What do nursing homes have in common with kindergartens, church spaces with market squares, and living rooms with nightclubs? People dance in all of these places and many more. Since prehistoric times, moving to music has been a fundamental part of human life, usually shared with others. It does not have to be complex or rehearsed. On the contrary, everyone can dance. From a toddler’s first swaying movements to children’s disco parties during carnival, from first partner dance lessons in adolescence to refreshing waltz steps before a wedding, from nights spent dancing with friends to swaying together at family celebrations, people cannot keep their feet still when the right music plays.
The right music can mean something different to everyone. In Chemnitz, a wide range of styles can be experienced. In dance schools that have been established in the city for decades, classical partner dancing is mainly taught. By the ninth grade, many students come into contact with waltz, tango and cha-cha-cha. At the same time, there are also newly founded schools and courses for contemporary dance, hip-hop, breakdance, show dance, Zumba and more. Dance accompanies people throughout all stages of life and across all cultures.
However, dancing does not always have to take place in classes or schools. What makes it special is its simplicity: anyone can dance. Alone at home with music from their phone, spontaneously with a partner to the sounds of a street musician, or together as a group at a large event. Dance is both a form of self-expression and a source of joy, and everyone moves in their own way.
Dance also played a central role in the European Capital of Culture year 2025. One highlight in August was the event “Chemnitz dances (in)visibly”, where dancers from Chemnitz, the cultural region and the Czech Republic presented the diversity of dance and invited the audience to join in. You can hear and see what it sounded like here:
And here’s a full performance by the line dancers: