Uferstudios

Perhaps the best backdrop for contemporary dance in Berlin are the old factory halls of the Uferstudios. Between clinker buildings and chimneys, dancers perform exciting choreographies and performances. Whole festivals of dance are even held at the site. New ideas are not just translated to movement – the artists also put on concerts, discussions and talks.

Once a tram depot, now artists’ studios

The large halls and warehouses on the site of the Uferstudios once housed trams and buses. The building complex was designed in the 1920s by the architect Jean Krämer for the Große Berliner Straßenbahn-AG on the banks of the Panke. Today, 14 large studios and ateliers offer international choreographers, dancers and other performance artists new and inspiring facilities for their work. Where everything used to be about innovation in public transport, the focus is now on movement as an art form.

The Uferstudios were ceremonially opened as a centre for contemporary dance in 2010. Since then, they have been a state-of-the-art location for production, rehearsals and training, as well as for public performances and events. There are facilities for freelance artists, as well as for established Berlin dance studios. These include:

• The Tanzfabrik with its 30 years of experience in dance production and training. It occupies two studios, where it puts on courses, workshops and festivals.
• The Tanzbüro Berlin is a network for the city’s dance scene and provides advice for artists.
• The ada studio provides a stage for young choreographers and up-and-coming talent.
• The Hochschulübergreifende Zentrum Tanz Berlin (HZT) teaches Bachelor’s and Master’s courses in dance, choreography and performance. The HZT occupies five studios and has a mediatheque, seminar rooms and offices.

Enjoy a coffee after the dance

Next-door Café Pförtner also pays tribute to the site’s former use as a tram and bus depot. In an old converted bus, you can enjoy the dishes while analysing the performances at the Uferstudios. Using natural ingredients, the cooks conjure up treats such as grilled asparagus with hazelnut dressing or white chocolate mousse. There’s a new menu every week. So feel free to come again, because at the Uferstudios too, the programme is always changing.

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