Onur Agbaba

Report:

My journey with ImPulsTanz began in 2013, when I took part in a project with Mathilde Monnier that we later performed at Theater Odeon, which is still one of my favorite venues of the festival. In 2021 I returned for DanceWEB. And this year, I came back to Vienna for the third time, to immerse myself once more in the festival. ATLAS opens an intimate space, a space to return to one’s own artistic practice, to develop existing ideas, and to allow what is hidden, unexplored or still unknown to surface. But taking part in ATLAS, or in any educational program of the ImPulsTanz Festival, has always meant much more for me!

It is the experience of sitting in the audience for Nelken by Pina Bausch.
It is the encounter with emerging choreographers of the 8:tension series.
It is the simultaneous momentum of working on one’s own future, on ideas for projects still fragile, still forming.
It is enjoying workshops, with a lot of different people and great teachers.
I bike through the city.
I search for Cafés where I can sit with coffee and cake.
I spend a lot of money – gooooshh! Too much!
I keep returning to the work, to my own body, to those tiny moments of endless summer.

Being surrounded by this wide field of performances and works created in very different times, shaped by very different contexts, makes me ask myself again and again: What do I contribute to this field with my own artistic practice? Is there anything left for me to add? I question this constantly. And while I was practicing and working on my own project at Bears in the Park, which was our rehearsal studio during Summer 2025, I listened many times to the critical Essay „The End of Choreography“ by Antje Hildebrandt. Thank you Chris for mentioning it to me! Choosing this field means choosing moments of doubt, choosing financial uncertainty, choosing the struggle with funding, with oneself, with everything intertwined with this profession. And yet, I´m choosing it, again and again. I´m here, dancing, watching people dance, questioning, enjoying!

Many people who participated in ATLAS struggled with the funding. As others have already mentioned, there should be structures to support those who cannot finance their participation. Because what we are doing here, these weeks of work, of exchange, of confrontation, holds a kind of magic moments, a connection between past, present and future, unfolding in a tiny, fleeting moment.

And now I ask: how can I end this report as honestly as possible, without forgetting the in-betweens, the ups and the downs, the quiet moments, the doubts and the joys? Perhaps by acknowledging the people who shaped this experience with me:
Lucie, Isadora, Isabella, Raoul, Romy, Lisen, Simeon, Katharina, Eimi, Pi-Lou, Kaisa, Mathilde, Andreas, Steve, Emma, Snorre, Denise, Ellen, Chris, Carla, Rob, Kristin, Babsi. And of course all the people in and around! Thank you. <3 <3 <3

Because as a dancemaker and performer, one is never truly alone. Even in a solo, there is an entire apparatus working with and for you. It is not like painting or writing, where one can remain in solitude for a long stretch of time. Dance happens in a very small timeframe. Intense, collective, fragile, ephemeral.

Stefanie Alf

Report:

ATLAS offered me the chance to deepen my artistic practice by trying to find its core in an overwhelming surrounding. In the very stimulating context of Impulstanz Festival, I found myself in the situation of constant negotiation between taking workshops, watching performances, researching in the studio alone or with somebody, doing my reading research, exploring the city through my research questions, meeting old and new friends. My project I arrived with was still quite at the beginning of the research and I enjoyed a lot to present and discuss its aspects in different settings. With mentor Guy Cools I had a few inspiring sessions, talking one on one and in a small group with two fellow ATLAS participants. I was working with text, written by my great-grandfather Julius Alf who lived from 1887-1947 in Düsseldorf, Germany. He was writing poems, quite many of them very political, against the Nazi regime. I am interested who this person was and what is still left or transmitted in the family and in my body. I am working quite interdisciplinary and was supported by Guy and the group to create a space and first sketch with this material as starting point. Working on this almost autobiographical topic was quite intense emotionally and I would have wished to be closer to close friends and family, processing together what is there. On the other hand, it was very helpful to be in another city getting in contact with the material and myself elsewhere. My great-grandfather was writing in German, and I would have wished to exchange more about my research with the international ATLAS group. I imagine it would have been easier or more organic if I was working on another topic that was not so language focused. Regarding my chosen research project, I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t find many matching workshops that supported my work. However, I could attend somatic practice workshops and workshops with the focus on composition that support my work regarding other aspects. Watching at least one show every evening was an intense experience, some of the shows are still very present, as if I saw them yesterday. Being an ATLAS participant during this summer, impacted my professional career. I was in between my life as a freelance choreographer, dancer and violinist and my position in production management, outreach and dramaturgy assistant at a German Stadttheater. Being afraid of leaving my independency as a freelancer while at the same time gaining financial stability and getting to know the structures of the Stadttheater, I was trying to prepare myself for the new position, while trying to understand and deepen my own practice. I am glad for all the people I met, the dances I shared, the tears I cried, and finally can present a first product of my research on my great-grandfathers diaries that wouldn’t be the same without ATLAS: a podcast episode, letting the poems become spoken word and being new material and inspiration for my practice (https://6jmh48.podcaster.de/fabuLyriker/media/055_-_Die_Tageb_cher_des_Julius_Alf.mp3). I am looking forward to continuing my research, witnessing that of the other ATLAS participants and meeting them again here and there. Thanks to Gemeinde Siegsdorf for their generous support and scholarship.

Carla Anacker

Report:

Writing this report, it is end of October, last night, the time was changed to winter and last summer in Vienna seems very far away.
I am reminded of the first scene of the movie version from 1954 of "Das fliegende Klassenzimmer" (The flying classroom), based on the same titled novel by Erich Kästner. I loved the film as a child. In this first scene we see Erich Kästner himself sitting on a mountain meadow writing the story that we are going to see shortly after. The story is supposed to play in winter but when he writes it, it is in the middle of summer. How I remember the scene, he looks up to the top of a mountain further away and can see some snow on the mountain's peak. Grasping onto and feeling into that bit of snow in distance he can write his winter story in summer. To remember our atlas summer right now, I am listening to the playlist that we made on the very first day of our atlas time. What is your summer jam? Chris asked us in our intro-hello round. And we made the playlist. And now I sit here, in Copenhagen, write the report while listening to "I know it's today" from Shrek The Musical. During our intro-hello-round we were at Bears in the park Studio, where we spent a lot of time during these five weeks. Bears in the park is such a great place. Thinking of the garden, the "meeting" room with the paper walls and the gym room now makes me smile and feel warm. Warm. It was a rather cold summer, quite rainy too. I had expected, was warned of, really hot viennese summers. The last days were hot though, people were sitting in our public sharings with fans. Now the playlist makes me listen to Axel F "Crazy Frog". I am thinking of you Emma, of toads and of a wild night filled with Karaoke and spontaneity, and generous warm shapeshifting personas. Still deeply inspired and thankful for that night. Spontaneity and playfulness, doing rather than planning, following what speaks to me, what is dear to me. Dear Dance (thank you Onur!).
I chose to do atlas maybe not in an ideal moment of time. I was in the middle of my two years of studying an MFA in Choreography. I was exhausted from the first year and the second year was to begin right after atlas finished (or rather three days before). I had no chance but to take it slow. ImpulsTanz is a highly social event, so many people everywhere all the time, unlimited access to performances, inspiring people that you wish to get to know in workshops and also in the student housing where we all stayed together. For me it was a bit too much and there were moments when I was frustrated that my capacities of meeting people, seeing shows, biking long distances with the bike through the city, taking workshops seemed so much lower than that of so many of the others. I quickly accepted and was more than fine with missing out on things, taking things easy, slow and trusting that this can just be a beginning, to be continued, with a life on its own, expanding, growing larger than the five weeks of atlas.

For my project during atlas, I chose to stay very open and curious and experimental and I appreciate so much how Chris supported and inspired me in this endeavor with his lightness and passion. Probably because of my own need for rest, for my project I ended up spending a lot of time at IKEA City in the mattress testing area, observing how people perform resting in public space. I learned so much during atlas, a lot of which I didn't expect to learn. Looking back, it seems like I did choose to do atlas in a good moment of time in the end.

Moira, Marianne and Sara from the atlas team, thank you so much for your support and sooo much work, being available all the time!!!

Some things, I am wondering about:
- For a long time it was unclear if I receive the funding. In the end, I did. But I only got the news once atlas had finished. It felt wrong to do the program without funding and I wish I could have known before that I would receive it. I think it was part of why sometimes I felt stressed, feeling like I have to make the most out of it.
To secure that it is an educational program open to every body regardless of their personal financial situation or that of the country they live in and especially in times where cuts in funding for culture are happening everywhere, I belief ImpulsTanz has to reconsider how to ensure that everybody who gets selected receives full funding. To prevent that the educational programs become elitist and exclusive.
- I am wondering if the groups could be smaller. 20-25 people for one mentor seems just too much and with a smaller group there could be more individual mentoring.
- I was missing a place just for us participants of the educational programs, where we could hang out together, a soft place, where it is maybe not about drinking alcohol but resting together, sharing time after the performances, getting to know each other.

Some more things that I remember while writing: a couple of really good workshops, some amazing performances and those I didn't like so much but that we had great conversations about, having Pizza between shows, balcony, hair as if wet, Ikea hot dogs, iced raspberries in chocolate, sun sets, movie list, wonderful wonderful wonderful people <3 <3 <3

And now the playlist plays "Vienna" by Billy Joel. Not the song which I added to the playlist but definitely the one that became my summer jam throughout the weeks. The song I heard all over again. The one that serves the best as the little bit of snow in the far distance...
"...ou ouhh when will you realize.... Vienna waits for you... ouou"

Carl Aquilizan

Report:

I’ve been trying to write this report for weeks, but I somehow can’t find the words to fully describe my experience. So here is a little something I wrote in my notebook by the end of ATLAS that gives a glimpse into an overwhelming and rich experience.
**
ATLAS check in 8.8.25

My heart is full. My head is full. Of impressions, experiences, new knowledge, new friends, a community, reflections, ideas, inspiration, restlessness, indecisiveness and many more.

I’ve spent the past few weeks doing workshops, watching performances almost every single night, talking about my project and practice, working on it in the studio, exchanging thoughts, meeting wonderful people and biking around rainy Vienna. And taking every sunny opportunity to go for a swim!

I am so grateful for the ATLAS/DanceWeb community. I have appreciated exchanging experiences and sharing an intense journey with kind and passionate people.

Some highlights:
- Introduction days with Guy and my ATLAS group. Guy reading the welcome text.
- Somatic Drag with Maria Scaroni and Olympia Bukkakis – seeing everyone perform their drag numbers and doing Abracadabra together. Pina Busch was born!
- Isabel Lewis’ EPIC salon workshop – creating a space where different universes could co-exist and feed each other
- Glitch Choir with the best trio Deva, Chihiro and Lotta– singing, grooving, doing opera and punk at the same time, reading about the mouth, singing in to each other’s mouths, having ice cream in the breaks and the beautiful song we learned and sang every day together.
- Chanting FREE PALESTINE at the gala and the overall engagement to speak up about the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
- The beautiful speech from Guy Cools and DanceWeb expressing concerns on the imbalance of funding making DanceWeb and ATLAS inaccessible for many. Several people could not make it due to lack of funding and many came despite of it. How can the festival be more proactive in supporting artists who struggle to get funding?
- My final week where I decided to drop all my workshops and just dance in the studio. I realized how many impressions I had gathered. And ideas, physical and vocal material had been simmering ready to be expressed. I had so much fun in the studio and I loved having a shared space where I had colleagues and a community.
- Studio sharing with Melyn, Pilou and Rob - realizing my peers are the best mentors/dramaturgs/outside eyes
- Great food! Even when we only had 10 minutes to eat dinner before rushing to see a performance
- Krapfenweldlbad!
- Amazing people and memories I will carry with me for a long time
**
I also want to add that the ATLAS studio sharings were so special and I will carry those impressions with me in my creative processes.
I still dream of my summer in Vienna every time I bike around in Oslo! <3

Robert Bridger

Report:

My time on the ATLAS programme was transformative, arriving at a moment when I needed to evolve, re-think, and re-situate my dance practice. I developed a research project exploring grief through performance and video. At the early stage of this work, I needed space to think and experiment/ test new ideas. Having five weeks of studio access at the Bears in the Park Studio, alongside mentoring sessions with Chris Matthews and the ongoing dialogue with the ATLAS group, provided the perfect framework for this process.

Chris caringly facilitated a group of artists and independent makers whose practices deeply inspired me. The singularity of each artist’s work both challenged and nourished my own practice, creating a dynamic environment of exchange.

I am very grateful for the opportunity to see so much new work during those five weeks and to participate in the workshops. I was particularly inspired by the weekend workshop with Guy Cools, Rewriting Distance, and the week-long workshop with François Chaignaud, Dancing Musicalities. The intensity of the programme, combined with the scale of the Impulstanz festival, could be overwhelming at times. This definitely requires flexibly to change plans and allowing myself time to rest when needed.

What I valued most during my time in Vienna were the exchanges with new friends and inspiring artists in the studio, by the river, and after shows. It is this new community I take with me: a network I feel very hopeful will continue to support, sustain, and celebrate each other’s work.

Eve Chariatte

Report:

I applied first and foremost because I wanted to meet Guy Cools as a dramaturg. I had heard many positive things about him, and I was not disappointed. During the first three days of work with our ATLAS group, Guy helped us form as a collective—building our cohesion, our sense of solidarity, and our capacity to work together. This was fundamental to my experience. New and precious friendships began to take shape, and that is truly valuable.

Yes, living Impulstanz for five weeks is an intense experience. I felt as if I were caught inside a giant washing machine—constantly in motion, spinning in all directions. But it was an intensity that also allowed me to surpass myself. I would never have thought it possible to see so many performances, take part in so many workshops, meet so many people, ride my bike so much… all while starting a new project. After a while, I surrendered to that rhythm and eventually had the feeling of being danced rather than dancing—that the creative momentum was happening almost in spite of me, fueled by all the energy generated by the other artists and by the festival itself.

