Volunteer Report: International Dance Festival "TANZ MODERNE TANZ"

A large crowd gathers in a lush green park, watching a group of performers on a tilted white platform over a pond. The platform appears to be balancing precariously. Some trees and clouds are visible in the background.
Photo: Peter Rossner

Kerstin is 59 years old and works as an office communications specialist. Born in Burgstadt, she is a volunteer at various Chemnitz 2025 events, including the countdown to the Capital of Culture year together with Lord Mayor Sven Schulze and other guests.

On the evening of 21 June, I was working at the Karl Marx Monument, right in the heart of Chemnitz.

It was a warm summer Friday evening and the longest day of the year. There were several events at various locations in the city centre and there were an unusually large number of people out and about.

The square around the "Nischel" was also well filled with people waiting for the dance performance to begin. To shorten the waiting time, we handed out brochures and programme booklets and answered questions about the upcoming show and the Capital of Culture 2025.

The dance show was opened on time by the festival organiser and ballet director of Chemnitz Opera House. I have to say that I have never been involved with modern dance before and was very surprised at how intense the dancing was, combined with acrobatics. The two dance shows each told a little story. There were more and more spectators next to the dance floor, so we volunteers had the task of securing the area. It was really fun to watch the dancers.

As a thank you, we were given free tickets for a dance performance at the opera house, which we attended immediately afterwards. The group "Cie Herve Koubi", consisting of 13 dancers, performed. It was a thrilling and exciting show for the audience. This group will be back in Chemnitz next year and I can really recommend attending this event.

To summarise: that evening in Chemnitz really felt like the Capital of Culture and for me privately: this event awakened my interest in modern dance.

European Capital of Culture The Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media Free State of Saxony European Capital of Culture

This project is co-financed by tax funds on the basis of the parliamentary budget of the state of Saxony and by federal funds from the Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media).