2018
The TANEC PRAHA Festival celebrated its 30th anniversary with the return of Jiří Kylián. The program is expanded to 21 Czech cities and towns. PONEC – dance venue introduces the concept of an Open Centre for the Public. In addition to working with seniors and children, it also offers contemporary dance lessons to the general public led by artists performing at PONEC. Tanec Praha succeeds as a partner in two other European cooperation projects in the Creative Europe program: Be SpectACTive 2 (2018 – 2022) and Dancing Museums – The Democracy of Beings (2019 – 2021).
2017
Tanec Praha for the first time entered into cross-border cooperation with the Hellerau Centre for Contemporary Art and the LOFFT Theatre in Leipzig organizing the biennale Dance transit. Prague.Dresden.Leipzig. PONEC – dance venue for the first time opened movement-voice workshops for seniors.
2016
Tanec Praha organized the Aerowaves Spring Forward 2016 in Plzen, a festival of young European artists, attracting the attention of 220 international guests. You can find the program here.
2015
In accordance with the new Civil Code (Section 3045), the transformation to Tanec Praha z.ú. (registered institute) was completed. The change in legal personality was registered by the Municipal Court in Prague under file U 384 as of 15 February 2015. In April 2015, Tanec Praha was accepted in Vienna as a new member of the EDN – European Dancehouse Network. This prestigious network of European dance houses thus recognized Tanec Praha´s long-term contribution to the development of contemporary dance in Europe. Tanec Praha became only the third member of the EDN from the former Eastern Bloc countries, and the only one from the Czech Republic. In the same month, TANEC PRAHA became a founding member of the Czech Association of Festivals, a prestigious association of top events in the Czech Republic.
2014
The European Commission launched a project called EFFE – Europe for Festivals – Festivals for Europe. TANEC PRAHA became a carrier of the "EFFE label" and two years later an "EFFE Laureate" (the only one in the Czech Republic). That same year, Tanec Praha became part of another successful project in a new EU Creative Europe program – Be SpectACTive! (2014 – 2018).
2013
Organization of the closing M4m Forum of the European project in Prague. Tanec Praha enjoyed extraordinary success with another application in the EU Culture program: for its 25th anniversary, TANEC PRAHA was awarded 1st place from among 235 European festivals of all genres and received the necessary financial support.
2011
Tanec Praha succeeded as a coordinator of the M4m - m for mobility project in the EU Culture program. Almost 30 interdisciplinary art residencies were the focus of the project, with over 100 artists from EU and non-EU countries participating over the course of two years. The project took place in 2011 – 2013.
2010
Dance and Movement Education as a new complementary educational field with effect as of 1 September 2010 was inserted into the Framework Educational Program for Primary Education (by Minister of Education measure No. 20092/2010-2 of 30 July 2010).
2008
The first year of the prologue (later the program line) TANEC PRAHA FOR KIDS was held for the 20th edition of the TANEC PRAHA International Festival of Contemporary Dance and Movement Theatre in 2008. It was accompanied by the biggest cuts to the grant from the City of Prague in the history of the festival (- 90%) and public protests in front of the Town Hall. In this crisis situation, Yvona Kreuzmannová returned from the Ministry to lead Tanec Praha.
2006
The professional organization Vision of Dance was founded and with the Dance for Schools project for the dissemination of dance and movement education at primary schools. The director of Tanec Praha accepted the position of external advisor to the deputy, later directly to the Minister of Culture and handed over the management of the organization´s activities (Libor Gross, Marta Lajnerová).
2004
From September, PONEC decided to regularly create space for the Children´s Studio. The concept aimed at the creative development of the child´s personality with an emphasis on dance movement, perception of rhythm, space, dynamics, energy and synergy with other children.
2003
Trans Danse Europe – After the success of the annual cooperation in 2000, the network partners succeeded in applying for the EU Culture program for another three-year project (2003 – 2006) to support contemporary dance creations, which they expanded with other creative residencies and exchanges.
2001
In September, PONEC – dance venue was opened for the first time as a stage and home base for contemporary dance, movement theatre and all kinds of art with which dance communicates. The first trial season began while the facade and other elements of the reconstruction were still being completed and fundraising efforts continued.