Yes, Impulstanz is a big machine—an imposing one. It’s something you have to know how to navigate, knowing what you want to take from it rather than trying to change it. Yet at the same time, it seems to me that it has been transformed over the years through the listening and feedback of the artists who have participated in it. The organization is both well-oiled and still remains on a human scale.

To conclude, I am left with several more political questions—one of which I would like to share here, as it was raised publicly during the sponsors’ evening for the ATLAS and DANCEWEB programs and still remains unanswered: what kinds of financial structures or systems could be put in place to ensure greater equality of opportunity for artists from different countries, given the vast inequalities in living and working conditions?

Melyn Jia Jie Chow

Report:

I came into this program not knowing what to expect. It was a gift to myself and an adventure, to step away from my everyday surroundings and immerse in a space filled with the force and passion for dance.

It wasn’t easy to find focus or balance with all the resources available. Nonetheless, I found myself reconnecting with the joy of dancing through House and Axis Syllabus, feeling my body without the gaze of performing or creating. I found myself inspired by Jassem Hindhi's generosity in sharing his knowledge. I felt held by my ATLAS peers, Courtney and Carl, whose openness and curiosity helped me re-sense my strengths and qualities.

I found myself swimming alone, swimming with peers, and swimming with my partner who came to visit. I also felt lucky to meet more fellow Singaporean artists directly <3 Denise, Kenneth, Pat, and Jee, not just through Instagram, but in real life. I watched some truly terrible performances (and wondered how they ended up in the festival), and others that moved me profoundly. I’ve never watched so many performances in a single month in my life!!!

A major priority for me was figuring out my own research. Because of that, I didn’t take as many classes as I would have liked, but I still feel genuinely satisfied with the depth and space my research received. Guy Cools offered a soft and steady presence, grounding in an otherwise overwhelming context. He held space beautifully.

I feel blessed to have met and glimpsed the inner worlds of my fellow peers, witnessing the diversity of their practices in our Rennweg studios. I’m deeply grateful for that space, it became a home base for me throughout the festival. Being at this international platform also gave me precious insights into how I position myself as a maker within a wider context. This new awareness feels eye opening.

Also, Korean food in Vienna is so good <3 !

Ellen Crofton

Report:

Half-made rushed sandwiches, heavy limbs invited to dance, confused tears, forgetting and remembering a tired body - and repeat, mornings that are nights, a dancing plague, deep breaths holding many things at once, holding hands, beginnings disguised as partings, fans blowing, curtains breathing, headphone concentration, child-like late-night dances, grinning, frowning, here’s a body that needs to twist and turn, here’s a body that needs rest.



My time throughout the ATLAS programme was a time of unravelling, unearthing, undoing, re-making, re-establishing, questioning, researching, and experimenting. Being among kind peers who I can now call friends, was incredibly inspiring: sharing thoughts, testing ideas together, picking apart, interrupting, witnessing together. Sharing a studio space with these friends was precious, and is something I will hold onto. My ATLAS group mentor Chris Matthews, created a gentle and caring space that held us all. Having Chris’ support and direction, allowed me to find ways to softly critique my choreographic practice.

The festival workshops allowed me to improve my movement vocabulary, extend my choreographic knowledge, work with international dancers, and put the methodologies of worldwide choreographers into practice. Having regular exposure to performances from exciting companies and choreographers, was also hugely energising.

There were also challenges - managing exhaustion alongside scheduling was difficult. Still, with the support of friends and my mentor, I was able to find comfort in the chaos.

I see ATLAS as a beginning, and I am excited to see the experimentations and creations of the friends I met during the programme. I believe we created a shifting but connected community that will ebb and flow in new spaces.

Giulia Damiani

Report:

A wild ride. Literally on the bike. But also, among the endless workshops, the hours spent in the studio, watching shows, hanging out with many new people. Already the choice of the courses to follow at the beginning feels overwhelming: so much to consider, the depth and variety of the approaches offered by the facilitators is breath-taking. Then the programme starts and it literally never stops until is over. Pain can kick in at some point, and emotions too. This time was fundamental for my practice, it allowed me to focus on my sonic tools and my physical presence; a training routine is sometimes far from the life of the artist busy writing applications and producing work. In that sense, these 5 weeks were regenerative and generative at the same time. Having the time to be and move before it gets turned into anything else - wow! Going back to the practice. It was really precious to simply move with some classes and to go into more depth into critical and political elements with others. I'm already finding myself sharing things I learnt with students around me. How to connect this experience to a political presence is a question that stayed with me. As part of the ATLAS residency I started to gather new materials for a performance which I'm continuing to the develop. But also, I got access the joy and collective quality of doing this work again. I will bring with me the ATLAS cohort, the recommendations and brilliant guidance of our tutor Guy, the friendliness of the staff at ImPulsTanz, the professionally quality of this machine and the passion that in moments I felt animating all of this. It felt recharging while being extremely tiring; undoubtedly working within a cohort of people was one of the most positive aspects of this experience. Sharing the studio, concerns, understanding that we're stronger together. I felt more connected to people from my local scene while making new friends living closer or further away. Since ATLAS I started to dance again more and to connect with different communities through that, and of this I'm thankful too.

Snorre Elvin

Report:

Joining the ATLAS programme with Christopher Matthews this summer was an intense period, surrounded by the most beautiful and kind group of people. It was both rewarding and exhausting.

After having done danceWEB in 2017, I felt ready to return to the festival with one of the programmes. I had set an intention for myself to participate in the festival and the programme with a granny attitude: to set boundaries, take good care of my energy and body, and to say no. Being in the storm of the festival, this wasn’t as easy as I had imagined; when there are so many exciting people and events, it can be tricky to find the space to regenerate, tune in, listen, and restore.

I wish the festival took better care to create spaces for rest, connection, and calmness—especially in a setting that is so packed, intense, and at times overwhelming. For participants in the ATLAS and danceWEB programmes, I especially missed a place for collective rest and recovery. I know that festivals are places of intensity and density—which is what makes them so fun and important—but I still wonder how they could be made more sustainable.

That said, I made a lot of fabulous connections with people, and that is really what the festival is about, I think.

Also, the mentorship with Christopher was really great! I enjoyed his approach to leading a group, the references he brought in, and his kindness.

My presentation of my own research towards the end of the festival was surprisingly rewarding. Presenting to such a generous and caring crowd was extremely informative and brought new insights and directions into my choreographic trajectory.

Steven Fast

Report:

Impressions of my residency with the ATLAS scholarship and my work-in-progress showing of LEFT UNFELT - an ode to love:

It’s been a whirlwind of a journey to witness the on-going transformation of initial notions of loveletters, dedicated to my Volga German ancestry, heritage and the powerful women I grew up with.
The idea of these loveletters have been enriched by a sense of care and hospitality that us scholars shared in a newly inhabited home. Our beloved ‚Bears in the Park Studios‘, a finite, yet dreamy oasis to create and connect. Thank you Chris for setting us up to fall in love with each other and for your sweet and caring mentorship through the hardship of work and play.
The festivals condition to leave you on fomo has been an accelerating force for my decision making and creating lol. I‘ve felt constantly fed by this hot sauce of teachers, artists and astonishing individuals creating, dancing, researching, and simply being around together, it’s been truly my pleasure.

Thank you to the Between Bridges Foundation and all the private donors to realize my attendance at the festival.

Storytime
_________
In the 18th century, German farmers have been settling along side the Volga river after invitation of Empress Catherine The Great to harvest land for the Russian empire, being promised to maintain their culture, tradition and churches.
Jump cut, during Second World War, a long series of deportation had been ordered, displacing families to the outskirts of Siberia and Central Asia. Most men were put in working camps under the disguise of recruitment, working themselves to death and never returning home. Meanwhile Women, Mothers and their children were left to survive.
During the Perestroika and after generations of cultural assimilation, these Soviet Germans were allowed to return to Germany.
My parents generation barely spoke any German, practicing Slavic traditions, coming from Kazakhstan, Siberia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Turkmenistan, etc.
I’m now part of the first generation being born back in their „homeland“, being left with a beautiful confusion of identity, not really able to identify as German but something more transcultural.

Growing up in a matriarchal household, seeing these strong female personalities in charge, caring and providing at the same time, has been always leaving me inspired.
So this one is for you mom, babushka, auntie (my holy trinity) and all the mothers and women carrying before.
I love you.

Emma Fishwick

Report:

ATLAS was not something I would naturally gravitate towards as an artist, but this year I kept getting drawn to this program. I think for the stage in my practice, where I had been leading and generating consistently, I was drawn to the possibility of spending a solid period of time focused on practice and practising my art. I have also been drawn to the work of Guy Cools for some time now and the chance to be led by another in this way (and in person) was so deeply enriching. His tall and gentle stature coaxed me, in those first few days, into ways of thinking and being in the studio that I both had forgotten and was new to discover.

As a person that natural operates creatively solo, I find these mass gatherings a lot to process when they go on for long periods of time. But Guy had curated such a considered cohort of artists, that the experience of being together over the five weeks, offered the right mixture of support and critical exchange. All of which I’ll take with me for a long time.

My time at Rennweg Studio’s was especially beneficial, it became more enticing to me than the workshops as the weeks went on. I was reminded and reconnected with what my practice and my project needed. Sometimes this was accepting it had to be a walk around Wien, before watching automated lawnmowers cut the grass of the Belvedere Palace, to then go to a creative research project lab to roll down corridors, before watching multiple dance shows in a row.

It was the combination of time and space to research in tandem with workshops and seeing so many shows that made for an enriching use of the program for me. Working and living in one of the most isolated capital cities in the world, made it such a joy to submerge myself amongst a peer group of diverse creative individuals that often feel so far away. It was worth the ride and it will all stay with me for a long time.

Lina Gómez

Report:

The decision to do ATLAS was full of doubts and debts, but the moment I arrived — and yes, this may sound quite romantic — those doubts began to fade away. As the days went by, I realized I had made an excellent decision. The debt remains, but now it wears the dress of investment.

And it was a good investment. I reconnected with my own body — something that, given how I live my profession, always caring for or making other bodies dance, tends to be left aside. I took workshops with wonderful artists, met inspiring people, learned new things, relearned others, and exchanged experiences. I feel the timing to take part in ATLAS couldn’t have been better. The mentor, Guy, and the other artists in the group were a huge part of the beauty of this experience — admirable people and artists, driven by their urgencies, full of depth, honesty, and generosity. It was a joy to be surrounded by them and to feel part of this group during five intense weeks.

Yes, a lot happens — the days are full, very full. In my case, true to my own intensity, I chose to live this experience that way. I took two to three workshops per week, attended almost all performances (I only missed three), went out at night to socialize, and still found time to be in the studio working on my research.

Speaking specifically about the research I brought to ATLAS, I have to say that the way Guy held and embraced each artist’s proposal had a strong influence on how we all found our own rhythm and needs — whether to research or to share or to rest. He lifted from us that pressure of obligation, productivity, and the need to constantly be a “genius” that often hovers over such environments. The spatial structure was also essential — our group had a wonderful studio, and there was a flexible organization of space that made it easy to use the studios without stress or competition for time.

As a choreographer, perhaps the only thing I missed was a stronger connection to the professional field — beyond the rich artistic exchange that ATLAS already provides. I mean the possibility of building professional networks, of meeting curators, programmers, and institutions that could open future collaborations and opportunities. ATLAS, as I experienced it, was more of a personal and artistic investment than a professional one in terms of visibility or career development. Still, how one lives this experience depends deeply on the moment of life and practice one is in.

One of the wonders of the program is how the entire festival team welcomes your choices with generosity — always open to dialogue, exchange, questions, and feedback.

I’m still digesting the experience, and I feel its richness will keep unfolding for years — in connections, in reflections, and perhaps in future collaborations. I wholeheartedly recommend being part of ATLAS — and I even find myself thinking, maybe I’ll do it again someday.

Andreas Haglund

Report:

The festival took place during an ongoing genocide in Gaza, Palestine. To gather such a large number of people across ATLAS and DanceWeb produces an intensification of dialogue of whatever is going on in the global sphere. This summer, the genocide was on everyone’s lips and minds. What does it mean to produce art propped up by economies invested in an apartheid state? How are our complicities articulated as artist? In Denmark for example, where i get my money from, the weapons company TERMA has increased their production of weapons which they have been selling to Israel and by proxy getting more money into the Danish state which in turn trickles down into my pocket, via state funded culture programs. 


But what can be done in the face of such overwhelming evil? Besides boycotting the formal economy and starting a self-sustaining permaculture farm of course. We can gather, organise and dance. A certain pride rose in me when this large group of weird queers and dance divas form across the globe managed to organise around actions of solidarity with the palestinian people, against zionist violence. From die-ins, to keffiyeh distribution, to an 8tension support statement against WUK, a venue known for having censored a local artists pro-Palestinian statement. Writing this in November 25 I’m excited to see that WUK has presented the local artist with a formal apology and a compensation, an important step forward for the theatre and the local scene in Vienna. Proving once again that political organisation, even through temporary gatherings like the impulstanz summer, can help put pressure enough on organisations to reorganize their political sensibilities. Insistence, grace and force.



Speaking of, I was also very impressed by the way the DanceWeb cohort jointly managed to articulate an address to the festival, raising concerns about the asymmetricality of funding. How where we live, what wealth we inherit (personal and national) and our appeal to private and public funding determines wether or not we are welcome to the festival. I still remember the speech at the gala that was written by members of the cohort and read out loud by Saharla with such poise and integrity. That!!!, is how you with courtesy yet intention can state your demands. The speech was referred to as agressive, a statement that was out of touch with the reality of Saharlas delivery and the text itself. I remember the frustration bubbling in the foyer of Odeon for being played down by the direction of the festival. It is understandable that the festival, like much of the cultural landscape in europe, is struggling to secure the finances that they need. However, I just wish that this speech, and it’s demands for re-articulation was received with the grace and poise it was delivered. 



Thank you to all the lovely people I met who made this summer so memorable!! From my qutest ATLAS groups to the divas to the people I wish I've had more time with.

