Author: renate.dinu

On March 2, representatives of Romania’s contemporary dance community submitted a memorandum to the Ministry of Culture, written and signed by over 300 artists, choreographers, cultural workers, and supporters of the independent scene.
This memorandum, written and signed by over 300 artists, choreographers, cultural workers, and supporters of the contemporary scene, stems from a real emergency, but it speaks to something that concerns us all: access to culture, artistic diversity, and a possible future for contemporary dance in Romania.
The initiative is the result of a public meeting organized by the National Centre for Dance Bucharest (CNDB) on January 29, attended by representatives of the community and Mr. András István Demeter, Minister of Culture, together with Mr. Bogdan Trîmbaciu, director of the Project Management Unit within the ministry. The memorandum summarises the conclusions of that dialogue and proposes concrete measures to consolidate and stabilise the sector.

Read and join this initiative!
The full memorandum is available HERE.

Choreography performances – bachelor’s and master’s degrees, 2026

Between February 27 and March 1, at CNDB, Stere Popescu Hall, you can see the graduation performances of fourth-year students from the Performing Arts – Choreography program at UNATC “I.L. Caragiale,” free of charge.

It is an open invitation to discover a new generation of choreographers.

The projects will also be hosted in other venues such as Linotip – Independent Choreography Center and UNATC (Atelier Hall).

CNDB performance schedule:

FB event link FB

NEUITARE by Ioana Goia
February 27, 2026, 7 p.m., CNDB
Details and reservation form HERE.

PRE-PARTY by Dana Silco
February 27, 2026, 8 p.m., CNDB
Details and reservation form HERE.

DEFINITELY KNOT A KISS by Andreea Groșanu
February 28, 2026, 7 p.m., CNDB
Details and booking form HERE.

CLARA by Andra Coșeru
February 28, 2026, 8 p.m., CNDB
Details and booking form HERE.

GRANDPARENTS ARE GETTING SMALLER AND SMALLER by Andra Muntenașu
March 1, 2026, 7 p.m., CNDB
Details and reservation form HERE.

BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN by Alexandra Coman (bachelor’s degree)
March 1, 2026, 8 p.m., CNDB
Details and reservation form HERE.

This week, the first stage of the “Duets Across Borders” project began at the National Dance Center Bucharest (CNDB), carried out as part of the Co-productions program of the European platform MOVING BALKANS – the regional contemporary dance platform. The project runs from 2024 to 2027 and is co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe program.

The co-production program is developed in collaboration with Art Link Foundation (Bulgaria), the platform’s main partner, and CNDB, bringing together four artists from Romania and Bulgaria: Mariana Gavriciuc and Simona Dabija (Romania), Elena Miroslavova and Deyan Georgiev (Bulgaria).

The first artistic residency takes place at CNDB and brings together Mariana Gavriciuc and Elena Marinova, who have begun a process of research and choreographic exploration in a duet format. This stage marks the beginning of an artistic dialogue built on negotiation, intercultural encounter, and exchange of practices, with an emphasis on collaboration and the development of original choreographic creations in shared working contexts.

The next stage of the project will take place in March at the Derida Dance Centre, where Simona Dabija and Deyan Georgiev will be working.

The project will conclude with public presentations of the works in April 2026 in Bucharest and Sofia. Subsequently, the creations will be included in the MOVING BALKANS showcase, organized between May 13 and 16, 2026, in Novi Sad, thus contributing to the international visibility of the artists involved and the promotion of contemporary dance in the Balkan region.

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Project implemented with the financial support of the Creative Europe Program of the European Union and the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria.
*The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the funding authority can be held responsible for them.

Moving Balkans partners: Albania Dance Meeting (AL), Art Link Foundation (BG), Contemporary Dance Association Slovenia (SI), Croatian Cultural Center Rijeka (HR), Croatian Institute for Movement and Dance (HR), DAN. C.CE UNITIVA (GR), EN–KNAP Productions (SI), Interart Culture Center (MK), Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture (SI), The National Center for Dance Bucharest (RO), Students’ Cultural Center Novi Sad (RS).

From January to February, the National Centre for Dance in Bucharest is hosting rehearsals for the premiere of Samsara – Surrender to Change or Suffer in a Loop, choreographed by Eva Danciu, providing a workspace for the development and completion of the project.

The premiere of the show will take place on February 26, at 7:00 p.m., in the Atelier hall of UNATC. The work is Eva Danciu’s dissertation project for her Master’s degree in Choreographic Art at the “I.L. Caragiale” National University of Theatre and Cinematography in Bucharest.

Eva Danciu is known to the public from productions such as Memetics (Sergiu Diță & Anca Stoica), Bodies on the Line (Ioana Marchidan), Self ACME. Resort de reechilibrare și optimizare personal (Camelia Neagoe & Adrian Ionescu), Work in Progress (Camelia Neagoe), Val și Cetatea Sufletelor (Vava Ștefănescu), M de la Murphy și Gr(o)ove (Andreea Gavriliu). She is also a graduate of the CNDB Dance and Performance Academy and a teacher at the Performative School for Children, a program launched by CNDB, an initiative dedicated to training and artistic education in contemporary dance and performing arts for children.

Samsara – Surrender to Change or Suffer in a Loop is a physical theater performance that investigates the fragility of the human condition in the context of continuous transformation. The cast includes Adora Tănase, Vlad Ionuț Popescu, Filip Nicolaescu, Andrei Bouariu, and Eva Danciu.

The CNDB team wishes Eva Danciu success with this new premiere!

