlag.de/author/matarasso-francois-320022310/ Prhoto by Eva Raduenzel- Kitamura

Ingo Diehl is head of the Master for Contemporary Dance Education (MA CoDE), Vice President of the University for Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt (HfMDK) and President of the Hessian Theatre Academy. He studied dance in Hanover and New York, dance education in Cologne and worked as a dancer, choreographer and rehearsal director. From 2005 - 2011 Ingo Diehl was responsible for the issues and the overall conception of the educational programme of Tanzplan Deutschland, an initiative of the German Federal Cultural Foundation. There he developed the 1st Biennale Tanzausbildung/Tanzplan Deutschland and led the research project Tanztechniken 2010/Tanzplan Deutschland. In 2011 he founded together with Madeline Ritter the non-profit entrepreneurial company DIEHL+RITTER and developed the Tanzfonds also a project of the German Federal Cultural Foundation, addressing cultural heritage and - cultural education. In 2019, he curated the international student campus for the festival of the Akademie der Künste Berlin under the title "What the Body Remembers". He is a founding member of the Bundesverband Tanz in Schulen (Federal Association of Dance in Schools), initiator of the Ausbildungskonferenz Tanz (Dance Education Conference), expert for accreditations of study programs and collaborating partner of the Motion Bank Project. His activities on the boards of trustees of the Tanztreffen der Jugend and Take Off Junger Tanz at the Tanzhaus NRW, as well as his advisory work for the German Dance Congress - serves to place a vivid exchange around dance education. Photo@ Rebecca Hahn

Margrit Bischof ist Tanzforschende und Tanzdozentin. Sie setzt sich ein für eine vielseitige Vernetzung von Forschung, Bildung und Kunst im Tanz. Die Bildung des Menschen, insbesondere die pädagogische Arbeit, zieht sich wie ein roter Faden durch ihr Leben. In Bern aufgewachsen und ausgebildet als Volksschullehrerin und Sportlehrerin vertiefte sie sich an der Sporthochschule Köln in den elementaren Tanz bei Maya Lex und Graziella Padilla. Die Lehrweise des elementaren Tanzes faszinierte sie und bald gab sie ihre Kenntnisse den Studierenden der Pädagogischen Hochschule Bielefeld, später Universität Bielefeld im Rahmen der Sportlehrer*innenausbildung weiter. Neugierig für die verschiedensten Vermittlungsformen des Tanzes besuchte sie unzählige Workshops und Weiterbildungen sowohl im Modern, Jazz, Tanztheater, Höfischen Tanz, später urbanen Tanz, Flamenco, Zeitgenössisch und vieles mehr. 1982 kehrte sie in die Schweiz zurück. Als Dozentin an der Universität Bern war sie zuständig für Lehre und Forschung im Bereich des Tanzes innerhalb der Sportwissenschaft. Sie initiierte vielfältige nationale und internationale Tagungen zu Themen des Tanzes im Bildungsbereich und engagierte sich über Jahre in der Weiterbildung für ‚Tanz in der Schule‘. Als aktives Mitglied der Gesellschaft für Tanzforschung gtf setzte sie sich bei Symposien mit aktuellen Strömungen, Konzepten und Diskursen des Tanzes sowohl theoretisch wie auch praktisch auseinander und lernte deren Expert*innen und Forschungsfelder kennen. Aus diesen Begegnungen heraus entstand der Wunsch, dieses vielseitige Wissen im Tanz an die Universität Bern zu holen und es interessierten Menschen zur Verfügung zu stellen. Sie konzipierte den universitären Weiterbildungsstudiengang DAS/MAS TanzKultur und verantwortete ihn von 2002 – 2015. Als Studienleiterin begleitete sie Tanzende, Choreografierende, Fachleute aus dem Kulturmanagement und wissbegierige Tanzinteressierte auf ihrem Weg zu mehr Bildung und Wissen rund um den Tanz. Zurzeit ist sie Vorstandsmitglied im Dachverband Tanz Deutschland und Verbindungsperson zur Ethik-Kommission des DTD. Veröffentlichungen tätigte sie im Bereich Tanzpädagogik, Tanzforschung, Tanzbildung.