Besides all this,

the whole dance
the whole body
the late nights
the long looks

the heat / between spines

the swimming / across theatres / across bodies / across concrete 

woof woof goes the complacent choreographer
miauw in the face of 
extortion demands maturity
demand entertainment!
demand honesty!
demand summer!
demand entry to the tent!

demand 'I don’t want to be that bitch but I guess I’m gonna have to be’

demand dance dance dance, otherwise we will loose track of what is
importantly gathering around
the fire


Emma Harrison

Report:

ATLAS is everything it says on the tin and more.
It is deep diving into your vulnerabilities, it is hating dance and loving dance at the same time, it’s questioning what it is to make and see and do dance in the face of a genocide, it is fear of missing out, it is being so tired and so rushed that you are forced into finding your way through, it is having your mind blown by extraordinary mentors and facilitators and peers, it is realising that you know more than you thought, it is realising the arts is in safe hands as you stand amongst the next generation of choreographers and deep thinkers and doers who are your cohort on this extraordinary ride, it is questioning taste and aesthetic, it is undoing years of knowing, it is listening to your body, it is playing-laughing-crying, it is late night karaoke in the studio, it is Aperol by the river, it is sharing woes and heartbreaks and successes and crushes, it is witnessing the incredible, it is coffee at all hours, it is cane toads and Axel F, it is dancing dancing dancing, it is sweat, it is a new, lifelong community.

I will be forever grateful to Chris for inviting me into the family of 2025 ATLAS. The people he brought to together and the space he created will continue to shape my dance and life for years to come. To my fellow Atlas divas - What a ridiculous bunch of thinkers, game-changers, and generous baddies you are. I feel so excited to know that your art and your humanness are specked across the world, changing and challenging perspectives, bringing joy and magic. It was a pleasure to witness you, be inspired by you, and join you on the journey. I hope you are all finding rest and power in your practice. Til we meet again. Big love.

Pau Hoff

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My Participation at the ATLAS Program of Impulstanz Festival was certainly one of my highlights of the year! Rarely have I felt so inspired and focused as in these five summer weeks of 2025 in Vienna: I am coming home with a large notebook full of impressions, thoughts and experiences in that time. The intense atmosphere in Vienna among performers and choreographers has given me time, space and context to reflect on performance, dance dramaturgy and my own practice in this field.

The encounters with Guy Cools and my ATLAS peers meant to me an enrichment for my dramaturgical practice and journey. Apart from the fact that Guy as an experienced dance dramaturg was a fantastic mentor for our group and shared a lot of his professional experience, we tried out different practices to get into conversation about dance pieces and choreographic processes. In addition to new techniques, I was able to get to know so many exciting dancers and choreographers in the meetings with my ATLAS group and learn from their practices, artistic explorations and life paths.

Besides the overwhelmment that probably each participant experienced in this huge group of people, it was a great gift to me, to be part of such an interesting crowd of artists who deal with political questions with great care and search for answers through their bodies. This resulted in many interesting conversations and I was able to take thoughts with me that I am still thinking about.

I also took a lot with me from my workshops, which ranged from in-depth reflection on the content of bodies and performance to very sportive movement techniques. I also attended performances almost every evening. In particular, I appreciated the international curation by focusing on pieces by artists from the Global South, as they represent a shift in perspective to my professional working environment of the unfortunately still very white and European-influenced German theatre scene.

As part of the ATLAS program, I also worked intensively on my research project. In this context, I dealt with my own dramaturgical methods, theses, thoughts and principles. In this artistic exploration, my mentor Guy Cools encouraged me to focus on questions of materiality and the representation of my methods. For example, I found specific visualizations for some methods that opened up new spaces of thought for me and also filled me with a special sense of satisfaction.

My ATLAS Research Project ended with a showing, or rather a mini-workshop for the other participants of the ATLAS program. For this presentation, I have visually prepared various of my dramaturgy methods and distributed them around the showing room like in a gallery. People first had time to take a closer look at the individual methods in the room and, in a next step, were able to spread out in small groups at one of six interactive stations. There I prepared small tasks and suggestions for them on how the participants can adapt my tools for their own artistic practice and start talking about them. These results and discussions were also exciting for me and gave me input to continue working with them.

Overall, my ATLAS Research Project has given me visions and a desire to continue my in-depth artistic research in the future and, for example, has made me dream of an artistic PhD. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to participate so intensively in the Impulstanzfestival this year and to get to know such great people - thank you very much for that!

Mathilde Carmen Chan Invernon

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I am very grateful for my stay in Vienna as part of the ATLAS group led by Christopher Matthews. The experience has been profoundly enriching, both through the workshops I was able to attend and the performances I witnessed, as well as through the time I dedicated to my ongoing research on the heart. What marked me most deeply was the encounter with so many artists and performers from across the world. Meeting people who share the same struggles, the same doubts, and the same strong desire to create and exchange has changed me and supported me in ways I did not expect.

The things I enjoyed less have also shaped me. They sharpened my critical thinking, and the freedom to discuss them openly with other participants and with the administrative team gave me a renewed sense of joy and trust in the possibility of inhabiting an artistic world where speech is free, where disagreement and critique are not obstacles but engines. This atmosphere nourished the group, each individual, and our practices as dance artists and living bodies.

Since leaving Vienna and transitioning fully into the production phase of my new creation, I realize how deeply the materials I encountered at ImPulsTanz have continued to infuse my work. I am sincerely grateful to everyone who shared their ideas, experiences, and knowledge across all parts of this program. Their generosity continues to accompany me.

Kristin Jackson Lerch

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ATLAS was really special for me. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many people from completely different artistic practices. So many different approaches to dance, writing, singing, dramaturgy, and just life ^^
It was a whirlwind. You wake up, go to workshops all day, have intense conversations, work on your piece, rush off to see a show at night, maybe even party, although I rarely found time for that. Through all of it, I tried to stay stable, healthy, and beautiful. I definitely felt the pressure to make the most of it, to take in as much as possible, and I think I did.
During the program, I kept developing my piece, which is about prophecies of the end of the world. In this fast-paced, diverse and chaotic environment I finally figured out what I wanted to get across, and how to do that. It helped me find a better balance between the physical and the conceptual.
Chris was a great mentor. His positive energy and thoughtful feedback encouraged me to trust what I was doing and stay curious throughout the process.
Overall, the program gave me inspiration, I met new people, and found fresh motivation for my work. I recommend applying, although it’s tough financially - I was only able to do it thanks to the BMKÖS scholarship.

Maxime Jeannerat

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The ATLAS Programm offers one of most creative environment I've experienced as an artist. It was beautiful to share space and time with such a rich groupe of artist, to witness what they are busy with and to follow the growth of each project along the weeks we were sharing together.

I have found the setting of the program extremely well built: the frame we were navigating in was giving us enough input to grasp and take, as well as a great possibility to manage our time and space outside of the festival. I truly felt free to discover my creative path and follow my instinct where it wanted to go.

I would truly recommend the Atlas program to anyone that is willing to explore something new, requisitioning what is already there and be surrounded by other artistic visions.

Pierre-Louis Kerbart

Report:

The ATLAS program was a surprise. It was better than I had imagined. I thought I would arrive at a huge machine and take workshops as if it were a supermarket. I was a little skeptical, especially since the funding for my participation was not guaranteed.
In hindsight, yes, the festival is huge, it's a big machine: lots of people, lots of noise. But in the midst of all that, the human and artistic encounters touched me deeply and shook me up. It was very warm and joyful.

The workshops provided a good framework for questioning and opening up new avenues of work on my own practice. The ATLAS program, with the mentor Chris and the resident artists, was a great support for continuing the research process I had already begun a few months earlier. I came with a project provisionally named Villes décors. I question the way in which our bodies, like a movie set, are inhabited by presences. I take Western cinema sets up as my starting point and use dance to question what presences remain in my body and my imagination, and how I can distance myself from them, twist it, discuss it. More broadly, I explore how the body can become a place of reminiscences, what I like to call embodied emotional memories.

Chris's joy and generosity were a real source of support throughout the process. This took the form of three kick-off days dedicated to building group cohesion and presenting each person's projects. Then we met up with Chris again for discussions with two other artists from the program, or one-on-one. I had three meetings with him. What I value most about this experience is the fact that I was surrounded by young choreographers who were creating, researching, listening, curious about each other's projects, kind, and with whom I was able to share my work and theirs. I loved going to Bears in the Park (be prepared, it's a 45-minute bike ride from the accommodation! At first it was hard, but then I loved cycling so much!), coming into the big shared studio, witnessing the concentration everyone put into their work, or chatting in the kitchen or garden with those who were there for that.

For me, ATLAS meant biking, biking, dance classes, biking in the rain, show after show, but above all, debriefing with friends about what we thought of the show; evenings drinking tea at neighbors new friends' kitchen, new friends, my body opening up, my hips dancing, meals to prepare every night for the next day, some very very good parties, hellos over and over and over again, goodbyes that were a little too long, very short encounters, long discussions, the river naked, the pool with friends, sparkling white wine, fatigue, changes of plan, excitement, the unexpected, good restaurants with friends, and plans for the future!

Eimi Leggett

Report:

I came to the Atlas programme with a question that had been weighing on me for some time , one that even caused an artistic block: How do we make art in times when we’re daily exposed to the world’s violence? While conflict has always existed, I’ve become increasingly engaged with global and local politics, and I began to question the purpose of creating art at all.
Through this intense residency, filled with dramaturgy workshops ( while I struggled with FOMO, it was important to curate a theme when choosing workshops), fascinating and occasionally outdated performances, and, most importantly, intimate conversations, I began to understand my desires more clearly. The question remains open, but it now feels more comprehensible. I deeply appreciated dialogues that occurred on balconies overlooking Vienna's imperial landscape (including the dinosaur animatronics at Prater, and Stunning Summer Storms), in rushed but deep exchanges on the way to theatres and workshops, I realised my desire to make art that shares perspectives. Being surrounded mostly by European based peers (and some Awesome Australians and Curious Canadians ~~Stay with me here, I’m trying to write without the help of AI), I saw how essential it is to share values and ethics in a safe space, creating temporary intimacy on stage, whatever that stage may be. Whether as a performer or dramaturge, I feel content to have clarified a blockage, reestablishing values and found new creative flow.
The notion of “doing,” introduced by our mentor Christopher Mathews early in the programme, initially surprised me. But embracing it helped me move past hesitation, the fear of adding yet another voice to the art world. Breaking Free from my own expectations and insecurities. This doing mindset led me to create a video work, merging portrait like photos series from my dormitory apartment with Vienna’s architecture, write a letter-essay to my mother on Nudity, and develop a site-specific performance, all within my ongoing project Coppelia_q. Sharing these raw materials, some outside my comfort zone, became profoundly meaningful. Those witching hour bursts of creation, after full days of workshops, two shows a night, and small lounge parties, rekindled something essential: the self-cultivated creative side I’d temporarily put aside after years of performing and collaborating with others.
—--------
If you’re reading this and wondering if you should apply for Atlas, I’d say go for it. You’ll meet artists that are inspiring, wondering about similar issues all the way across the continents which helps you feel less isolated as an artist. ( full credits to Chris for the amazing curation of peers) You'll be part of a temporary community built in this specific summer-camp-like-context going through struggles, supporting each other to find solutions together.
While studio time may be difficult to access due to many things you’ll have desire to do, (possibly because of the overwhelming accumulation of information you’ll gather in one day through the workshops or the ongoing networking/gatherings and performances,) Remember that the most of the experiences you’ll be going through, positive or negative, will inform and support whatever questions or work you want to develop, may it be an existential one as mine was or a simple desire to DO something in a fresh environment.
Wishing you a creatively and socially nourishing time as I had when I forgot to eat and sleep.
with love, E
PS Don’t bring books as you won’t have time to read and there is no shame in taking public transport. x

Denise Lim

Report:

When I applied for Atlas in December 2024, I didn’t have any summer plans and decided to give it a shot. I spent the earlier part of 2025 feeling like I reached an impasse. Seriously considering whether or not this dance life, this performing life, this art life is really for me. When I was accepted in January 2025, I still had many doubts. I received the danceweb scholarship in 2019. I was 21 then. I am 27 now. I was not sure if I would manage to pull together the money to attend Atlas. The National Arts Council Singapore supported me partially. The rest of the funds I raised through my Thai massage practice - as self appointed in house massage therapist at PAF in June 2025.

Arriving at OEAD Gasgasse in July 2025, I was apprehensive if I was going to be able to handle it. I already knew my life in Berlin was coming to an end, a new beginning soon in Giessen. I realised I was not the only one. Many late nights alone in bears in the park studio. Sitting in the transparent plastic chair in front of the TV studying A’s work, looking out a big window
Into the garden, a big tree
Here, another garden, another big tree

Screens among screens
Frames among frames
People among people
Scenes among scenes

Elise Ludinard

Year: 2025
Program: atlas
Coach: Guy Cools
Nationality: Belgium
Country: Belgium

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Katharina Ludwig

Year: 2025
Program: atlas
Coach: Christopher Matthews
Nationality: Germany
Country: Switzerland

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Jenn (Cheng-Sing) Ma

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I applied to the program because I wanted to feel invigorated by the art form again. To not feel like giving up on it. Making dance into a career was probably the most silly, and at the same time, most profound series of life choices I made in my 20's. And now in my 30's, the certainties that seemed resolute were starting to feel less so. I was at a point where everything felt like it was leading to nothing and the fire that drove me towards this path wasn’t as encouraging anymore. Some friends that have done DanceWeb or ATLAS said I should give it a go and so my spontaneous and FUCK IT side took over and I applied, hoping for something.

When I made it to the dorms on the first day, I met dancewebber Nora, who went on to become a huge supportive angel in my journey there and beyond. From this first connection to all the connections I made was definitely the most valuable. Yes, the structure of the festival gave me so much - the whole ATLAS program, workshops and endless shows, events etc… but what I took away with me are the residues of everyone I got to bond with through this bizarre container of spectacular, generous and kind humans that you spend every waking minute with.

If you’re reading this and you feel a bit isolated walking your own path at home, I say go for it, apply - get yourself to another city with new inspirations. Yes the art happens, you will make something, you will learn so much from the workshops but these connections you’ll make because of the nature of the ImPulsTanz container is what will stay with you.

Highlights for me -
- THE PEOPLE: just re-emphasizing this.
- The supportive mentor: Guy was a one of a kind, experienced, wise and kind mentor who really gave us his all to support us. I feel like I chose a mentor that I wouldn’t normally encounter in my communities, someone who felt unfamiliar and I’m forever grateful I got to share words and practice with Guy. He really gave me clarity while I was feeling confused and lost in what I was making.
- The ATLAS studio sharings - I made something that I wouldn’t have made back home, and am now developing my first solo work to production which I also wouldn’t have had the courage to do. Again, the group energy of support for 5 and a half weeks really held me and spearheaded this. Witnessing 3 full days of sharings was a true highlight and seeing everyone in their own light and taking risks. These hit me more than the theatre shows.
- Angelique Wilke’s dramaturgy workshop: essential learnings and Angelique’s energy will remind you why you do what you do.
- Actually, try to do it all - the shows, workshops, events, late night hangs. Yes I was tired, stressed because my body battery was dwindling but I don’t regret any of the late night kebabs and full workshop schedule I did with the best people.
- GO see as many shows as possible. I really learned a lot from the shows I didn’t like (which surprisingly, was quite a few) as well as the ones I liked. 8tension series are a must because what’s better than seeing what young choreographers are making and trying to tell the world?

Thank you Guy, the ATLAS team, the workshop team for doing everything you can to make this experience as full as it was. Truly hope all of our paths cross again!

Courtney Mackedanz

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courtneymackedanz.com
courtneymackedanz@gmail.com

My warm gratitude and tender embrace to all of the creatures that offered their creative energy which made ATLAS the rich, dense, thoughtful, and artistically nourishing environment that it was to situate artistic growth and experimentation within! Guy Cools was a generous mentor who insisted on encouraging foundations of a long term sustainable practice as much as he encouraged development and experimentation within the project that I brought along to the program. Our cohort was filled with vivid perspectives, dynamic approaches, and kind hearted collaborators with whom I hope to maintain lifelong friendships! Given the intensity of the programming, I felt grateful for the pace, shape, and structure of the ATLAS program within the festival as a space for integration, digestion, and embodiment of new discoveries that surfaced throughout my time in Vienna! Although there could never be enough time or energy for everything on offer, I appreciated exploring the earliest seeds of an evolving solo project within the context of the many workshops, research projects, performances, and parties of the festival! An unbelievably potent time for play and experimentation, I've spent the past three months since returning from Vienna sorting through the gestures, materials, and questions that my time there encouraged! With gentleness and with ecstasy—thanks to the many new and old friends for encouraging me in the development of my dance about being bitten by a tick and for sharing your momentum and vitality!

Dead End Host was a work in progress a performance installation for one body generated by the complex ecosystem of many beings; a method of experimental embodiment enacting speculative perspectives of the multiple species I’ve crossed paths with since contracting Lyme Disease. I continue to be interested in thinking alongside the disease vector as a generative methodology; one of transspecies ecological embrace and advocacy. The evolving transdisciplinary research, dance, and installation considers notions of collaborative animism, speculative sensing, and both eco-somatic and eco-erotic porosities.

Marie Cécile Nest

Year: 2025
Program: atlas
Coach: Guy Cools
Nationality: France
Country: Austria

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Babsi Neundlinger

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I took part in the ATLAS programme at ImPulsTanz, with Christopher Matthews as my mentor. My project was centered on creating a color-lit, haze-filled room as an immersive performance art environment, focusing on spatial perception and sensory experience. Unfortunately, I was unable to perform the piece due to an injury, but the preparation and conceptual work were still an important part of my participation.
ATLAS has a strong emphasis on group interaction and collective processes, including discussions, shared presentations, and ongoing social engagement with other participants. Much of the programme revolves around group dynamics and consensus-driven dialogue, which shaped how projects were discussed and developed.
The programme is very much focused on performance art rather than dance or choreography, with attention on performative concepts, modes of presentation, and how work is encountered in space. My involvement reflected this focus, especially in exploring immersive environments and atmospheric experiences. Even though my piece couldn’t be performed, my participation was fully integrated into the programme’s group-based structure and the shared exploration of performance practices.
Working with Christopher Matthews was particularly rewarding. Our one-on-one sessions gave me the chance to pick his brain and approach topics from different angles, which was both stimulating and enjoyable. His guidance and perspective added a valuable dimension to the programme and made the process of discussing ideas engaging and fun.

Kaisa Nieminen

Report:

The ATLAS program and ImPulsTanz was an intensive 5 weeks; workshops, performances, studiotime, discussions, sharings, biking, swimming and getting to know new lovely colleagues! It was sometimes overwhelming to choose from everything happening at the festival and also trying to find time to work on your own project at the Bears in the Park studios. I think it helped to have somewhat clear goals before entering the program, but l still got fomo and it’s also impossible to do it all, so prepare yourself for that if you apply for the program!

I was happy to share with ATLAS group work-in-progress of my solo Wilting before blooming, sorry I’m late, delving into themes such as misogyny, rape culture, heteronormative structures and queer pleasure and desire. I just premiered the performance in Finland and I thought of all the lovely ATLAS people and their support on that day!

I will carry especially these things in my heart <3:
- our ATLAS group and how Christopher Matthews curated and held it
- critical, political discussions about art and life with other artists
- ATLAS showings, what a pleasure to be able to see each others work-in-progress showings
- spontaneous karaoke/drag/performance evening with our ATLAS group (these numbers will live rent-free in my head)
- different inputs from workshops, performances, weekend intensives that will keep resonating in my practice
- Krapfenwaldbad

I came home completely out of breath and exhausted, but for the right reasons with a lot of memories, laughs and some tears. Thank you Albert Saloranta foundation and huge amount of friends who contributed to my birthday gift for this trip to Vienna. I was in a privileged position to get the full financial support for this program knowing that a lot of others didn’t get the funding which put us in a different material reality to enter these programs in the first place. It also felt important to see artists raising these financial and structural issues into discussion and to see artists taking stand against the genocide in Palestine. All in all ATLAS and ImPulsTanz was an experience of a lifetime I will never forget. Thank you everyone that I met and got to spend time with this summer in Vienna!

Saulė Noreikaitė

Report:

Being part of 2025 ATLAS program was such a gift! And even though the in-person program in Vienna lasted for 5 wonderful weeks, I must say that this program and its’ effects last so much longer. Starting from the moment when I applied with a project proposal in November 2024 followed by many months prior to July selecting workshops to take, performances to see and in general planning one’s program during the festival is definitely a big part of this whole experience. Not to mention the unfolding that happens after coming home, soaked and enriched with experiences and practices throughout these intense 5 weeks. There were so many important moments in those 5 weeks for me, that I believe it is still going to unfold in many years from now, as it is such a privilege to take part in this program and to meet fellow artists and follow their practices after the festival ends.



~How exciting it is see your peers presenting the work they started making during ATLAS in many places around the world and to know that you are one digital touch away from them to celebrate!~

Coming back to the actual experience during the festival, I got to take many workshops and field projects (my report says that I danced 166 hours!) and I got to see a lot of performances (40!). Next to this intense schedule that I made for myself (it definitely is a choice, and you can take as many or as little workshops or see as many or as little performances as you like, but for me personally it was so important, coming from a creative period with a huge lack of input from outside) there are group meetings, introductory workshop and studio time and individual sessions with your ATLAS group and mentor. I was so lucky to be guided by Guy Cools, together with our group we held such a dear and safe space for each other, that every exchange that happened in the studio was really precious. I could go on to write a huge list of enriching experiences during workshops, performances or just hanging out in the studios (which we could access any time we want!) and follow this list by many thank yous to the teachers, peers, organisers, Impulstanz and ATLAS team, community and Vienna itself.

I am so deeply grateful, it was a gift to get to experience such a wonderful community of people dancing (and being reminded to fall back in love with your first love — dance!) and making work together in the studios. And even though at the beginning (and during the program) I was stressed — how in this intense schedule I will be able to make and present my own work — in the process I found out that it was nothing to worry about, thanks to our wonderful mentor and the space he created and held for us in the studio throughout these five weeks. And I was really amazed what a huge impact (both overwhelming and energising or motivational) — a group, the intensity of the festival, the input, impulses, material, peers, mentors, teachers and inspiration that you get from all that — has on the creative process and your capacity of actually making your work in the studio in the midst of it all. Everything at the end kind of clicks together and the presentations of ATLAS participants at the end of the festival is really like another special delight (you can see another 40 performances if you still have the energy for it). Impulstanz is really special and to get to experience it by being part of ATLAS program was such a privilege — not only participating in workshops, seeing performances, but in general being immersed in all of that and sharing it with a group of peers.

All the questions that I came to this program with have been answered and I had no idea know how much more (loads loads loads) I’ll take home with me.



It was so rich, my heart was (still is) full, it is such a precious experience that I will carry it with me forever, and most importantly, be reminded of the possibilities and potentials in art making and the importance of the artistic community to support each other throughout the process.

Simeon Ohlsen

Report:

Participating in the ATLAS program at ImPulsTanz 2025 has been one of the most formative experiences of my artistic journey so far. Under the guidance of our wonderful coach Christopher Matthews, I was able to deepen my choreographic practice, refine my voice, and discover new ways of trusting my own process. The exchange within the group—artists from different parts of the world—created a safe, stimulating environment that made learning from and with each other possible on many levels.

During the first weeks, I engaged in a wide range of workshops and research projects, which offered invaluable perspectives and impulses. Yet I realized that the real growth for me came when I allowed myself to step back and dedicate more time to my own process in the studio. This shift taught me that inspiration does not always come from more input, but sometimes from creating space, waiting, and letting ideas emerge in their own time. To give myself permission to “waste time” became one of the most important discoveries of this period.

My solo project, Unraveled Threads, became the central focus of my work during ATLAS. The piece interweaves live piano, contemporary dance, and autobiographical text, exploring queerness, memory, and the entanglement of music and movement. The piano—both as an instrument and as an object—became a site of memory and transformation: a place where discipline and joy coexist. Through autofictional elements, I examined how classical structures can be reframed through queerness, and how interdisciplinary practices can become tools for resilience and self-definition. Developing this piece within ATLAS allowed me to connect my artistic past with a future I am only beginning to imagine.

The time spent at Huggy Bears was particularly meaningful. The warmth and atmosphere of this studio created a supportive environment where I felt safe to explore, to fail, and to try again. Sharing moments with my colleagues in this space gave me the most out of my time at ImPulsTanz. It became a place of artistic generosity, where care and character shaped not only my work but also my understanding of what a studio can be.

Alongside my solo, I also joined additional group projects, which expanded my view of collective practice and the re-imagining of tradition. These experiences, together with the many performances I attended at the festival, broadened my sense of what dance can be—spanning from intimate research to large-scale productions.

Equally important were the relationships formed with fellow choreographers. Being immersed in such a diverse community of artists was inspiring and challenging in the best possible way. The conversations we had, the feedback we shared, and the solidarity we built will remain with me beyond the festival. Some of these connections have already grown into ideas for future collaborations, which I hope will continue to evolve in the coming years.

Looking back, ATLAS has given me more than just the development of a single project. It has provided me with tools to navigate artistic uncertainty, to recognize the value of time and space, and to position my work in dialogue with a broader international community. I leave this program with gratitude—for the mentorship, for the exchange, for the safe environment of experimentation, and for the friendships and collaborations that will continue to shape my artistic path.

Hrista Panayotova

Report:

To whoever is considering applying for ATLAS and decided to click on my photo:

What brought me to ATLAS was the feeling of being an overworked freelancer, that every bit of resources I’ve had, felt like hard work in a time of strongly reduced funds in the art sector.
I was already living in nature with sheep for 3 months when I received the yes from the program.
So the sound of an established frame in which to create in an organised studio space with a mentor & dramaturge (Guy Cools) and a bunch of new creative people, sounded like a dream to me ((mostly) extroverted , 10th house in Aries, almost left the culture scene for sheep).
I went there with my two focus points being - focusing on my creative process and connecting to people.

I found a lot of creativity in my time at ATLAS, a lot of inspiration!
I had meaningful exchanges with others on dance and art and life. Lot’s of long talks after shows, between classes and while doing laundry.
I saw many shows that moved me, regardless of my opinion on them. There were different processes triggered in me from shows I loved and those I didn’t relate to, all of them informing my artistic practice.

In my studio time I focused on regularity, on showing up, on creating a habit out of being in the studio, to go even when the not knowing is so present, when scared, when tired, when in love, when else where with my thoughts, to bring it all to the studio. And so I went, creating a space for myself to honestly, playfully, audaciously look at how I truly want to work in terms of - work methods and involvement of others.
In that process of learning about my artistic practice and researching my project idea, Guy was incredibly supportive. I felt I could trust his calm and curious energy from our first session in the studio. I left with the gift of the beginning of a research I am further creating and with the feeling of confidence and curiosity towards my work, bc of being so supported by both Guy and friends.

I made friendships that developed fast and deep, through creating side by side, supporting each other’s works, through emotional support, sharing resources, and these connections were like anchors in the fast pace of Impulstanz.
And yes, I also intentionally was a social butterfly - went partying, had dinners, karaoke and had many fun evenings resulting in severe lack of sleep the further in the festival we were.
It was intense but I wouldn't do it differently as these moments fed both my connections as well as my creative inspiration and activated me even more. Looking back, managing all that feels like a super power.
I am still in contact with quite some of these dear new friends, and some of these meaningful connections I am currently seeing regularly and even happened to work with.

I wanted to underline how sharing food and resources with my flatmates, as well as with other people I became close with, was extremely helpful and necessary, as the festival progressed, for both financial and well being reasons.
With the festival progressing, the tendency falls more towards not cooking exactly in moments of exhaustion when we most need nutrition. There in some of these moments the community could support and hold one another.
Vienna is great and also pricey. As I see the effort on the festival side to make ATLAS possible for as many people, it still was heavy for most of us, who got only partial or no funding.