#CNDBbehindthescenes

Yesterday, artist and researcher Funmi Adewolle Elliott, who is teaching classes for Academy students this week, gave a presentation to students in the Master’s program in Dramatic Writing at UNATC about her experience in choreographic dramaturgy.

In her introduction, she spoke about the intersectional approach between dramatic writing and choreographic composition, based on areas of research such as discourse theory/communication philosophy, cultural studies, and performance studies.

She then presented three contemporary artists of African origin through a brief analysis of one of their plays, on which Funmi collaborated.

Thanks to UNATC and Mihaela Michailov for hosting and facilitating the meeting with the students!

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The Academy of Dance and Performance Labs is a cultural programme co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund.
The programme does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the results of the project may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary.

#CNDBbehindthescenes

Between February 2 and 26, the National Center for Dance Bucharest (CNDB) will host rehearsals for the graduation performances of fourth-year students in the Performing Arts – Choreography program at UNATC “I.L. Caragiale.” Emotions are running high, ideas are taking shape, and the end of an important stage is naturally turning into a new beginning.

The good news for the public: from February 27 to March 1, some of these graduation performances will be available to view free of charge at the CNDB – Stere Popescu Hall. This is an open invitation to discover a new generation.

The coordinator of the practical and theoretical work is lecturer Dr. Andreea Duță, and the class consists of 10 students, whose graduation projects will be hosted not only by CNDB, but also by other venues, such as Linotip – Independent Choreographic Center and UNATC (Atelier Hall).

CNDB schedule of performances *:

February 27
Neuitare (Unforgettable), by Ioana Goia | 7:00 p.m.
Pre-Party, by Dana Silco | 8:00 p.m.

February 28
Definitely Knot a Kiss, by Andreea Groșanu | 7:00 p.m.
Clara, by Andra Coșeru | 8:00 p.m.

March 1
Beautifully Broken, by Alexandra Coman | 7:00 p.m.
Grandparents Are Getting Smaller and Smaller, by Andra Muntenașu | 8:00 p.m.

*More details about the performances will be announced soon.

Coordinator Andreea Duță speaks emotionally about this generation and describes their shared journey as an adventure inspired by the world of Lewis Carroll:

“We are, once again, at that moment when we talk about endings and beginnings, about a new generation that will change the world. Another generation for whom one reality is ending and another, new one is beginning… Young voices that I hope will have the strength to carry on, to change, to leave their mark on the world of choreography and art. At the beginning of our journey together, we looked for a name to personalize the group we communicate with. It seems that at that moment, of all the possible worlds, Lewis Carroll’s world won. The group was named “Mrs. Duță’s Rose Garden” and everything became an adventure. They became a multiplied Alice, with different personalities and paths, in a Wonderland that was slightly dusty in reality, but alive and effervescent when imagination began to move everything. The rose garden became a place of meeting and play, a place of unfulfillment and mistakes, a place where everything was possible and allowed. Our place.

Now our place becomes your place. From now on, you will be able to enter the worlds they have conceived and materialized, and I ask you to do so with respect, with a desire to understand their way of thinking and their reality, the reality in which they live and create. Their performances are about how they see the world, about their explorations and discoveries. They reflect the transformations they have undergone and their hopes for the future.

Presenting these performances on the CNDB stage makes graduation a very special moment. Encountering a professional performance space brings with it a reality that instills responsibility, but also becomes a time of immersion in the concrete that will mediate the encounter with the audience. Students whose shows are hosted by the CNDB have the opportunity to develop the final stage of their work right on the stage, which makes the practice and artistic process much richer and more varied.”

#CNDBbehindthescenes

The choreographic community demands more than promises from the state and holds the Ministry of Culture accountable to the public Commitments regarding the financing of the National Dance Center Bucharest (CNDB) and the relaunch of its institutional role at the national level

Bucharest, February 2, 2026

On January 29, 2026, the National Center for Dance Bucharest (CNDB) organized a public meeting between representatives of the contemporary dance community in Romania and the Minister of Culture, Mr. András István Demeter, with the participation of Mr. Bogdan Trîmbaciu, director of the Project Management Unit of the Ministry of Culture.

The meeting took place in the context of the loss of the Omnia Hall as the future headquarters of the CNDB, a cultural infrastructure project included in a financing agreement with the Council of Europe Development Bank, with an estimated allocation of approximately €13 million, which in 2024 reached in the phase of approval of the technical and economic indicators for the launch of the tender for execution.
Without warning, after eight years of difficult efforts, but with the design project completed and the approvals obtained, the institution was forced to cede its future headquarters to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. This is the second space promised and lost by the institution after another project publicly announced in 2013 by manager Ion Caramitru as the future headquarters of the CNDB disappeared from the Bucharest National Theater building complex, no longer appearing in the final version of the renovation and remodeling project for the TNB building.

At the meeting on January 29, representatives of the main structures and organizations in the field took the floor, including Vava Ștefănescu, CNDB manager, Mihai Mihalcea, CNDB Programs and Projects director, Arcadie Rusu (Linotip – Independent Choreographic Center), Simona Deaconescu (Tangaj Collective), Oana Mureșan (OM Choreographic Center, Cluj-Napoca), Camelia Neagoe (DeLaZero Association), Lavinia Urcan (Unfold Motion, Timișoara), Florin Fieroiu, choreographer, and Aura Corbeanu, cultural manager and vice president of the Romanian Theater Union. The discussion was moderated by performing arts critic Mihaela Michailov.

Community position

The meeting with the Ministry of Culture outlined a complex map of the structural needs of contemporary dance in Romania, beyond the specific issue of a building or a line of funding. The speakers described a field that functions through individual effort and informal solidarity, in the absence of a coherent public framework to ensure continuity, infrastructure, and professional prospects.

