Contemporary

Amanda Romero is a Peruvian performer and choreographer living in Cologne. After studying dance at the HfMT Cologne, she worked as a dancer in Hamburg and as a choreographer in various theatres in NRW. As co-founder of the collective Dencuentro, together with Greta Salgado and Constanza Ruiz, she jointly developed methods for artistic collective work, developed a dance production and several mediation formats. Her current research focuses on movement and dance as a practice of resistance against ecological colonisation and as a medium to heal the wounded relationship between the human species and the ecosystem. She includes landscapes, "more-than-human" creatures in her work and recently presented this research at IMPACT23, PACT Zollverein. Amanda has been gaining experience in teaching dance since 2018 in schools, youth centres and dance schools.
Webseite: https://amanda-romero.com/

Dina ed Dik erhielt ihre Tanzausbildung an der Fontys Dansacademie in Tilburg in den Niederlanden.
Seither arbeitete sie als freiberufliche Tänzerin und Performerin an verschiedenen Theatern und mit freien Kompanien unter anderem in den Niederlanden, Belgien, Frankreich und Deutschland.
Seit 2001ist sie Assistentin und Ensemblemitglied des französischen Choreografen Jérôme Bel und erarbeitet mit verschiedenen internationalen Ensembles Neueinstudierungen seiner Stücke und leitet die Proben dazu. In diesem Rahmen hat sie viel Erfahrung in der Arbeit mit großen, sehr diversen, heterogenen Gruppen sammeln können. Im Tanzhaus NRW war diese Arbeit mit „The Show Must Go On „von Jérôme Bel im September 2014 zu sehen.
Neben dem Tanz praktiziert sie seit vielen Jahren Iyengar Yoga, als Unterstützung zum Tanztraining. Übungen und Ansätze aus dieser Technik zur Verbesserung der Flexibilität und der Kraft fließen in ihren Unterricht mit ein.

Emma Valtonen studied dance and dance education in Finland and Portugal. After many months of performing her graduation work in Finland, she now works as a teacher and choreographer in Finland, Italy and China, among other places. She loves travelling and has trained internationally in various dance styles - always curious and connected with the desire to explore new, unusual paths and movement languages. Various dance styles from urban dance, modern and jazz dance as well as different bodywork techniques shape Emma's style. Her way of teaching is very approachable and open, and her participants are enthusiastic about her “creative, focused, loving and humorous way of teaching”. Emma herself says of her classes: “I want my students to be challenged without pressure or competition.”

Erika Winkler received her dance education at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and, following her graduation, worked at a number of theatres and in freelance companies, with an engagement of several years with Dutch Company RAZ. She developed projects for Ruhr.2010 and is a regular choreographer for Team Plöger/Winkler/Becker at the FFT Düsseldorf. She teaches workshops internationally and has been an esteemed and popular teacher at tanzhaus nrw since 1998. Here, as well as at PACT Zollverein and for companies like Ultima Vez, Neuer Tanz or Random Dance, she offers regular professional training, too.

Irina Hortin first studied linguistics and literature in Germany, France and Argentina before going on to study contemporary dance in Cologne and Munich. She performs internationally, regularly choreographs for Schalktheater in Zurich, heads youth dance theatre projects and teaches contemporary dance, contact improvisation as well as tango at international festivals. The encounter with Frey Faust, an important figure within French contemporary dance and editor of movement dictionary Axis Syllabus, was of special importance for Irina’s vocational biography, and Irina, as a certified Axis Syllabus (AS) teacher, references the dictionary. The interdisciplinary AS research network surveys the functions of the human body in motion. In the process, information from biomechanics, anatomy, physics and medicine come into use to analyse our motion apparatus and to have it start to move in a functional and caring way. The focus always lies on a respectful contact with oneself and others – and, of course, on the fun in dancing!

Dance has been occupying a large part of Laura Virgillitto’s life since she was three years old. Following a five-year stay in New York where she studied at the renowned Martha Graham Dance School and at other places while also learning to utilise the GYROTONIC EXPANSION SYSTEM® for her dancer’s career, the native Italian came to Germany in 1997. She worked as a dancer with several different choreographers and companies. Today, Laura is mainly active as a freelance instructor with different companies and institutions both nationally and internationally, among them the Folkwang Tanzstudio, Stadttheater Bielefeld, PACT Zollverein, VA Wölfl’s NEUER TANZ, and also at tanzhaus nrw for about 15 years now. She is a GYROKINESIS® master trainer and heads her own studio in Cologne. She teaches the GYROKINESIS® movement system which puts an emphasis on somatic aspects, addressing both people with and without prior dance experience, as well as a contemporary training for professional dance creatives at tanzhaus nrw. 

Paolo Fossa is choreographer, dancer and teacher. He has been working throughout Europe for the last 20 years, applying his knowledge of the body in movement to contemporary dance and improvisation. He teaches in many theatres, dance companies, at Folkwang University, Academy of Theatre and Dance Amsterdam University of Arts, Tanzhaus NRW in Düsseldorf, Fontys in Tilburg and DansArt Akademie in Bielefeld. In cooperation with these institutions he also realises choreographies that stand alongside his numerous independent productions. Some of his latest works: Körpererzählung (2019), Stray Dogs (2018).Due to his pronounced communicative and organisational skills, he has been running a dance education project in Shenzhen/China since 2017 together with the Giessen Dance Company, where he has been working as a ballet master for contemporary dance since 2015. The aim is to develop a curriculum for contemporary and improvisation techniques at the Shenzhen Arts School. Parallel to his work on stage, he works with private and city institutions and leads several social projects with young people. Together with the choreographer Gerda König, creator of the first project of the M.A.D.E. ( Mixed-Abled Dance Education ), he is working on the creation of a new method of studying contemporary dance, which will enable students and dancers with and without disabilities to pursue a joint education.

Ricardo Campos Freire is a versatile artist from Lisbon, Portugal. Trained at Superior Dance School in Lisbon and Stockholm University of the Arts, he danced with renowned companies across Europe. Collaborating with esteemed choreographers like Mauro Bigonzetti and Cayetano Soto, Ricardo's talent garnered recognition, earning him the Smiljana Mandukic Award in 2015 as the best dancer of the year. Since 2011, he's been crafting compelling choreography, with notable pieces like “Apart” and “Public Domain” winning acclaim. His work has been shown in stages worldwide, from Italy to South Korea, showcasing his
dynamic creativity.
“As a choreographer, my essence lies in the connection with and dedication to the dancers. Exploring a rich spectrum of challenges and emotions, the essence of purposeful movement drives my creative intuition and informs my choreographic endeavors. Each project carries its own unique mindset and specific objectives, allowing my body to give shape to my artistic expression. The ambiance cultivated in every creation forges a profound bond between the dancers and the audience. The aspiration to touch the audience on an emotional level by addressing pertinent themes and conveying a message remains a steadfast principle in my work. Crafting narratives with depth and dramaturgy grants each dancer a personal connection, enabling them to resonate with others and invite them on their artistic journey.”