Within the programs, some of us made space for political discourses and talks amongst one another, discussing current political matters and our personal ways of dealing, as well as sharing practical info on demonstrations and actions around Vienna.
For me, that felt more needed than I anticipated. As Impulstanz created a sphere of itself in which very little of something else exists, it was grounding to speak about the world. It felt right and let me tell you, not that easy at all, to stretch our tentacles towards the world and stay connected and informed.

This whole text is of course, based on my experience and how I decided to curate the festival for myself, others did it very differently and they too were grounded in their decisions.

I can't really give you an advice, but if I would give myself an advice it will be this:
be intentional about what you want from this festival before arriving without breaking your head; research the shows and workshops beforehand and choose the ones you really want to see - you won’t be able to see them all anyways and the more decisions you make in advance, the less overwhelmed you will be during the festival; you will miss on a performance that someone says its ‘the best ever’ and you might not get a spot in ‘the best workshop ever’ and even if you do, there will be some kind of other best gathering by the river or another event you will miss, so I highly recommend accepting where you are staying present, wherever you end up.
Softness and Solidarity. Life saving bringing the coffee pot btw!


_Xrista

Lisen Pousette

Report:

it was the second Impulstanz taking place during the ongoing genocide in Gaza
and I was moved by the mobilizations initiated by participants across especially DanceWeb but also Atlas and 8:tension, a real web of connections, and the relationships I saw built here for Palestine: regular meetings, a die-in at Burgtheater, a big protest flag at the battle, from an urgent necessity to do something, creating room for discussing, protesting, supporting. Impulstanz is really all about the encounters and special relations that are built: what a special and beautiful few weeks with the Atlas, with the kindest, most caring group, what really stands out from these weeks is kindness, such a rare and radiant kind, we who work with our bodies in dance, I already knew we tend to be good at collectivity, at presence, at sensing one another, but this was another level of warmth and encouragement, this also includes our mentor Christopher Matthews, like the dedication of scheduling meetings with me at 9.30 on a sunday morning just to follow my process, it was also an intense time, as I was part of 8:tension showing a work DUNKEL with Olivia Rivière, since I had already applied for and received Atlas funding before I knew about 8:tension, but I thought why not go all in, and I'm happy I did, thank you to curators Breanna and Chris, such an important step forward that 8:tension wasnt a competition this year, it created a sense of togetherness instead of a potentially competitive vibe, it was of course intense being there both as an artist and as an Atlas, a note to future Atlas participants if youre reading, like in DanceWeb density of schedule is a constant companion, there simply isnt enough time for everything, workshops, social life, performances, and in the case of Atlas you have your own process to tend to, anyone can see its impossible to be fully dedicated to all of it, the studio is far away, but a great studio space (the bears), and if you join workshops or research projects your whole day disappears, its hard to find longer coherent stretches in the studio without missing basically everything else: suggestion shorter morning classes so people can get to the studio afterwards (we already gave this feedback to Impulstanz), another element: since time is limited theres not much space for deep-going critique, perhaps dont expect an intense feedback culture as there simply isnt enough time or headspace, we shared thoughts on each others works only towards the end, and its a big group with many processes unfolding, but at the same time small bits of feedback from all the eyes of the big group will tell you something about your process, I got the chance to dedicate time to whistling, my way of staying with breath and listening in this noisy world, thank you Issy for joining me in the studio <3 whistling with me, and as expected our sweet group chat is still pinging nonstop, people keep meeting up, and I am looking very much forward to follow everyones processes where they lead,
as with the Palestine action group, seeing how the mobilization creates resonances in this context and elsewhere
the people united will never be defeated
Free Palestine

Romy Reckers

Report:

Atlas — Reflection

Atlas, to me, has been such a unique and magical experience. Now, at the end of October, as I sit here writing this report, I still find myself unable to fully put into words what it all meant to me. A part of me feels that I will only truly understand its meaning in a few years’ time.

I hold so dearly all that this last summer in Vienna was — the endless conversations about practice, doing and non-doing; the exchange, the precious and generous exchange of care, love, laughter, inspiration, support, and motivation. I have felt so deeply held by my dear mentor Chris and the twenty-two beautiful-magical-funky-inspiring-spicy-artist-souls I now get to call my friends. Together we created a space where we could simply be — show up, play, try, be messy, look “ugly,” rest, nap, pull back, leap forward, “fail,” research, try again, “succeed.”

A space that allowed me to question, frown, wonder, and look to discover. A space that extended beyond the studio walls — covering the entire city in a kind of bubble, with pink and blue bikes scattered all over, meaning one of us must be near. A safety net where reality felt a bit confused, yet somehow comfortable amidst the chaos — like I could never entirely fall without being caught. A space that shifted and changed with the days, as the festival unfolded through workshops, theatre, late nights, and parties that turned into mornings — allowing me to change with the days as the tiredness slowly built within the body while the weeks progressed. A space that felt like a true gift.

Atlas, for me, was a place where I could try something new — something I felt called to, something I stepped into with zero expectations, only an open heart and mind. It brought me so much clarity about what matters to me right now and what doesn’t — what I wish to keep working on, and what I’m ready to lay to rest.

Now, after Atlas, I find myself in a time of transition — from many things to new ones, curiosity leading the way as always. How I will carry what I found during that summer month, I don’t entirely know. And maybe I don’t have to. Somehow, it feels like this experience will stay with me, even without trying. Perhaps now is only the beginning.

Feeling endlessly grateful that I got to share this experience with this group of wonderful people — my friends. Thanking you, and thanking you over and over again.

If you’re reading this, wondering whether to apply or deciding whether to accept your spot at the Atlas Program — all I can say is: go for it! (of course, if you have the time and resources). It’s not all rose-coloured, nice, and easy. But the nature of this program — at least from my own experience — feels incredibly supportive. Even within the chaos, there is guidance and care to help you have a truly positive experience, allowing you to grow both as an artist and as a person.

Love,
Romy

Amina Riccetti Kummer

Report:

Taking part in the ATLAS programme at ImPulsTanz 2025 has been an intense, challenging, and transformative experience. Over the course of five weeks, I immersed myself in workshops, performances, and research, while simultaneously reflecting on my artistic practice and developing new material within the ATLAS program. Some workshops were highlights of inspiration – such as Somatic Drag (Scaroni & Bukkakis), Pole Bending (Villano & Stripes), and Ready Made Magic (Edie Nightcrawler) – where I discovered supperssed thought and needs that will continue to resonate in my work long after the festival. Others were more challenging, and not all aligned with my expectations or values, which in itself became a crucial part of my field research. Navigating moments of discomfort, exclusion, or lack of awareness sharpened my critical perspective on artistic and institutional contexts. I was particularly moved by the performances of Luigi Guerrieri, Matteo Heinzman, Alexander Vantournhout, Ivo Dimchev, and Michael Turinsky. At the same time, I also saw performances that felt strongly outdated, sexist, or ableist. These strong contrasts fuelled my ongoing inquiry: how can performance embody awareness, care, and inclusivity while still taking artistic risks? Through the collective exchanges with fellow ATLAS participants, I felt challenged to push my own practice further. My work-in-progress showing marked an important step in articulating my current research – exploring drag, circus, intimacy, and political resistance – in front of an audience. Although, I also faced moments of exhaustion, financial and emotional precarity, I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to take part. It was a privilege to have access to this unique program of learning, training, and creating. ATLAS at ImPulsTanz 2025 leaves me with both a sharper critical awareness and a renewed artistic drive. It has been lived practice of negotiating presence, care, and resistance within the performing arts.

Raoul Riva

Report:

I applied for Atlas Program because I was starting a new solo performance project : Raide Roc.

At that time
I wished for a long period of time for a research, surrounded by other artists, with different approaches, different moments of their work in progress.
I wished for a space to move, try stuff I’d never tried before, think and take the time not to.
I wished for new encounters and to find my own rhythm.

I discovered JOMO.
I discovered that I was able to make choices even though they were not the main choices.
I discovered that I love the river and the special places you can find there.
I discovered that research is also happening outside of the studio.
I discovered that I could be in Impulstanz AND take only one workshop a week.
I discovered that timings in creations are personal and that we deal with them exactly how we want.
I discovered how not to judge the pieces I was seeing to harshly, not to fall into this I liked I disliked state of mind.

I understood that I needed to be focus on my subject. That all those stimulations of workshops and performances were sometimes too much and that I didn’t have the mental space for others’ inputs.
I understood the concept of not producing but doing, that Chris our Mentor, was explaining and living.
I understood the importance of sharing a studio, chatting in the garden, going to the same parties, take time one on one with new friends.
I understood the mental and physical strength it takes to bike to and from the studio.
I understood that the mentor is not an outside eye, but here as a person of reference.

I was concerned about money. It felt that the organisation of Impulstanz couldn’t really help us find founding. Maybe they could dedicate someone for that job because it was a real struggle for me and others. Some people had to cancel because of a lack of funds.
I was concerned by the director saying that the festival has no money when there is a VIP corner giving free alcool to selected people all night every day (even though it seems really nice for them)
I was concerned by the lack of space dedicated for the participants of the program. A space where we could hang and party with ourselves. A place where we could seat together in a cozy atmosphere. Not having to drink alcool and dance hard to gather.
I was concerned by the quality of the workshops I took. It often didn’t feel the good level for me (often too beginner vibe) or not involved enough on the teacher side.

I’m thankful for the way Chris held the space during those 5 weeks.
I’m thankful for all the interactions I had with Chris, how they fed me and made me confident (books, films and places recommendations, artistic talk, …)
I’m thankful for all my co-atlas presences. For the informal showings we organises, the dinners, the deep talks, hugs, laughters, feedbacks, biking, swimming,..
I’m thankful for the group who celebrated our twin birthday by throwing us in the air after only three days together.
I’m thankful for the political engagement among my pears regarding the genocide happening in Gaza.
I’m thankful for all the small love messages that were a balm on my heart.
I'm thankful to the 3 persons of the staff who took care of us before and during that long month.
I’m thankful for the work and love energy I had after leaving those 5 weeks.

What made me really happy during my time there is that I felt I had chosen the good program to develop my work and practice. If you are in a creation process don’t choose DanceWeb, you’ll be very disappointed.
Atlas provides a smaller group of daily interactions, a space to work 24/7, a mentor to refer to, a moment to show your project and a thread to follow.

I’d recommend to go if you are clear with your intentions, if you are open to surprises and if your expectations do not depend on the others.

Love to my co-Atlas new friends xx

Sina Saberi

Report:

The highlight of my ATLAS experience is Guy Cools. He did the perfect job of accompanying every single person in the cohort. I have been really struggling with translating my research questions into a practical modality for the last year, and already in some of the first few encounters we had, he found ways to support me in doing so. The collective activities which he proposed, especially during orientation days, were very motivating in establishing connections among peers. In these five weeks, I managed to dive deep into the different possibilities to address my questions choreographically and find ways to explore practices. The fact that at the same time, I was able to participate in relevant workshops and field projects, was a really supportive contributing factor in facilitatin the process.
I also believe, the selection of our cohort was done with attention and care. I found so many similarities and meeting points in the different practices which the my peers offered and the way that our mentor handled and managed the collective flow of the five weeks resembered the same level of curation. The ATLAS team was also available and attentive ot our questions and needs which felt like an additional support that was present during the whole time. In general, I would really recommned the ATLAS program to coleagues in a similar moment of their artistic practice. I truly benefited from the suppport and accompaniment of the program and gained some new motivation and confidence to continue the creative process.

Isabella Stone

Report:

ATLAS was an epic encounter. I was saturated in dancing; doing dancing, talking about dance, watching dance, critiquing dance, questioning dance, being frustrated with dance, believing in dance, (again) falling in love with dance, just dance dance dance. And dance in a broad sense.

It was chaotic. A timetable so relentless it seduced me, my fomo was a huge hurdle to get over. Part of my fear was that I thought not going to some of the parties, lying low for a morning, or just choosing not be out (as I was tired of commuting) would effect my ability to connect with people. It didn’t. I’m still surprised at how quickly we as a group, supported by Chris, came together. I think this was partly due to Chris’s very considered curation of our projects and our interests in and experiences of making work, which was visible once we got to working. It was such a gift to care for, and be cared by, the people I met.

Chris was incredible at facilitating an experience of bringing people together with ease. He prioritised care throughout the process, encouraged just doing, knew how to have a party and when that was necessary, and is someone who just sparkles. It was Chris’s first time as an ATLAS mentor and I’m so glad I was there for it, things can only develop from there. I think the role of a mentor can mean different things to different people, and at different stages in a project or process. For me Chris and this programme came at an exact time when I needed encouragement and provocation, exposure to new materials and new trains of thought, for this it was perfect. I left ATLAS feeling even more curious and so full, with some clarity about interests to follow, lots of clarity around values and a deep appreciation of quiet perseverance. I felt reawakened to dance’s multiplicity and all the possible approaches for working with the body, choreography and performance. It felt like a long swim in the cold ocean.

ATLAS was so reaffirming that there is no one way to work and that EVERYTHING is a part of the process. The project I applied with became something else, partly due to the chaotic schedule, but it’s something I’ve continued to develop and have since shared back home. For now it’s called Horse Body. I’m still confused by it and trying to understand more clearly what it’s becoming but I’m grateful for leaving with something that feels infinite. It’s definitely a something that is a product of being there and the people I was with, so as it continues, it’s nice to hold the echoes of these people in the work and dancing, in my Horse Body.

THE GROUP IS EVERYTHING! I am so eternally grateful to have been part of such a gorgeous, inspiring, playful, honest, robust, deep thinking, deep listening, caring, performative, opinionated and gentle (the adjectives could go on) group of people. The programme at a distance is shiny and big (which it is) but on the ground, the people you meet across the festival are also your teachers and mentors and where so much of the learning and exchange happens, for me they were at least. Just as much as in the workshops I think. I feel like the programme participants amongst ATLAS and DanceWEB bring the grit - I love grit, I loved their grit and am grateful for all the artists that were able to make it.
I found new freedoms within myself and making work that were permitted and given space through the exchanges with the people in my ATLAS group. <3 There were many conversations that never got finished but I really look forward to picking up the sentences, I think we will.