Anja Ofenstein works as a sports scientist (MSc, TU Munich) in Munich and is a freelance sports psychology expert (German Association of Sports Psychology). Having participated in national  and  international dance competitions herself since childhood, she became interested in dance medicine and dance science during her sports science studies. Since 2016, she has been working with  dance students and dancers in the context of training therapy and injury rehabilitation. In her master's thesis, she investigated the influence of stress on injuries in professional ballet dancers of  the Bavarian State Ballet Munich and subsequently began her training as a sports psychology expert with the aim of focusing on dancers. Already during her training she started coaching injured  dancers on their way back to stage and held various workshops on mental training in dance, among others in cooperation with ta.med e.V.. As a sports psychology expert  she offers workshops and lectures as well as 1:1 and group coaching in mental training for performers. In particular, she wants to support dancers in promoting their performance and mental  health, but also to raise awareness of how an empowering and supportive environment in dance can sustainably contribute to the health of dancers and dance teachers.

Gilda Rebello Multidisciplinary Artist - M. A. Dance Teacher - Highlights of her career were the Folkwang Tanzstudio and the Tanztheater Wuppertal (guest) under the direction of Pina Bausch. Until 2009 she performed as a soloist at the Theater Dortmund. As musician she also collaborated with the bands Alien Caféand Tape Five until 2014, on several albums and world tours. In 2015, she was the head of training at the Braunschweig Theatre and assistant for the choreography "Welcome To Your World"/ Jan Push(nominated for the "Der Faust 2015" in the category "Best Choreography"). She studied dance, music and acting in Rio, with further education at Folkwang University, and HfMDK Frankfurt (M.A. Dance Education). In 2021/22 she conducted two research projects on the impact of digitalisation on art and released several music albums as well as soundtracks for theatre projects under the pseudonym RebelLog. She took part in this year's festival Politik im freien Theater 2022 (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung) with a small project for young people. The versatility of her biography and career influences her creations. Detailed CV @ www.gildarebello.com Project: We are the Bots Digital Naïv VS Cyber Savvy VS Agbogbloshie im Hochfrequenzhandel* Music: Rebellog

Alban Pinet is a dancer, choreographer and dramaturge. Born in France, he studied at the Bordeaux Conservatoire, at the ballet schools of the Opéra National de Paris and the Hamburg Ballet, at the Centre Chorégraphique Christian Conte et Martine Chaumet and with Florence Compagnon.  From 2009 to 2013 he was a member of John Neumeier's Hamburg Ballet. In the 2013/14 season he became a member of Ballett am Rhein and danced in choreographies by some of the greatest contemporary choreographers including George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, Mats Ek, William Forsythe, and Kurt Jooss. In 2012, Alban realised his first choreography, which was followed by others. In 2015 he received a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the Open University - Milton Keynes.  In 2017, he decided to end his career as a dancer and joined the Ballett am Rhein team as Dramaturg and Head of Artistic Production. Under the direction of Demis Volpi as of the 2020/21 season, Alban Pinet becomes rehearsal director and Head of Artistic Production. In December 2021, he moves to Theater Bielefeld as dance company director and dramaturg.

Andreas is a dancer, choreographer, contemporary dance and improvisation teacher and dance facilitator. He has been working in the Düsseldorf and Krefeld area since 1998. He received his dance education in Amsterdam at the School for New Dance Development (SNDO). He also has a degree in biology, which always influences his work. Driven by curiosity and a joy for research and experimentation, he realises countless dance productions with professional and amateur dancers of all ages. His great experience and dedication in working with children and young people has earned him awards and recognition. In 2011 he published Tanz ist alles, alles ist Tanz, in: Aufwachsen mit Tanz, together with KESSEL, MÜLLER, KOSUBEK, BARZ. https://andreas-simon.kunstco.de/bio.html

Catharina Gadelha is a dancer and choreographer. After training as a classical dancer in Brazil, she studied elementary dance and play, music and dance/movement theatre at the Deutsche Sporthochschule in Cologne. She completed her studies in dance pedagogy at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz in Cologne. Among others, she works for the internationally renowned AGORA Theatre in Belgium and choreographs for the Kinder- und Jugendtheater Dortmund of the Dortmund State Theatre. Since 2003, Catharina has been conducting advanced training for dance and theatre professionals. Among other things, she has developed concepts for dance courses at the Rheinische Musikschule Köln and for dance and movement courses at the Deutsche Sporthochschule in Cologne. In 2012, her book Kreatives Tanzen mit Schulkinder: Ein Leitfaden für Lehrer und Tanzpädagogen was published. Since June 2021, she has been the artistic director of the AGORA Theatre, The Theatre of the German-speaking Community in Belgium, together with Ania Michaelis.