2000
On the occasion of the IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts) meeting in Prague in April 2000, the Czech Dance Platform definitely returned to the capital with the aim of using the premises of the reconstructed PONEC Theatre and other Prague stages (Alfred ve dvoře, Duncan Centre, NoD Experimental Space, DISK, Archa Theatre, and later Studio ALTA, La Fabrika, etc.). Tanec Praha experienced a second significant experience with the EU, this time with the EU Culture program, thanks to the Trans Danse Europe project. It has become part of a network of organizations supporting contemporary dance in eight European Capitals of Culture in 2000, which included Prague.
1998
Tanec Praha won a public tender for the artistic use of the premises of the former PONEC cinema and received a contract for 25 years from the Town Hall of Žižkov under the condition that it would ensure and finance the reconstruction of the dilapidated building within three years.
1996
John Ashford initiated the creation of the European Aerowaves platform to support young choreographers interested in establishing themselves on the international scene. Currently, it has 45 members from 33 countries who share professional experience and love for dance. It was co-founded by Yvona Kreuzmannová, later its associate director and board member.
1995
For the first time, the local dance scene was introduced to international guests at the Duncan Centre Conservatory. Before them was a long road to professionalization and recognition in the European and domestic context. In the following years, the festival was to take the form of a profile event of the city of Hradec Králové under the name Entrée to Dance.
1994
The decision was made to organize a festival of Czech dance production along the lines of similar national platforms in Europe. The foundations of the Czech Dance Platform were laid by agreement with the management of the Duncan Centre Conservatory. The first edition of the festival was held the next year. The 5th year of the TANEC PRAHA International Festival received the patronage of President Václav Havel and for the first time support from the EU as part of the Kaleidoscope program. After renovations a stage suitable for contemporary dance was opened in Prague – the Archa Theatre.
1993
Sam Miller, at that time the director of the Jacob´s Pillow Festival (USA), helped the founder of Tanec Praha define the long-term vision of the organization in relation to the general and professional public. Conservative audiences and some of the professional public did not easily accept some of the festival´s performances.
1992
Jane Gullong´s invitation to Yvona Kreuzmannová for a two-month internship in the USA launched a long-term collaboration that allowed the hosting of major American artists and ensembles at the TANEC PRAHA Festival with significant financial assistance from American foundations.
1991
After a complicated situation in which the festival managed to survive provisionally under the auspices of the Theatre Community, the non-profit NGO Tanec Praha o.s. was formed (registered 13 November 1991). The consensus of the personalities of the Czech dance scene thus established a civic association with the aim of developing and improving the TANEC PRAHA International Festival and at the same time helping to develop contemporary dance and movement theatre in the Czech Republic and its international application. Already in the autumn, Yvona Kreuzmannová attended the meeting of the IETM – Informal European Theatre Meeting (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts) in Geneva, where she found many opportunities for achieving these goals.
1990
Only after November 1989 did the situation mature into an open modern dance event, which was reflected in the grand concept of the TANEC´90 festival. At that time, it was still under the Prague Cultural Centre (in the production of Stanislava Doubravová), but with significant contributions from several domestic experts (Jan Hartmann, Yvona Nováková – later Kreuzmannová) and mainly Swiss partners from Berner Tanztage (Michaela Pavlin). 1990 was a crucial year for the festival. On the one hand, it was clear that the Prague Cultural Centre would cease to exist; on the other, it was in the interest of the Ministry of Culture and the City of Prague to maintain the promisingly developing event, even though contemporary dance was still looking for an audience.
1989
The history of the TANEC PRAHA Festival dates back to the summer of ´89, when the Prague Cultural Centre (now defunct) included several days of dance performances in the Prague Cultural Summer held at the Municipal House under the name TANEC´89. The program was created with the help of Jan Hartmann. The two international guests were joined by several Czech ensembles and everything took place in July, basically as an event for tourists. The highlight was Kylián´s junior ensemble NDT/2 – Nederlands Dans Theater/2.