If you are at Impulstanz - go to the ATLAS studio showings. They’re really generative (though HUGE days). I’m still thinking about and carrying some of the ways people approached work, shared thoughts and concepts, and straddled all of who they are within art making within the world.

Don’t miss workshops with Jassem Hindi or Angélique Willkie. Isabel Lewis is such a generous and thoughtful artist/teacher so do that too. I had the best and most wild time dancing with Sara Shelton Mann. Keith Hennessy is radical and powerful (I rode a rollercoaster of sensations and feelings in these sessions). Each workshop leader I met shared their resources and reference lists/playlists. A huge gift to come home with such a rich bank of materials - I’m still making my way through them or revisiting favourites. Some of the information and learnings I gathered have hit differently returning to my home context. There's a new complexity in handling all the new lenses to see things through, in trying to embody and work with my learnings. That's an ongoing part of the journey, a disruption I’m grateful for. I watched 28 shows across the programme. That was wild. The 8tension performances are ones not to miss. I feel hugely thankful for the workshop and ATLAS team that worked around the clock, before, during and after the festival to make sure our experiences were rich, easy, generative and heard.

ATLAS was simultaneously an experience of confirmation and undoing.

Pat Toh

Report:

Spending five weeks at the ImPulsTanz Festival in Vienna felt like being at an enormous intercontinental buffet of contemporary dance — overflowing with techniques, ideas, and encounters from across the world. Every day brought a new taste, a new way of moving, thinking, or being. Under the gentle guidance of Guy Cools, we were welcomed into an environment that encouraged curiosity and experimentation. He invited us to pour out the contents of our research freely, with no expectation of presenting a polished result. Everyone was a work in progress, unfolding and transforming together.

I tried to see as much as possible — performances by artists I had only ever read about, workshops led by teachers whose methods had shaped international conversations in dance and performance. To finally witness the vast scope of contemporary practices in one place was deeply moving. The diversity of movement vocabularies — from somatic to conceptual, from improvisational to highly structured — created a living, breathing ecosystem of ideas.

I began the first week with a research project exploring the relationship between voice and plants. This became a gentle entry point into the festival’s intensity and eventually the focus of my time there. Working with plant bodies invited me to consider the invisible networks of other-than-human life forms — the “alien” intelligences of plants, fungi, and ecological systems that coexist and communicate constantly. Through movement, I explored what it might mean to queer the human, to understand the body not as a separate, superior entity but as one facet of a wider, entangled web of existence. From a post-human perspective, I began imagining how such thinking might reshape healthcare — integrating the wellbeing of plants, fungi, and ecosystems into human healing practices. It was a gentle, easeful start to five weeks that would grow increasingly full and layered.

My ongoing project also revolved around water, breath, and voice. I chose workshops that offered new tools to move the voice through the body, learning how sound could travel, resonate, and connect between people. One of the most transformative experiences was exploring ways to sing and conduct sound into each other’s mouths — an intimate, visceral act that blurred boundaries between bodies. Another key moment was performing in a chorus protest body: we stood together in front of the war museum, voicing protest speeches through sound, movement, and gesture. Afterward, we reflected on our personal utopias and translated them into short choreographies, each a small embodiment of collective desire.

Even on Sunday mornings, I found myself drawn back to the studios. One workshop focused on dancing mania — a medieval phenomenon where groups of people broke into uncontrollable dancing. The facilitator connected this to the energy of contemporary rave culture, revealing how dance functions as both ecstatic release and social commentary. I also joined workshops on devising tools that work with personal fiction, investigating how autobiography and imagination can merge in creative processes. And for balance — and joy — I took part in a Vogue workshop. It was not only fun but also illuminating, revealing the cultural and social circumstances that gave birth to the form, and the resilience embedded within its performative flair.

Throughout the festival, somatic practices offered grounding in the midst of so much creative intensity. These sessions emphasized dance as a form of self-care and resistance in a world marked by political unrest. I learned that dance can serve many purposes — as personal ritual, as political gesture, as healing practice, or as communal celebration. It can be for a private audience of one or a collective body of many.

The final program sharing at the end of the five weeks felt like a culmination and digestion of everything we had absorbed. It was powerful to see how each participant translated their experiences into movement, text, sound, or image. The room was filled with ideas in motion — fragile, daring, unfinished, and alive.

Being among so many curious, experimental, and generous performance makers was truly nourishing. It reminded me that artistic research thrives on exchange, and that creation is not a solitary act but a shared ecosystem of thought and care. Over those five weeks, ImPulsTanz became more than a festival — it became a space of communion, where dance expanded beyond technique into a philosophy of connection, empathy, and becoming.

Isadora Tomasi

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The thing that sticks with me the most about ATLAS is the fact that we saw so many shows with the same group of people. This taught me that there is no perfect performance. The whole group never had the same feeling about a show. So it kind of de-constructed the tension that is created when making a show. As an artist, one can only do one's own best and what is interesting for themselves. When one starts thinking of the other, of "what could be liked", "what is cool", "do I look cool?", "is this topic cool?" etc... that's when, I think, the art gets lost.
To truly stick to your own truth / honest desire to make, that's hard but so important. A good show ironically often happens in emptiness, at the bottom of our energies and hopes, but not necessarily.
Actually there is one or two shows, I think, that we all liked, and that was Pina Bausch's 'Nelken' and Luigi Guerrieri's 'Poor Guy'. Observing what worked in Pina's show, helped me understand how to work on my own show. The experience at ATLAS reminded me of when I started my studies in Theatre: we'd all go watch shows and that would already by itself be something to learn from and apply on our own work. This time (at ATLAS) with a greater distance, like pressing a refresh button. We stop being students after a while, but I guess that we can always learn something.

So in the end, when I worked on my own solo for the presentation, I tried to make it simple. The simplicity is what worked most in the shows I saw, and how to keep people with us? And how can I create a connection, a relationship with the viewer? How do I not 'lose' them ? And how do I make it interesting for myself? Because ultimately that is the most important thing, since people come, see the show and go home, they might even not think much of it, while we spend hours and hours with the work, we might as well make it fun / interesting, then!

These are the greatest lessons that I could apply to my own work and that I have worked with for the end presentation.

It is inspiring / motivating to work in an environment of constant input and stress, if you're open for it.
FOMO hits hard.
It is important to take care of not exhausting yourself, in order not to get injured during or AFTER the time there. It happens to many of us, so: go well rested and take time off afterwards. Also, take days off during the time there, it is ok to miss a class or two.

We went to the swimming pool in nature a few times, great place !

Thanks to the people who participated to ATLAS 2025, I do hope we can keep in touch, it was great to see other people's processes so closely and to help each other, share a studio and see how that would work. I think we will stay in each other's processes and lives ! And most of this is also thanks to our tutor who took great care of us.

Christopher Matthews, tutor, was a great care taker, loved his vibe and presence and it made it juicy to work in the studio for myself, it helped me find back the drive to dive back into this project with which I felt stuck for a while. One advise and remark that I also shared with him: do take care of yourself too, Chris ! You took on too much work and in the end I felt that it was not possible for you to be fully with us since you were too overwhelmed and tired for it. Other than a great pleasure to have you as part of our project, it is also a service that we paid for, so it is important, I think, that you're there for us 100%.
A part for this, which is a question of planning and payment, I really appreciated Chris's advice and highly recommend him!

And finally, thank's to the workshop office and ATLAS team <3 available, sweet, dedicated and attentive. Big big thanks for your warmth ! <3<3<3

Juliette Uzor

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Report ATLAS Impulstanz 2025

In summer 2025, I spent five weeks in Vienna at the Impulstanz Festival. I had an intense and challenging time, for which I am extremely grateful. As it marked my “official return to dance,” so to speak: my daughter Ife was born in November 2024, so the three of us—Ife, my partner, and I—traveled to Vienna. Many months in advance, I began planning accommodation and babysitting and tried to get an idea of the situation on the ground and prepare myself as well as possible. The support of Sara from Impulstanz, and also from ProHelvetia, made planning easier and gave me the confidence that I could participate in ATLAS even with a baby 8 months old baby.

To my surprise, the fact that I was there with a baby was also very important to many of the participants. I had many conversations about (financial) conditions, (im)possibilities, and realities as a dancer with a child. Now it seemed essential to me to deal with my motherhood and my being an artist. It was only in Vienna that I became aware of the urgency of this topic, not only in a general social sense, but specifically in the dance scene. I was very lucky to have my partner supporting me, as well as other family members and friends travelling to Vienna to babysit, and the financial support of ProHelvetia.
I appreciated the focus with which I was able to approach the courses because I knew Ife was in good hands. I also realized that I was looking for role models and that, for example, Sophia Rodriguez's workshop meant a lot to me.

Next to the family-situation, Vienna brought many delicious moments, new encounters and artistic insight.
I put together a program that included various dance workshops, e.g., Francois Chaignaud (highlight!), Sofia Rodriguez (highlight!), Samantha van Wissen, Angelique Willkie and Martha Coronado (highlights!), as well as Jassem Hindis workshop “Ghost Dancer,” in which Jassem shared a rich collection of musical recordings in an intimate setting. Listening to him talking about music was a highlight as well.
In Vienna I was particularly interested in movement and performativity, but also in the different people and their artistic activities. I wanted to rediscover my (dancing) body after giving birth. I was curious about “dance,” which seems vital to me in today's world. It was a huge privilege for me to be able to dance and spend my days moving, observing, and exchanging ideas. A big question arose around the HOW to work in our field in a sustainable and friendly way.

Dancing in Vienna and the context in which dance can take place is something very political. The fact that twenty people from all over the world come together as part of the ATLAS program, form a group, and connect through (nonverbal) communication, express themselves, touch each other, and listen to each other was very meaningful to me. I felt comfortable in our group and was grateful to be involved in the artistic work and the struggles, concerns, questions, and movements of my colleagues, which were often my own. At the beginning, we identified ourselves primarily through our origins and countries, but over time these were reinforced by personal political concerns. The group seemed open and vulnerable to me, and therefore strong. There was no competition whatsoever, but above all interest and attention. I am impressed by how our mentor Guy Cools was able to moderate the group, how discreet he was and how present and personal.

I hope to see every single person from our group again one day. I will keep ATLAS as a precious memory.

Lucie Vaugeois

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I am very grateful to have had the chance to take part in ATLAS last summer. Those five weeks spent in a collective setting, far from home and from my usual artistic environment, allowed me both to open myself to new horizons and perspectives, and to reconnect more deeply with myself and my artistic calling.

One of the greatest strengths of this program, for me, lies in the immersion it offers—combined, in my case, with the disorientation that comes with any journey. It’s about losing yourself a little in order to find yourself again, taking time to revisit the essential questions of who you are and what you want for the future. I experienced those weeks in Vienna as a powerful moment of artistic and human effervescence, but also as a time to recentre myself and my practice. Certainly also because I came there with a very clear intention: to nourish as much as possible the moment I was in, and particularly the piece I wished to develop there.

Having a clear goal helped me a lot in finding my way—knowing what I wanted, what was essential to me in what I was seeking there, and what wasn’t. I didn’t hesitate to completely reconfigure my weeks compared to what I had initially planned: taking far fewer workshops than expected, and taking time instead to enjoy and learn from my fellow ATLAS participants, and from the incredible studio space we had access to. That didn’t stop me, of course, from being swept up in the abundance of performances, encounters, parties and activities of all kinds that make ImPulsTanz such a vibrant and joyful festival!

If I were to give just one piece of advice: know why you’re coming—especially if you’re coming through ATLAS. And choose your mentor carefully! They’re the one who will set the tone for your arrival in Vienna, who will lay the first foundations for a cohesive group dynamic and for rich exchanges, and who will be your reference point throughout these five weeks, which can also at times be quite intense.
I feel very grateful that my five weeks unfolded under the guidance and energy of Christopher Matthews, who gathered an extraordinary group of beings whose encounter truly changed something for me: the feeling of a first real artistic family, stretching from Norway to Australia! Choose a mentor with heart—someone who will bring together a group of people you feel artistically close to, and with whom you might even want to create future projects. The best thing about my experience at ImPulsTanz was, without a doubt, meeting these incredible and beautiful artists.

Marta Wołowiec

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For many years, I had been thinking about taking part in one of the ImpulsTanz programs. I dreamt about DanceWeb for a long time, yet it was ATLAS that appeared in my life at precisely the right moment.

I arrived in Vienna with a need to reclaim and strengthen my sense of being a choreographer — to broaden my creative tools, to look at dramaturgy in choreographic work from new angles, and to seek inspiration. I wanted to locate myself and my artistic practice among other artists, to believe that my individual voice matters — and that the closer I stay to my own sensitivity, the more authentic my artistic language becomes.

Working for several weeks with fellow participants under the mentorship of Guy Cools was of immense value. The experience was filled with curiosity, generosity, openness, diversity, lightness, and deep respect. It felt like a professional and personal breakthrough — a transformation that will stay with me for a long time. I wish artistic growth could always unfold under such conditions.

Those five weeks were an extraordinary immersion: cycling, walking, and taking the metro through a city that was both foreign and welcoming; meeting people from all over the world; spending long hours in the studio and at performances; engaging in endless conversations about art and life; feeling both exhaustion and exhilaration. It was an intensity that challenged my capacity for self-care, yet also taught me new ways to nurture it. The constant sense of FOMO gradually transformed — together with other participants — into a collective experience of exchange and shared learning. It was a profound lesson in endurance, patience, and release. And there was such joy in seeing the same familiar, kind faces each day.