Representatives of the choreography sector highlighted the structural nature of the infrastructural and financial crisis in the field of contemporary choreography and dance, a major artistic sector in Romania without accessible infrastructure, without a national network of public centers, without institutional production mechanisms, and without predictable multi-annual funding.

Vava Ștefănescu, choreographer and manager of CNDB, stated:
“There is no more time for mere discussions. We need political will expressed in concrete mechanisms, in terms of access to resources, funding, and infrastructure. Without these tools, contemporary dance remains in a state of permanent vulnerability.”

Mihai Mihalcea, choreographer and program director at CNDB, said:
“The essential conditions for artistic existence are not individual, they are institutional. They do not depend solely on talent or effort, but above all on political decisions. The case of the Omnia Hall is not about a building, it is about the state’s ability to produce a compensatory solution when a government decision cancels a mature project that has reached such an advanced stage.
We are also talking about a structural imbalance in Romanian cultural policy that has been going on for several decades. The stake of this meeting is not our validation as artists, but the question of whether the state chooses to transform an institutional void into public policy once again.
Romania has approximately 70 public theaters and only one public institution with the mission of supporting and developing contemporary choreographic culture. Can you imagine what it would be like to have only one public theater in Romania, which has been underfunded and without adequate premises since 2011? We are not just talking about a sectoral problem, but about a permanent omission in public policy.”

Arcadie Rusu, choreographer and manager of Linotip – Independent Choreographic Center, emphasized that, in the absence of a committed public policy, the development of contemporary dance remains dependent on ad hoc and temporary initiatives and on the ability of independent organizations to compensate for what should be an institutional responsibility of the state. He pointed out that without a national framework, any progress remains fragmented and vulnerable to administrative changes.

Simona Deaconescu, coregrafă, directoare artistică și co-fondatoare a Tangaj Collective emphasized the direct link between infrastructure and the real possibility of producing art, explaining that funding without workspaces and presentation venues cannot generate a functional ecosystem. In his view, the lack of studios and stages blocks not only creation, but also the formation of audiences and the circulation of performances in the country.

Camelia Neagoe, choreographer and representative of the DeLaZero Association, drew attention to funding mechanisms, pointing out that current formulas tend to support project-by-project survival rather than medium- and long-term professional development. He indicated the need for multi-annual instruments that allow for planning, stability, and real artistic commitment. He indicated the need for multi-annual instruments that allow for planning, stability, and real artistic commitment.

Oana Mureșan, choreographer and founder of OM Choreographic Center and OM-Transylvania International Dance Festival in Cluj-Napoca, described the effects caused by the lack of infrastructure outside large cities, explaining that the absence of a regional network concentrates activity in a few urban centers and limits access for audiences in the rest of the country. From this perspective, the problem is not only a professional one, but also one of cultural equity..

Florin Fieroiu, choreographer and teacher, spoke about the disconnect between the education system and professional reality, emphasizing that the state produces generations of artists through schools and universities without building an institutional framework that would allow them to practice their profession in a sustainable manner. He presented this discontinuity as a loss of public investment in human capital.

Lavinia Urcan, choreographer and president of the Unfold Motion Association in Timișoara, added to this picture, pointing out that the lack of predictability and infrastructure pushes artists toward professional migration or toward leaving the field. In this sense, the problem of contemporary dance becomes one of retaining and developing cultural human resources, not just of providing ad hoc funding.

Together, these interventions have painted a coherent picture of a sector that requires not just occasional support, but a step change in the public approach: from isolated projects to long-term policies, from temporary solutions to sustainable infrastructure, from administrative reactions to a national strategy that links education, creation, funding, and public access in a functional and equitable system.

Clarification of the financing situation

Bogdan Trîmbaciu, director of the Project Management Unit at the Ministry of Culture, said the following about the availability of funds following the removal of the Omnia Hall from the framework agreement:
“No money has been lost. All the money that existed under the framework loan agreements is still available. We have four agreements with the Council of Europe Development Bank that include sufficient funds to build the future headquarters of the National Dance Center. This involves adding a new objective once a location has been identified.”

Acesta a precizat că, începând cu preluarea mandatului de către actualul ministru, au fost transmise „minim cinci adrese oficiale către alte instituții ale statului pentru identificarea unui spațiu adecvat pentru CNDB”.

Commitments of the Minister of Culture

During the meeting, Minister of Culture András István Demeter made a series of public statements and commitments:

“Initially, the National Dance Center also had the role of national funder. This has been lost. We can bring this role back. This really depends on me, and I can take on the task of revitalizing this funding authority component of the National Center for Dance.”

“Once I have the Ministry’s budget, I will set the CNDB budget so that we can restart these engines of funding authority. Not at full speed, but we will restart them.”

Regarding the identification of a solution for the CNDB headquarters, Mr. András István Demeter stated: “The Omnia Hall will be replaced with an alternative. We are not magicians, it cannot be done overnight, but we are working on identifying a space. There are alternatives and steps are being taken.”

Regarding the national network:

“The problem is not just one building in Bucharest. We need to think about a nationwide network, at least at the regional level, that would allow communities outside the capital to access infrastructure.”

Regarding the assumed mandate:

“I won’t give up on anything I’ve set my mind to, and I won’t give up on the things I can commit to.”

Conclusions and next steps

The meeting marked the first formal consultation between the contemporary dance community and a minister of culture since 2013. Participants called for a public work schedule to be established for identifying a new location for the CNDB headquarters, relaunching the mechanism for financing dance projects through the CNDB budget, and, in the long term, developing a regional network of infrastructure for choreographic creation and presentation, and increasing budget predictability through multi-annual financing.