GIULIO DE LEO Ruvo di Puglia (BARI), 1973. Coreografo e curatore di progetti e programmazioni dedicati alla danza contemporanea e ai linguaggi del corpo. Il suo lavoro si distingue per il rigore e la curiosità verso le comunità, i rituali e l'indagine antropologica della società attraverso la danza. Dal 1993 al 1996 frequenta il Triennio di Studi Teatrali del Teatro Kismet OperAdi Bari diretto da Teresa Ludovico (Teatro di Rilevante Interesse Culturale) dove studia con i maestri Marco Baliani, Paolo Baroni, Cesar Brie, Pippo Delbono, Raffaella Giordano, Danio Manfredini, Giorgio Rossi, Philippe Saltì, Simone Sandroni, Mas Soegeng e Giovanni Tamborrino. Dal 1997 al 1999 frequenta l’atelier di teatro-danza della Civica Scuola d’Arte Drammatica “Paolo Grassi” di Milano e la Folkwang Hochschule di Essen (Germania). Dal 1999 al 2004 si perfeziona frequentando stabilmente i seminari di Giorgio Rossi e Raffaella Giordano dell'Associazione Sosta Palmizi. Dal 1995 al 2013 è interprete per Luciano Nattino/Casa degli Alfieri, Teresa Ludovico/Kismet, Carlo Formigoni/Kismet, B. Achiary Trio, Enzo Toma/Kismet, Giorgio Rossi/Sosta Palmizi, Raffaella Giordano/Sosta Palmizi, Monica Bianchi/Teatro delle Briciole, Maurizio Bercini/Teatro delle Briciole, Enrico Tedde e Virginia Heinen/Blicke Dance Company, Virgilio Sieni/Cango. È assistente di Virgilio Sieni in numerosi progetti: Teatro No (2006), Dialoghi sul corpo (2011), Grande Adagio Popolare, Agorà_Bari (2012), Trois Agorà Marseille (2013) e Vangelo Secondo Matteo (2014). Dal 2013 al 2016 è coordinatore del College de La Biennale di Venezia Danza diretta da Virgilio Sieni. Nel 2009 fonda Compagnia Menhir Danza, organismo per cui crea e interpreta diverse coreografie, dirige numerosi progetti e programmazioni di danza contemporanea e conduce numerosi laboratori per professionisti e amatori di ogni età e professione. Dal 2015 al 2020 coordina le attività danza del Teatro Garibaldi di Bisceglie (Prospettiva Nievskij e Libero Corpo) in collaborazione con Teatro Pubblico Pugliese e Comune di Bisceglie. Dal 2017 al 2021 è direttore artistico della sezione danza di Talos Festival, storico contest musicale realizzato dal Comune di Ruvo di Puglia e finanziato dal Programma triennale 2017-2019 di Regione Puglia e dal Programma Straordinario 2020 in materia di Cultura e Spettacolo di Regione Puglia. Nel 2019 è coordinatore e tutor del percorso EAST MEDITERRANEAN per CRISOL creative processes realizzato da Fondazione Fabbrica Europa di Firenze (in collaborazione con una rete di 14 organizzazioni italiane e internazionali di cui Menhir è partner) e promosso dal Bando Boarding Pass Plus 2° edizione del MIC. Nel 2021 fonda Le Danzatrici_archeologia del contemporaneo, progetto di ricerca, sviluppo, residenze artistiche e audience engagement finanziato dalla misura "Custodiamo la Cultura in Puglia 2020" di Regione Puglia e il festival Le Danzatrici en plein air con il supporto e la collaborazione di Comune di Ruvo di Puglia e Teatro Pubblico Pugliese. Nel 2022 LE DANZATRICI en plein air viene riconosciuto dal MINISTERO della CULTURA e supportato dal FUS 2022-24.