I was deeply inspired by meeting Melanie Maar, whose words “Can I be as I am” have become a quiet mantra for me; by Angélique Willkie, a wise owl of dance, who reminded me of the uniqueness of our artistic selves and of what we can recover within; by Sara Lanner, the empathetic, organizational, and artistic soul of the ImpulsTanz Festival; by Matteo Fargion, for his delightful sense of transformation; and by Clara Furey, for her radiant coolness — and for the realization that both unarmoured and armoured qualities are vital to my work and being. And again, I must return to Guy Cools, whose presence could be acknowledged in every paragraph — for his inexhaustible knowledge, generosity, and care.

Thanks to Guy’s openness and the trust within the group, I was able to work simultaneously on two projects: a solo performance and a group piece created for men. As both were already unfolding during ImpulsTanz, one process naturally influenced the other. The workshops I attended continuously opened new perspectives — not through pressure, but through resonance. Even when the festival’s rhythm felt overwhelming, I was astonished to find within myself new layers of curiosity, engagement, and strength.

To gather again with the same group of artists a few years from now would be something truly remarkable.

Irene

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Being part of the ATLAS program was incredibly enriching. Co-creating a space over five weeks with my group taught me how to build mutual support and solidarity. We shared a constant flow of listening, openness, and above all, inspiration to discover new ways of seeing, thinking, creating, and expressing ourselves day by day. The program exposed me to diverse cultures and opened doors to collaborations during the festival and for the future. Setting up a WhatsApp group was essential for logistical information and, importantly, for beginning to weave a network among us.
On a creative level, the combination of workshops, research projects, performances, and so many creators gathered in one place encouraged me to dive deeply and fluidly into a continuous creative process. I was able to implement what I was learning in my piece, and at times, new perspectives emerged that led me to explore further.
I loved the studios, each with its own energy and atmosphere, influencing the creative process in unique ways. For me, it was important to recognize just how much having a dedicated creative space impacts the artistic scene and development—a space that embraces the creator's wild ideas and brings together others on similar journeys in their own ways. Having 24/7 access to this space and sharing this time with others provided a steady support system, fostering an active and vibrant creative community. It gave me a solid base amid all the movement.
The performances I saw allowed me to see myself reflected in them, learning so much about what I would like to explore professionally and creatively. They also strengthened my confidence to explore without judgment or demands for perfection, encouraging me to simply allow the artist within me to emerge. I am currently still developing the piece I created under Angélique’s mentorship. This piece allows me to share what I discovered and continue questioning, both with other creators in my country and, potentially, in various programs within and beyond Mexico.
Angélique's mentorship was one of the aspects I value most. She guided us to know ourselves better, generously shared her knowledge and experience, and supported us through the vulnerability of creating a new project. She accompanied us to the very end with extraordinary humanity, sensitivity, insight, warmth, and decisiveness. There’s no doubt that her mentorship was exactly what I needed.
Finally, ATLAS gifted me this truth: "Create your own pathway." I am still exploring it, and it gave me the confidence and assurance to keep nurturing this magic even beyond the program. ATLAS opened doors for me to forge my own way, and from the moment I was accepted, it impuls my dance. I learned how to communicate my artistic work and build a supportive community that helped me finance this journey and experience. Now, I return to my country with so much to share as a gesture of gratitude for their support and trust.
The only thing I felt was missing was a closer connection with the guest companies and artists—a space for conversation to learn more about their creative paths and processes, as well as how they became involved in festivals like this. Or even a space where programmers, cultural centers, or residency organizers could see our final work, allowing us to connect directly with places that could potentially support our professional development in the future.
I feel deeply grateful to the entire IMPULSTANZ team, my fellow participants, the artists who shared their creative and research worlds, and to Angélique Willkie for her guidance and support.

Jade Albasini

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ATLAS report
Immersing oneself in an environment as stimulating as ImPulsTanz - Vienna International Dance Festival is an experience of all superlatives. I strongly recommend movement artists to experience it!

Sense of collectivity
Choosing Angélique Wilkie as my mentor was a great decision. With her aura and knowledge, she managed to bring together many choreographers from around the world in a cohesive manner. I learned a lot by her side and surrounded by my peers. I especially retain the importance of using collective intelligence at every stage of a production's work. This special connection between international movers will last.

Impact on my practice
Nourished by the advice and workshops accumulated at ImPulsTanz, I presented an excerpt of a choreographic research on the dissociative state. While in my practice, I tend to start from storytelling to go into the body, this time I let myself be guided by the body to bring out the story. It was an excavation on memory loss. How the body takes over when the mind is elsewhere. By reorienting my methodology, I have opened up expanded dramaturgical tools.

Absorbing art 24/7
What a unique sensation to dig into so many dance stimuli during five weeks. I will carry many inputs within my practice. To enhance a few: let’s talk about the Pro Series with Raja Feather Kelly, director of the New York-based company the feath3r theory. This intensive two-week immersion around his research project ANGST (Myth, Madness, Montage and Melodrama) was a revelation. His cinematographic, empathetic and pop culture vision reinforces my own artistic path. The quality of my colleagues’ proposals within ATLAS also deeply moved me. So many universes manifesting at once!

Tis Aly

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It takes work to define an experience like Impulstanz with its various possibilities of inhabiting space, like the imaginary, the social, the physical, and the inner and outer spaces open throughout this time. Atlas program is an experience in itself for its characteristics, like a research project in combination with the various activities of the Impulstanz festival, along with the exchange with many other peers, inside and outside the program.

The mentor is an important figure in the design of the research project and Angelique Willkie is a great and skilled person to take this hole as such an amazing human that brings things together. As such, it’s important to acknowledge that the number of participants overloads the mentor's work, actually giving a reduced time for mentorship. The group is also a factor in the connection and maintenance of the mood and emotional/ mental health within this extensive and intensive time, principally when comes to the final weeks and the pressure of showing something hits the walls. So, a good relationship and management of group dynamics is important to the course of the program, which ought to come from the group itself -Yes, it takes work.


Atlas is designed to be an educational program and somehow the title doesn’t fit the curriculum. Personally, the program presents itself more like a training program, that allows the participant to take part in Impulstanz while one develops its research in relation to other peers and luckily a few hours of mentorship.
The positive points are the flexibility of one choosing their trajectory during the festival, the various possibilities within the Impulstanz festival, workshops and performances, the relationships that can emerge from this time, and a hot summer in Europe. Thou, prepare yourselves for even hotter summers, global warming is not a prospect of the future. The engagement of the Impulstanz festival team is great and deserves to be acknowledged.


Points that could be improved - the commitment of the festival with the program, and the studio showing time - The program could be a possibility of showing case the work of choreographers and makers, but needs to have another frame - the last week of the festival can be very exhausting for both organizers and participants of the festival.
The number of studios and their availability gets smaller from the 3rd week, giving not time/space enough for all participants of the program - Another aspect is the lack of assistance from the festival in terms of documentation and support during the studio showing time -which passes to the group the responsibility for such tasks. Which should be revisited by the program’s organization.


Even though there is an agreement that English is the language used, it is still a gatekeeper, then some people might be out of important topics, and participation and social justice are again reduced by the participation of fewer. Other methodologies should be used to include and diminish the importance of language proficiency in the activities of the group, mainly in the feedback sessions

Anna Anderegg

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Anna Anderegg
www.annaanderegg.com
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When I first applied to ATLAS, I was eager for exchange and new impulses. I anticipated an intense period of artistic and physical exploration. However, shortly after applying, I found out I was pregnant, and by the time the program began, I was eight months into my pregnancy, which significantly changed how I could participate. From the beginning, the organization team was very supportive, but the physical transformations added an unexpected layer of complexity to my engagement with the workshops. I had envisioned fully immersing myself in physical and expansive practices, but I needed to adapt and find alternative ways to engage, respecting my body’s new limitations.

Luckily, I was going through this transformative time alongside a vibrant community of artists. This environment encouraged me to explore themes of adaptability and vulnerability, both in my practice and my relationships with others. Rather than focusing purely on movement, I became drawn to quieter, introspective modes of participation. This shift ultimately deepened my understanding of my creative process.

Throughout the five weeks, I had the chance to engage in workshops centered on care work, minimal movement choreographies, presence, and more. The challenges I faced in the workshops became valuable lessons in adjusting my artistic intentions to the reality of my present situation.

The mentorship aspect of ATLAS, however, presented some difficulties. There were clashes with the mentor and within my ATLAS group that were poorly handled within the organization. While I found the mentorship aspect of ATLAS disappointing compared to the quality of workshops available in the program, navigating these challenges within the cohort forged a strong bond between us.

Overall, ATLAS was an empowering experience. I am confident that some of the connections I made have the potential for future artistic collaborations.

Madeleine Backen

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I found my time at ImplusTanz participating in the ATLAS program to be a very immersive experience. The open access to performances, studio time, workshops, transport and parties allowed for a sense of freedom in creating the timetable and schedule that worked best for me. While at times this was incredibly overwhelming and I felt as if I was pulled between too many elements, I did find knowing this level of absorption was only for a short period of time made it manageable and exciting.

Now that I am back home re-entering the contemporary dance environment in Sydney, Australia, I do feel as if this experience of soaking up so much wonderful art surrounded by such a wide array of beautiful artist has left me with a determination to continue to dive deeper into my own practice and creative endeavours. While my program in particular wasn't completely smooth sailing and required extra mental energy that wasn't available to me or the other participates in my program, I was still able to gain so much from my time in Vienna. I greatly appreciated the wide range of workshops to choose from, spanning across so many different styles, with varying teachers. I believe my training and interests have now been heavily influenced by the workshops that I took part in and I wasn't anticipating how much this was going to have an impact on me. I am very grateful for this opportunity and will remember and cherish the time that I spent there forever.

Katie Baer Schetlick

Report:

The ATLAS program as a whole— taking workshops, experiencing performances, attending meetings, fitting in studio time, socializing, developing work, providing and receiving feedback —was intoxicating, too much, not enough, full of joyous collisions, confronting, HOT, stimulating at its peripheries (and interstices), and, thus, itself a sly teacher.

Much of what I will carry with me (and have) is the result of my time with my cohort (Zoe, Alex, Siobhan, Emilia, Mercedes, Nathaniel, Emily, Kora, Leon, Véronique, Simone, Tis, Irini, Irene, Polina, Andreas, Tash, Olivia, Anu, Ana, In Hye, Jade, Sylvie, Carlye, and Lucy) AND Angelique Willkie, our mentor. Angelique created a space for us to survive (and thrive) inside the seeming, and often real, overwhelm of the program. Her mentorship extended beyond the studio and modeled a way that we might be together differently. It was clear, in the end, that this too supported “the work” itself. Our feedback sessions therefore felt rich and oozed with critical care. We kept each other fed; we kept each other hydrated; we kept each other grounded; we kept each other hopeful; we kept each other REAL.

There were several workshops that made me feel truly re-romanticized about this thing we call dance and when I found them I felt lucky (sometimes this took a few tries). The workshop and performance aspect of the program did not feel integrated with the other facets of the ATLAS program, mainly the development of work and opportunities for mentorship/feedback, so I had to make those connections for myself to not feel like I was trying to do two different things to their fullest. The crafting of the experience as it was happening actually became the lesson and a lesson that I am still reflecting on and learning from.

JC Bailey

Year: 2024
Program: atlas
Coach: Marco Berrettini
Nationality: Australia
Country: Australia

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Zoë Bastin

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Participating in the ATLAS program at ImPulsTanz dramatically changed the course of my career. As an artist who operates between dance, visual art, and academia, the opportunity to engage with some of the best dance thinkers in the world was an invaluable experience that has shaped the artist I aspire to become.

Coming from Australia, a place often geographically isolated from the broader international dance community, ATLAS provided me with access to a diverse array of choreographers and creators. This included not only the chance to take workshops and collaborate with artists from all over the world but also the privilege of receiving mentorship from the brilliant Angelique Wilkie. Her insights, rooted in both theoretical and practical frameworks, had a significant impact on my understanding of choreography and dance as a critical tool for inquiry.

Being immersed within a collegiate group of 26 choreographers from around the world was a truly enriching experience. I formed lifelong relationships with these artists, sharing ideas, inspiration, and creative energy. These connections have already begun to bear fruit—I am traveling in 2025 to collaborate with several of these choreographers to create new international works. The relationships I made in Vienna have expanded my global network and my understanding of what dance looks likes around the world.

While at ImPulsTanz, I developed a new choreographic work, What Appeared to Be Abundance at a Distance. This piece interrogates the tension between the image of a body and the essence of the self within that body. I explored where representation ends and selfhood begins, examining the performer-audience relationship as a dynamic contract. In this exchange of gazes, the audience is not merely a passive observer but an active participant drawn into the choreography itself. The work also investigates how social conformity and the instinctual desire to belong influence movement and perception.

Immersed in the rich cultural landscape of the festival, I was able to deepen my artistic voice, push the boundaries of my practice, and build connections that will continue to resonate within my work. ATLAS has expanded my horizons and shifted my trajectory as an artist, for which I am immensely grateful.