The choreographic community has emphasized that it will publicly monitor the implementation of these commitments and will request regular updates on the progress of the measures undertaken by the Ministry of Culture.

The video recording of the entire meeting can be accessed HERE.

Main media partner
Radio Guerilla

Media partners
Zile și nopți, Scena9, Agerpress, Elle, Happ.ro, Liternet, TVR Cultural, Radio România Cultural, Revista Arta, The Institute, Zeppelin, ISCOADA, Feeder, Visit Bucharest, Ziarul Metropolis,  IQads, Ceașca de Cultură, Modernism.ro, Haute Culture Magazine, munteanurecomanda.ro, Daily Magazine

The recommendation of the month from the CNDB Media Library is an issue of Performance Research that will blow your mind, dedicated to failure, a theme that affects (and at the beginning of this year) the field of performing arts and culture in general. We invite you to check it out and participate on Friday, January 30, at the Oracle of Performance Research, from 7:30 p.m. at CNDB, for one-to-one readings for the year 2026, performed by Paula Dunker, Renate Dinu, and Corina Cimpoieru. Only good things about failure!

Fall · Shame · Vulnerability · Fear · Blockage · Fault · Powerlessness · Confrontation · Disagreement · Creativity · Pause · Diagnosis · Fragility · Transformation

Not all failures are the same: some are minor, others common, some progressive, others cataclysmic. Perhaps it is their variety that makes them so appealing. Failure is productive because it requires repair. In failure, we are forced to think critically, to reimagine ourselves, to do something new. Failure offers a break and a refuge from the cycle of success that can be a trap of conformity, setting expectations, demanding repeated performance. Failure can also be dissent. It rebels against expertise, virtuosity, ossified competence. Failure also indicates the limits of what is possible at a given time and place. It helps us to see the society in which we are embedded in a reflexive way. Failure makes visible the places where aspirations and material realities collide. Failure, as an accusation, weakens the other. If we dare to look at those doomed to failure, set up to fail, condemned to failure, we see the limits of power. Failure generates fear. And the primitive fear of failure is more destructive than failure itself. Failure can also be a state of raw human beauty. When we fail, we are vulnerable, fragile, unguarded, open. We are perhaps most completely ourselves. Deliberate failure in the performing arts can be a strategy to stimulate creativity, a tool to discover new forms, ideas, worlds. This book’s advice to you: Try again. Fail again. Fail better. (Samuel Beckett)

Performative reference/cover image: Unhinged (2010), Vlatka Horvat, durational performance, created for House Without a Maid, a project initiated by Jorge Leon & Simone Aughterlony.

Artist website and project info here:

Unhinged

Performative gesture: instructions for a one-minute sculpture: freeze for one minute in inactivity and indecision

Detalii despre Mediateca CNDB și mai multe perspective asupra eșecului, atât ca posibilă sursă de inspirație, câț și ca o revoltă împotriva limitei puterii, găsiți AICI.

Referință vomul Performance Research – On Failure
Vol. 17 / No.1 / February 2012

The Istanbul Fringe Festival opens up an inspirational and creative space for performing artists from around the world. For eight days, artists and audiences come together for performances, workshops, meetings, and other unique events.

Where: Istanbul, Turkey
When: September 19–26, 2026
Application deadline: January 31, 2026
Apply using the form available HERE.

Istanbul Fringe Festival ’26 will feature dance, theater, circus, comedy, queer performances, and many other genres of performing arts, as well as workshops, discussions, and parties. The festival offers a dynamic platform for both local and international artists to present their work of any scale, interact with each other and the audience, exchange ideas, and explore a new artistic network.

The project “Movement, Digital Intelligence, and Interactive Audience” (MODINA), which ran for three years and in which the National Dance Center Bucharest was a partner, is coming to an end. The project was co-financed by the European Union’s Creative Europe program with €1 million (70% of the total project budget). The total amount attracted by the CNDB in the project was €189,383.

We were delighted to participate in the project over these three years, hosting artistic residencies and performances, with MODINA promoting our presence in Iridescent – an international contemporary dance festival – and other reconfigurations of the sensibility of some of the productions created within the project. We are talking about performances that challenged us through their discourse and models of research and understanding of technology in relation to contemporary dance, in a world where digital and artificial intelligence-based approaches are increasingly questioned by contemporary artists.

The project partners were three academic institutions and five dance centers from six countries, namely:

• Universitatea din Tallinn (Estonia), coordinator
• Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (Estonia)
• Hochschule Düsseldorf (Germany)
• tanzhaus nrw (Germany)
• ITI, IST-ID, University of Lisbon (Portugal)
• Kino Siska (Slovenia)
• Trafo (Ungary)
• The National Center for Dance Bucharest – CNDB (Romania)

The results of the project were: new dance pieces; performances, workshops, and seminars; new software tools for contemporary dance performances; new theories and best practices for dance and technology; increased experience, knowledge, and opportunities for artists; and an improved and expanded audience for dance.

MODINA concludes at tanzhaus nrw (Düsseldorf, Germany) with a series of events organized by MIREVI – Mixed Reality and Visualization: performances, a symposium, and an exhibition on January 23, 24, and 25. CNDB will be represented at the event by Mihai Mihalcea, Ana Papadima, Simona Deaconescu and Grigore Burloiu.

