Guest: Joanna Leśnierowska
Moderators: Leonie Wichmann, Anna-Mareen Henke
In Spoken English. Zoom captions can be enabled.

How can newcomers gain visibility beyond their own national borders? With the fourth edition of NRW meets… International Dance, the internationales tanzmeeting specifically focuses on the perspectives of emerging artists from North Rhine-Westphalia in contemporary dance and asks: Which platforms, networks, and production companies open the door to the international scene?

We’ll examine formats specifically aimed at new talent-from local support structures for career entry to European springboards like Aerowaves, which sends twenty promising new works on tour across Europe each year. But how do you navigate this ecosystem, and who decides what gets shown?

Joanna Leśnierowska, choreographic curator, visual dramaturg, and co-founder of the European Dance Houses Network (EDN), as well as a member of the Aerowaves partner network, will draw on her many years of curatorial experience to discuss: How are new works discovered, curated, and promoted internationally? And what does it take for an emerging artist to even be noticed?

Aerowaves is a European network dedicated to curating and supporting emerging choreographers. Each year, Aerowaves selects twenty promising new choreographers for its "Twenty" programme, who then go on tour across Europe. At the Aerowaves Spring Forward Festival, some of Europe's most promising choreographers get the opportunity to present their work to industry professionals and local audiences alike.Afterwards, there will be time for questions and discussion: How do you begin to establish yourself internationally? What other promising platforms are there besides Aerowaves, and how do you successfully apply for them?

The number of participants is limited. The event is primarily aimed at emerging artists from North Rhine-Westphalia; other German or international dance professionals are also welcome, provided there are still spots available.