The showcase includes the following performances:
January 23 This is Unreal (Pierre Godard & Liz Santoro)
January 23–25 nino (Ruth Gibson & Bruno Martelli)
January 24 Baby (Hollow: Viktor Szeri, Tamás Páll & Gyula Muskovics)
January 24–25 Still Moving (Liis Vares & Taavet Jansen)

Symposium:
January 24 Dancing in the Digital Age (at LAVAstudio, participation is by registration only)

Exhibition:
January 23–25 Emerging Bodies, Emerging Systems
With: Laurenz Ulrich x MIREVI, Charlotte Triebus; Naoto Hieda & Jorge Guevara; Norbert Pape & Simon Speiser; Philipp Dilchert x MIREVI; Uroš Krčadinac & Marko Milić

The project will continue from 2026 to 2029 with new Creative Europe funding as “MOVIDA.”

Following the significant public interest we have observed over time regarding the Omnia Hall, for which the National Centre for Dance in Bucharest has been taking steps in recent years to transform the space into a future House of Dance, the institution sent a letter to the Ministry of Culture at the end of last year requesting information on the status of the building’s renovation and rehabilitation process.

Below is the response from the Ministry of Culture:

Ms. Varvara-Cătălina ȘTEFĂNESCU
Manager
NATIONAL CENTER FOR DANCE BUCHAREST

Dear Madam Manager,

Following the letter from the National Dance Center Bucharest (CNDB), registered with the Ministry of Culture under no. 4318/18.11.2025, regarding the request for information on the status of the steps taken to take over the Omnia Hall building by the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI), as well as to identify a suitable location for the CNDB to carry out its activities, we hereby inform you of the following:

The investment objective “Remodeling, consolidation, and addition of floors to the Omnia Hall for conversion into the Bucharest National Dance Center” was excluded from the financing list of the Project for the completion of construction, renovation, or rehabilitation of cultural buildings of public interest in Romania, financed in partnership with the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), following a procedure initiated in 2025 at the request of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which my predecessor as Minister of Culture had approved. The exclusion was legislated by Government Decision No. 550/12.06.2025, adopted after obtaining the express agreement of the CEB.

In this context, the Ministry of Culture (MC) and the National Centre for Dance in Bucharest no longer have the authority or responsibility to continue investing in this property. Furthermore, at present, there is no set timetable for the actual transfer of the property, which prompted us to initiate discussions with the MAI in October 2025 with a view to identifying compensatory solutions, including by proposing a memorandum of understanding on a possible transfer of administration to the MC of another property for cultural use to be ceded by the MAI. To date, these steps have not received a firm response, although there is full openness for the dialogue to continue and for the actual takeover of the Omnia Hall by the MAI to be carried out simultaneously with the takeover by the MC of a property from the Interior Ministry’s portfolio.

We would also like to inform you that the MC has recently initiated and conducted a series of inter-institutional consultations and discussions with other ministries and public authorities, with the aim of identifying buildings and/or land located in the central area of Bucharest that could meet the institutional needs of the CNDB. These efforts are currently ongoing until a technically, legally, and administratively viable solution is drafted, which will be discussed in detail with the CNDB.

The Ministry of Culture is fully aware of the difficulties caused by the lack of a permanent headquarters for the CNDB and reaffirms its willingness to analyze, together with the relevant departments, any feasible proposal that could lead to ensuring adequate operating conditions for the institution. Our efforts in this regard are ongoing, as evidenced by the above.

We assure the management and staff of the CNDB of our active concern regarding the situation of the institution and the impact that the lack of its own headquarters has on its activity, as well as our full availability for open dialogue and cooperation in order to identify sustainable solutions that meet the specific needs of the Center.

With kind regards,

Demeter András István
Minister of Culture

The CNDB Awards Gala – Dance professionals who actively participate in an entire cultural ecosystem were honored

Yesterday, November 26, the CNDB Awards Gala took place, an event organized by the National Dance Center Bucharest at the “I.L. Caragiale” National Theater in Bucharest. The gala was followed by a performance of “Masterwork for Six Dancers” by Emese Cuhorka and Csaba Molnár, with the En-Knap company from Slovenia.

The CNDB Awards Gala is an annual event that recognizes those who have contributed to and confirmed the value of dance and contemporary choreographic culture in society. Beyond any hierarchy, the CNDB Awards celebrate dance and the role of art for people and the community.

This year’s edition was attended by Minister of Culture Demeter András István and presented by actress Dana Rogoz, who conveyed a message from the organizers emphasizing the importance of the Awards for the Romanian dance community—namely, to recognize and strengthen the intangible and tangible infrastructure of the field. Among other things, the situation of the National Center for Dance was mentioned, the only institution among those that left the National Theater in Bucharest in 2011 that has not been given any other suitable premises of its own. Several dance professionals took the floor (Florin Fieroiu, Ioana Marchidan, Camelia Neagoe, Cristina Lilienfeld, Andreea Belu, Vava Ștefănescu, Liana Tugearu, Mihaela Michailov), who in turn emphasized the need for infrastructure and funding at the local and national level for the field of dance, which is constantly evolving. The Minister of Culture, Mr. Demeter András István, also stated that he sympathizes with the situation of cultural workers in the field of dance and that there are possible solutions that he will try to implement.

The first award of the evening was presented by Cristiana Tăutu, executive director of Fundația9, to Vlaicu Golcea, for his contribution to sound creation in contemporary art, for his consistency over several decades, during which he chose to work alongside dancers, choreographers, and directors to give birth to sound creations that have integrity, provoke, and inspire.

This was followed by the award presented to Andreea Duță, teacher, dancer, actress, and choreographer, for the way in which she constantly trains young dancers and influences the way they think about the body, movement, artistic responsibility, and work ethic. The award was presented by Pawel Rutkowski, project coordinator at the Polish Institute.

The third prize, presented by choreographer Oana Mureșan, founder of OM Choreographic Center in Cluj-Napoca, was awarded to the artistic collective Platforma 13 (Anca Stoica and Sergiu Diță), for the way in which it embraces curiosity, vulnerability, and risk, proposing choreographic projects that start from collaborative and transdisciplinary practices involving technology, visual art, and the body.

As every year, one of the awards goes to the CNDB team, recognizing the contribution and involvement of one of its employees. Anca Truțeskov, PR manager and communications coordinator at CNDB, presented the award to Clara Trăistaru, a colleague who has built a coherent career path over time, from cultural education to the management of complex cultural projects, developing programs for access, training, and civic empowerment, with a focus on social justice, community involvement, and interdisciplinarity. Since last year, Clara Trăistaru has been coordinating the entire program of the CNDB Dance and Performance Academy.

The jury consisted of Valentina de Piante and Andreea Novac (choreographers and dancers), Vava Ștefănescu (choreographer, CNDB manager), Mihai Mihalcea (choreographer, CNDB program and project director), and Carmen Coțofană (CNDB production and distribution department coordinator).

The double event was presented as part of Iridescent – International Festival of Contemporary Dance and Other Reconfigurations of the Sensible, a festival now in its fourth edition.

Aerowaves is delighted to announce the Aerowaves #Twenty26 artists. The line-up includes work from 16 countries and showcases an exciting and diverse selection of emerging dance makers working across Europe.

The Twenty26 artists will present their work at the Spring Forward Festival from 6–9 May 2026 in Guimarães (PT), hosted by Centro Cultural Vila Flor in collaboration with O Espaço do Tempo. This year’s festival is part of the European Green Capital programme.

Save the date!

Aerowaves is also making public a list of works that were considered collectively by the partners, and which they can also recommend.

Watch their video about the selection process.

The selection process took place at the Workshop Foundation in Budapest from 19-22 October, hosted by our Hungarian partner Gergely Talló. 52 dance professionals gathered in person to discuss hundreds of dance works.

The #Twenty26 Aerowaves artists are:

• Fábio (Krayze) Januário with ‘Musseque’ (Portugal) 
• A. Lisičkinaitė & I. Shugaleev, Be Company with ‘CLAP & SLAP’ (Lithuania)
• Chara Kotsali with ‘IT’S THE END OF THE AMUSEMENT PHASE’ (Greece)
• Johana Malédon with ‘(titre provisoire)’  (France)
• Paula Rosolen/Haptic Hide with ‘NOICE|NOISE’ (Germany/France)
• Charlie Morrissey & Markéta Stránská with ‘Scáling’  (UK/Czechia)
• Bast Hippocrate with ‘Joyaux lourdement sous-estimés’ (Switzerland)
• Nik Rajšek with ‘ KINK’ (The Netherlands/Slovenia)
• Fabla Collective/Inan Sven Du Swami & Mojca Špik with ‘Do Birds Dream of Flying?’ (Slovenia)
• Supergroup x QWERTY/Solène Wachter x Bryana Fritz with ‘Logbook’ (France)
• Simona Dabija with ‘BPM–Beats per Millennium’ (Romania)
• Gleym-mér-ei/Forget-me-not with ‘Femme Physique’ (Iceland)
• Inka Romaní with ‘Volvamos al baile’ (Spain)
• Marie Kaae with ‘Wired’ (Denmark)
• Panos Malactos with ‘NO IM NOT’ (Cyprus) 
• Annabel Koele with ‘MAGNITUDE’ (The Netherlands)
• Company Furinkaï & Théâtre de l’Entrouvert with ‘Mizy’ (France) 
• Mufutau Yusuf with ‘Proses On Neither Here Nor There’ (Ireland)
• Francesca Santamaria with ‘GOOD VIBES ONLY (beta test)’ (Italy)
• Soraya Leila Emery with ‘TURN ON’ (Switzerland) 

You are an artist and your ideas flow well beyond the frame of the canvas?
You hanker for public space or you are keen to tackle the main stage of a theatre?
Well, then, Danse Élargie is for you!

For its ninth edition, Danse élargie competition still eagerly awaits every need and craze for movement, including those aspiring to express themselves outside conventional perfor- mance spaces. That’s one way of further expanding the contours of the project imagined
by choreographer Boris Charmatz with Musée de la danse, theatre director Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota with Théâtre de la Ville-Paris, and the Fondation d’entreprise Hermès.

Together, they opened the doors of the Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt to the wildest ideas of art-makers from every discipline, following in the footsteps of renowned artists who forged their reputations on that legendary stage.
In 2026, Danse élargie invites artistes of all nationalities and from all fields to bring to the audience a gestural concept that has been devised for the stage, or indeed – a new option from this edition onwards – for the pedestrian zone of Place du Châtelet. And thus, innovative forms for stage and new artistic idioms for the outdoors will coexist, all at once.

This year, Danse élargie will be conducted in prized partnership with the following organisations: Cndc d’Angers, headed by the choreographer Noé Soulier; La Comédie
de Valence, CDN Drôme-Ardèche, headed by the author, theatre director and set desi- gner Marc Lainé; and the Ballet de Lorraine-Centre chorégraphique national, headed by the choreographer Maud Le Pladec.

WHO?
Artists from every field (dance, theatre, music, visual arts, architecture, circus, cinema…)

WHEN?
June 6-7, 2026 (rehearsals on June 4–5, 2026)

WHAT?
10 minutes MAXIMUM, 3 performers MINIMUM

WHERE?
On the main stage of Théâtre de la Ville-S. Bernhardt
OR outdoors, at the Place du Châtelet

HOW?
Register online
on danse-elargie.com until January 9, 2026

READ THE RULES AND REGULATIONS
on danse-elargie.com

Springback Academy is looking for up to 10 people to be mentored in quality dance criticism in the action-packed environment of #SpringForward26.

The Academy will take place during Aerowaves’ Spring Forward festival, 6-9 May 2026 in Guimarães (PT).

Find out more &
apply before 30 November

springback.org 

Following repeated postponements of debates on Government Emergency Ordinance No. 52/2025, we have drafted a memorandum to the Ministry of Culture, in accordance with the aforementioned Ordinance, to show how the activity of the National Dance Center in Bucharest is particularly affected by it. We are concerned about the implementation of projects at the end of this year and believe that we need to point out, along with the theaters that have already done so, that the ordinance poses an immediate threat to the activity of public cultural institutions.

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To: Ministry of Culture

For the attention of:
Mr. Demeter András, Minister of Culture

For the information of:
Ms. Camelia Marcu, Secretary General

Subject: Request for exemption from the provisions of Art. XVII, paragraphs (1) and (2) of Emergency Ordinance No. 52/2025 on the conclusion of legal commitments, respectively exceeding the payment limits under the budget expenditure heading “Goods and services”

Dear Mr. Demeter András,

The National Center for Dance Bucharest (CNDB) hereby requests an exemption from the spending cap provided for in Art. I, paragraph (2) of Emergency Ordinance No. 52/2025. We request this exemption with regard to payments for: the Iridescent Festival, the Aerowaves Program, the Children’s Performing Arts School Program, the CNDB Season – October – December 2025, the “Dance and Performance Academy Laboratories” project funded by AFCN, and the “CNDB Awards – 2025 edition” scheduled to take place in October, November, and December 2025.

Considering all the actions taken by CNDB over the last year to secure the resources necessary for the IRIDESCENT Festival, and placing particular emphasis on the strategic relationships developed with local and international institutions, we conclude that the provisions of Emergency Ordinance No. 52/2025 on the current activities of CNDB actually mean the loss of a significant amount of money already spent, compounded by the damage caused to the entire cultural field.

Arguments:
Initial Subsidy and Savings: Since the beginning of the year, the National Dance Center in Bucharest has received a reduced subsidy, which forced the festival to be moved from May to November and also imposed rigorous savings throughout the year to ensure the budget necessary to carry out the strategic festival.

The application of the provisions of Art. XVII para. (2) of Emergency Ordinance No. 52/2025 limits monthly payments to the average expenditure incurred between January and September 2025, which, for the CNDB, translates into a maximum ceiling of approximately 40,000 lei/month. This restriction creates a major imbalance between the actual funding needs of the project and the permitted ceiling, given that the implementation of CNDB projects involves legal commitments and contracts already signed, with a total payment volume of approximately 209,965 lei for the period October-December 2025.

Therefore, strict application of the provisions of the aforementioned article would make it impossible to make these payments, with direct effects such as:

• blocking the implementation of CNDB projects and programs: the Iridescent Festival, the Aerowaves Program, the Performing Arts School for Children Program, the CNDB Season – October – December 2025, the “Dance and Performance Academy Laboratories” Project funded by AFCN, and the “CNDB Awards – 2025 edition”;
• loss of co-financing and external funds related to these programs/projects;
• reputational damage at national and international level;
• damage to contractual relationships with national and international partners and with the artists involved;
• the generation of contractual penalties and legal risks for the institution;
• the generation of a significant financial imbalance, likely to block the proper execution of the cultural programs undertaken by CNDB for the last quarter of the year.

The strategic importance of the “Academy of Dance and Performance Laboratories” project co-financed by AFCN

The “Academy of Dance and Performance Laboratories” project, organized by the National Center for Dance Bucharest (CNDB) and co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN), is a strategic professional development program for young contemporary dancers, choreographers, and performers. The project aims to strengthen artistic training by creating a framework for research, experimentation, and artistic production in the field of contemporary dance, while also supporting the emergence of a new generation of professional artists.

Through its modular structure, the “Dance and Performance Academy Laboratories” combine intensive training sessions, interdisciplinary workshops, and mentoring provided by renowned Romanian and international choreographers and educators. The program thus creates a unique platform for artistic development, functioning as an essential link between academic training and professional integration into the contemporary performance circuit.

At the same time, the project contributes to strengthening the CNDB’s position as a national center of excellence in contemporary dance and as a strategic partner of European networks dedicated to mobility and arts education. The results obtained through the laboratories—choreographic works, public presentations, and creative residencies—are subsequently integrated into CNDB programs, ensuring visibility and continuity for the young artists involved.

In conclusion, exempting the CNDB from the application of Art. XVII para. (2) is essential to ensure the continuity of the “Academy of Dance and Performance Laboratories” program and to maintain the financial stability of the institution. The project, with a total value of 118,965 lei for 2025, is of strategic importance not only for strengthening professional training in Romanian contemporary dance, but also for maintaining a European standard of creative and artistic education practices supported by the CNDB.

The amount allocated for the organization of the project “Laboratories of the Academy of Dance and Performance” is 118,965 lei.

The Strategic Importance of the IRIDESCENT Festival
The Iridescent Festival is of international strategic importance, involving artists from countries such as Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Turkey, Slovenia, Serbia, Croatia, Poland, Bulgaria, and Canada. At the local level, it should be noted that a significant number of local cultural entities will also be affected by the cancellation of the festival, including: the National Theater of Bucharest, the French Institute of Bucharest, etc.

Investment and Financial Risk:

Organizing the IRIDESCENT Festival represents a major strategic investment for the National Dance Center Bucharest, with direct implications for the international visibility of the institution and the Romanian choreographic sector.

The festival is organized in partnership with three ongoing European projects — MODINA, Moving Balkans, and Aerowaves — through which the CNDB benefits from non-reimbursable financial support, international artistic expertise, and opportunities for mobility and co-production. Participation in these programs also involves compliance with strict contractual commitments, including clear implementation deadlines and financial obligations, failure to comply with which could lead to the loss of external funding and damage the institution’s credibility at European level.

In addition to the performances included in European projects, the festival program also includes events developed from CNDB’s own resources, aimed at promoting independent Romanian artists and strengthening the national choreographic scene. These include productions by Mariana Gavriciuc, Ioana Păun, Mihai Lucaci, and other emerging creators, whose fees, technical, and logistical costs are covered by the institution’s budget.

Thus, the request for exemption from the provisions of Emergency Ordinance No. 52/2025 is a necessary measure to avoid considerable financial losses and to ensure the continuity of ongoing cultural projects.

The amount allocated for organizing the IRIDESCENT Festival is 10,000 lei.

The Importance of the Aerowaves Twenty/25 Program

The European network Aerowaves is represented by 40 partners from 34 European countries. Each year, 20 productions are selected from over 700 works from member countries for young choreographers. Aerowaves promotes their creations and supports their presentation in partner countries. In Romania, CNDB presents two outstanding works from Spain and the Netherlands, accompanied by workshops for contemporary dance professionals. The performances are always selected the previous year at the network’s annual meeting.

The application of the provisions of Art. XVII of Emergency Ordinance No. 52/2025 creates a significant gap between the actual funding requirements and the permitted ceiling, given that, in order to implement the Aerowaves Program, the CNDB needs to enter into legal commitments involving total payments of approximately 50,200 lei between November and December 2025.

În concluzie, menținerea plafonului stabilit prin Art. XVII alin. (2) face imposibilă onorarea obligațiilor contractuale asumate și blochează activitatea curentă a instituției în ultimele luni ale anului. Din acest motiv, exceptarea CNDB de la aplicarea acestui articol este esențială pentru asigurarea continuității programelor culturale și a stabilității financiare a instituției.

In conclusion, maintaining the ceiling established by Art. XVII para. (2) makes it impossible to honor the contractual obligations assumed and blocks the current activity of the institution in the last months of the year. For this reason, exempting the CNDB from the application of this article is essential to ensure the continuity of cultural programs and the financial stability of the institution.

The amount allocated for the presentation project is 50,200 lei.

The importance of the Performing arta school for children project – CNDB

The Performing art school for children project is of strategic importance for the development of choreographic culture in Romania. The project is one of the most successful long-term initiatives of the CNDB, preparing generations of artists in the field of contemporary dance. Between November and December, a special module of the project will take place, consisting of contemporary dance workshops for children led by choreographers Eva Danciu, Mariana Gavriciuc, and Catrinel Catană, as well as a final performance by the children enrolled in the program.

The amount allocated for Tiny Dances – Performing art school for children is 14,800 lei.

The Importance of the CNDB Season – October – December 2025

The CNDB season from September to December is organized exclusively on the basis of self-funded events, but it is necessary to ensure a minimum production budget for these performances to take place in our own venue. This project is of particular importance for the development of the contemporary dance sector, the support of emerging artists, and audience development.

The amount allocated for the CNDB Season – October – December 2025 is 3,000 lei.

The importance of the CNDB 2025 Awards

Starting in 2014, the National Center for Dance Bucharest (CNDB) Awards were created with the aim of recognizing and valuing significant contributions to the development of Romanian contemporary dance. Over the years, this event has honored choreographers, dancers, theorists, journalists, and other professionals who, through their work, have consistently supported the consolidation and visibility of choreographic culture in Romania.

Since its first edition, the CNDB Awards have been held every year in December, becoming a landmark event in the institution’s calendar. Exceptionally, in 2025, the event will take place in November, as part of the IRIDESCENT Festival, hosted by the National Theater Bucharest.

On this occasion, the program also includes the presentation of the international show “Masterwork for Six Dancers,” an EN-KNAP production from Slovenia, scheduled for November 26, 2025. The integration of the CNDB Awards into the IRIDESCENT Festival contributes to increasing the cultural impact of both events and strengthening the international artistic dialogue promoted by the CNDB.

The amount allocated for the CNDB Awards is 13,000 lei.

TOTAL amount for projects/programs: 209,965 lei.

Given the contractual commitments already made by CNDB with its partners, both domestic and foreign, the application of the aforementioned provisions would make it impossible to honor payment obligations for goods and services that are indispensable to the implementation of cultural programs and projects.

At the same time, postponing or canceling these activities would seriously affect the institution’s image, compromise long-standing international partnerships, and have a significant negative impact on the artists and collaborators involved.

Therefore, we kindly ask you to promptly review this request and approve the exemption of the National Dance Center Bucharest from the provisions of Art. XVII, paragraphs (1) and (2) of Emergency Ordinance No. 52/2025, in order to allow payments to be made for cultural programs and projects planned until the end of 2025.

We assure you that CNDB remains firmly committed to the responsible and transparent use of public funds and that all expenditures comply with the principles of legality, efficiency, and appropriateness.

We thank you for your support and for understanding the importance of these projects for the development and visibility of Romanian contemporary dance in the European context.

Sincerely,

Varvara-Cătălina Ștefănescu
Manager
The National Center for Dance Bucharest