Koraljka Begovic

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Even thinking about how to put unforgettable and so amazing experience of ATLAS programme at Impulstanz into words seems impossible.
Thinking about how it all started and what my expectations and maybe even desires were… well Impulstanz and ATLAS programme managed to exceeded every possible expectations or even desire for the time in Vienna. 5 weeks of the most intensive artistic and human experience were so special that I will carry those sensations, thoughts, ideas, collaborations and friendships forever.
Being able to participate in a programme and to meet incredible inspiring human beings and artists went so far beyond all my ideas of how it could look like.
The intensity of the programme, although it can seem overwhelming at some point actually brings up a huge amount of energy, shifts perspectives, ideas and knowledge in a way that it somehow changes us forever.
I was really lucky to share this experience with a group of 26 incredible individuals who were my family, my friends, my anchor and support in those 5 weeks. Sharing countless hours of dancing, learning, biking around Vienna, seeing incredible number of shows, working on our own projects, supporting each other with feedbacks, talks, cuddles and understanding was extremly special and fullfilling.
The most important part of the experience was collaboration and clossness with our incredible mentor Angelique Willkie, a person that brought all of us together and showed us and guided us not only in artistic development but also in deepening empathy and support in us as human beeings, challenging our habits, behaviours and beliefs in a most sensitive and soft way possible.
The time at Impulstanz definitely changed my personal and artistic life. First, the experience was far beyond anything I went through before. The connections with people, many great workshops that I took part in, possiblity to be guided in a creative process was enriched with a huge number of performances that I visited. But meeting friends and colleagues from all over the world left me with biggest mark and sensation of gratitude.
My body and mind changed during those 5 weeks, I challenged myself like never before, my stamina, technique and even thoughts about my body and movement shifted. I was gudied and ecouraged to approach my work and research differently than I was used to with new knowledges and a new spark for creation. It feels like I got completely new teacher in my life – myself, enriched with all the experiences, support, love, friendships and shared ideas with my peers.
Personally I know I started friendships that will last forever, sharing that experience where we all lived in kind of a bubble, eating, cooking, drinking, biking and dancing together for 5 weeks like a big family. It was great to also meet other people, dancewebers and participants of another Atlas group and festival visitors, staff etc.
For the artistic life and experience I think the outcome will actually show itself in following months and years while tending to all the connections we managed to create.
I am already working on possible collaborations with some od the friends and colleagues from Atlas group, and also It was great to be more involved and to meet all of you from Impulstanz.
My huge gratitude goes towards Rio, Sara, Tina and Val who were our incredible support and guardians during those weeks.
I am also very thankful for the opportunity to be in this exact group thanks to my mentor Angelique, and also to the Croatian Ministry of Culture and media that made it possible with the support I got.
Digesting all the experiences from Impulstanz and Vienna is still happening, even after 3 months and I know I will always come back to those weeks in my mind and heart.
I would definitely recommend ATLAS programme to any young or middle career dancers and authors to enrich their life and art.

Laura Brisson

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My name is Laura Brison, I am a dance artist based in Montreal, Canada. I took part in the ATLAS programme in ImPulsTanz 2024 with Marco Berretini. I strongly believe that ATLAS is an experience all creators and performers should experience once in their career. It a milestone in my career.

I greatly appreciated the impact that the components of ATLAS, more specifically the workshops and shows, had on my creation practice. I think the ATLAS programme is perfectly balanced in creation/dancing/witnessing in a sense that you constantly experience the different aspects of creation in one day. It created a creative flow that was extremely interesting and beneficial to creation, in bringing new tools or visions to my own project, extending the workshop into my research etc. Sometimes, taking a break for my own project and even the festival itself, that happens to take place in a city with great museums, to come back with fresher eyes.

Another discovery for me was to meet so many artists from around the world, and exchange their perspective on dance/art/performance. Being at the beginning of my career, it was freeing to realize that there are as many ways to do art as there are artists. I started to understand the importance of finding my way to do things, emerging from my desires, preferences, values, instead of seeking for « the » way.

In terms of mentoring, I unfortunately did not experience what was adverted in the programme description, because of lack of connection to my mentor and situations that we experienced in my group. Being an emerging artist in performance and creation, I could’ve benefited a lot from the guidance of a mentor, which I didn’t experience at all. I learned more about dramaturgy and creation through the workshops I took than with my mentor, which means that I had to palliate to this lack in the mentoring aspect via the workshops. This is one of the only regrets I have from ImPulsTanz.

ATLAS, because of its intensive and fast paced schedule, was very challenging. This condensed experience forced me to reflect on what is necessary to have in my practice to make it sustainable and fulfilling. In ATLAS, I learned to adapt, to set boundaries, to dare and to take care. These reflections are dear to me and I actively incorporate them daily in my practice.

As sad as I was that this experience came to an end, I came back home with a hunger I had never felt this much before for more creation, discoveries, connections and daring. I might never be able to recreate its intensity, but I’m surely seeking now to bite and dare into art as much as I did in ImPulsTanz. ImPulsTanz helped to get closer to the kind of artist and dancer I seek to become.

Leon Börgens

Report:

ATLAS. I don’t know where this name for the program comes from. But I can relate to its meaning as in Greek mythology: The entity that carries the world, or rather the sky and all the stars that it contains.
The ATLAS program as part of ImpulsTanz Festival somehow carries the world of dance. Or at least it aims to do so. Some aspects overran my expectations, others didn’t deliver their promises. I surely did feel supported during these five weeks of exploring, dancing, creating and exchanging. It was incredibly intense, overwhelming, beautiful and rich. Mainly it was our wonderful community of sparkling, caring, loving and soulful dancers from all over the world that made the whole experience so special. Our ATLAS family! Particularly it was thanks to the wonderful Angelique Willkie, who guided us with so much care and love and helped us to become a group where everyone could have their place and live this experience fully, while having a safe space to come back to. Angelique was an exceptionally great mentor to all of us. I cannot be more thankful to her! Unfortunately, the possibility and time for individual mentoring, dramaturgical and chorographical advice on our personal projects was very limited due to the logistical structure and time resources of the program.

Overall, ATLAS gave me the opportunity to dive deep into the world of dance, to be fully emerged in the realm of performance art in its diverse magnitude as it doesn’t exist elsewhere. I could just dance all day and explore so many different practices and approaches; see an infinite number of performances, move, share and exchange with so many other artists from diverse backgrounds. That really was a unique and special experience, it broadened my horizon, gave me new inspiration and motivation. It also brought up many new questions; about my vision of this art, my own practice and body, what dance means to me, how it relates to the world and how the world relates back to it. I gathered more concrete insights, whether delightful or not, about how this scene functions and all the global, cultural, and financial politics behind it.

It remains an enormous privilege that I am aware of and very, very grateful for!

Sometimes, it felt like a universe of possibilities, of shining stars and inspirations, of cheap glitter and expensive but accessible glamour in the spotlights. Being able to fly around freely in that space, being part of this pulsating ImpulsTanz organism, having kind of unlimited access to everything, felt like a dream. For the time being, it gave me the illusion of a utopian bubble where all doors are open and only laughter, love, art, celebration and dancing exist.

But of course, there were also black holes where pre-existing ideas and concepts, visions of oneself and the world got sucked in, got ripped apart, remixed and thrown out again. It was an overwhelming puzzle to do, especially for Atlas participants, trying to manage all our interests in workshops, performances and social life and suit them into one schedule, while still creating space (out of nowhere) to work on a choreographic project of our own. It was basically an impossible task to do, which resulted in recurring FOMO, lack of sleep and sore muscles that needed to be soothed on top of it all.

Now, looking back, it was a powerful lesson; having to put together one’s very personal mosaic, feeling into what really matters to me and where my interests actually lie; to listen to my own needs, sometimes stick to them and other times flexibly adapt. In the end, it all makes sense and trained me how to create real connections with people and ideas, find meaning in dance that harmonizes with my values, time and the other surrounding bodies in motion.

At times, it felt like a big soup. We were all swimming in it, or rather biking on our pink bikes, being cooked in sweat, tears, blood and other body liquids. A steaming hot and spicy soup! Our beautiful and diverse bodies as the main ingredients, randomly blended from different countries and cultures. Plenty of new exciting flavors that create even more curiosity and desire. An explosive mix of fragrances, stimulating creative, experimental and erotic energy. It was a dense soup with so many different tastes, that became difficult to distinguish. Somehow, we all became One. Everything and all got just thrown in and mixed under layers of impressions and inputs from the many shows, workshops and encounters. Sometimes, when everyone was just longing for a refreshing splash from the Donau river, it was good to take a break; to dilute the soup a bit, get fresh air, rehydrate, breathe and sober up (not really). Surrender to being cooked seemed the best strategy to me. Allowing myself to just absorb, let it all transform, myself, my body, my ideas. Then see what will come out of it. The savoring and acknowledging of the outcome, the actual learning process, only started for me after the festival, with time to reflect and digest it all. I am very happy about the few notes that I took along the trip to remind me of the many experiences and versions of myself that I went through. I recommend keeping track of that.

What remains is incredible gratefulness; for all the beautiful people that shared everything and hold together, for the most amazing mentor Angelique, for the super power coordination team, Sara, Tina, Val and Rio, for all the artists and teachers that gave so much, for all the other people that hosted spaces for recovery, talks and party, for the sun, the Donau river, for that time and summer of my life !

I am definitely different now than before. I am refreshed and shaped by many unique experiences, and I am enriched by an international network of wonderful artists and dancers, that have inspired me so much and that I know that will contribute tremendously to the beauty of life with their art and dancing. You all have a big place in my heart, and I hope we will cross paths again!

Tommy Cattin

Report:

Tommy Cattin is a Swiss and Italian dance artist who works as a free-lance performer, choreographer and dance teacher.
As a professional dancer and choreographer, Tommy has both danced or showcased his works in many countries in Europe. He has taken part in different festivals and danced on the stages of the Théâtre de la Ville in Paris, Teatros del Canal in Madrid, at the Danish Opera, Theater Basel, the House of Berliner Festspiele, at the Wiener Festwochen, amongst others.
For the last years, Tommy has also been involved in different creation processes and has been given the opportunity to teach several workshops and dance classes in Switzerland, France, Italy, Denmark, Spain, and in the UK.
Dance and movement is the main medium explored by Tommy Cattin. However, it is important for him to integrate in his research and creations an open and interdisciplinary approach of the performing arts, interweaving dance with all other artistic forms that can respond to it, complement it, flesh it out, sublimate it and evolve in line with its time.

​Being part of the ATLAS program in 2024 proved to be a significant opportunity for my professional development as a performing artist and choreographer. Beyond the satisfaction of being selected and recognized as an independent artist to participate in the program—a feeling not to be minimized—I was thrilled to connect with new dancers and artists from around the world, experience an unquantifiable number of performances, and join in many workshops. These opportunities are often difficult for me to access due to financial limitations, so I was excited to dive into learning again, and my expectations were truly met.
I felt I could fully benefit from what this program offered, particularly at this stage of my journey and my age. Having several years of professional experience behind me, with its ups and downs, has made me deeply aware of the reality of this field, and it allowed me to understand what I wanted to gain from this experience. This awareness also helped me navigate the vast array of available workshops responsibly, focusing on my artistic and personal needs so I could make the most of my time there.

Meeting artists from various backgrounds was especially meaningful. It provided a chance to share perspectives on the challenges of freelancing as an artist, regardless of where we live in the world. Engaging in artistic discussions around performances and workshops was also stimulating and gave me new insights to shape my own artistic stance.
Witnessing so many pieces within a short timeframe allowed me to step back and experience art as a spectator, not only as a creator. Without analyzing the programming choices, I felt that encountering such diverse works was valuable for nurturing my artistic reflection—dramaturgically, for instance—regardless of my opinion on each piece. This process unquestionably informed the creation I was working on in the studio.

Returning to creation in such an inspiring environment was revitalizing. Presenting a phase of work at the festival’s end adds intensity to the ATLAS experience, and it’s necessary to accept that this aspect will limit how much one can engage in the festival’s other events. I didn’t find this limiting, as I felt a renewed freedom in how I wanted to add value to this creation project. Comparisons to other programs were not relevant for me.
After several recent professional disappointments in freelancing and the challenges of sharing my work, participating in ATLAS truly restored my confidence and renewed my desire to create—well worth missing a few performances and workshops to focus in the studio on my new piece. A negative point though, already highlighted in the final exchanges with the festival, is the lack of skills and professionalism of my ATLAS tutor, whose mentorship has been equal more or less to none and/or unproductive at all.
Although I initially began with my mentor, Marco Berrettini, he proved to lack the skills needed to coordinate and support a group, manage conflict, or foster a safe, collaborative environment. My mentorship ultimately came indirectly from artists I met in workshops and colleagues I encountered throughout the program, who supported me throughout. Some of them will remain valuable friends.

I leave ATLAS strengthened and inspired, but also proud to have gained a clear sense of myself as an artist with ideals, values, and responsibilities to which I am committed as both a professional and a citizen.

Tommy Cattin

Andreas Chanis (aka Hannes)

Report:

I had a great time with ATLAS in Vienna. It is an exciting program that allows you to experience an extended variety of performances, artistic encounters and practices. It is also overwhelming as a microcosmos but it contains many privileges that ought not to be taken for granted.

Even if I can be critical towards the performance programming choices of the festival, under the ATLAS program, the sense of playground is unquestionable. The workshop schedule and content is very strong and allow different experiences which can enrich an artist of any kind. Having a studio that you can access to reflect physically and integrate knowledge into your practice directly is extremely beneficial, despite the intensity and tiredness of a full calendar. The independent studio space also works as a hub for the group to come together and create a comradery that is supportive to the whole journey and allow relations to continue after the festival.

I have only the best to say about mentor Angelique Wilkie. It is refreshing to have a mentor who knows where they stand, what they do and what they can give. The big group is obviously exhaustive for the mentor and personally it made me withdraw from getting attention or time from Angelique, even if and because we had a strong connection and I could understand the intensity she was going through. I think for the future, a system of support for the mentor would benefit the program in total.

On the organisational side, I was grateful to the coordinating team of ATLAS, like Sarah and Val, who did their best to be communicative and attentive. Our accommodation was in principle okay but the weather conditions made it also an unbearable place to be in with the heat. There could be many solutions to this that I think would make the experience of living and working in Vienna and in the festival a much better experience.

Overall, I would definitely recommend ATLAS to others, since there is room to navigate to your interests and develop your craft. The research presentations were very informative for me and my project, although the time to work on them is very short. Keeping expectations low on this helped, but this depends on where you place weight in and what you want to get out of it. The diversity of people around offers feedback and exchange that can be constructive to your work and directions of development.

Thank you for having me and I hope to visit the festival again!

In Hye Choi

Report:

When I applied Atlas2024, I was in front of the door to restart my career
as a choreographer and a dancer.
When I out the dance company, I couldn’t go on my work With my family tragedy. And my rib also had broken at the same time.
I was in sabbatical years, and did a research about my trauma and about mourning in the performance, In several years.

I visited ImpulsTanz In summer 2023, and joined workshops. Workshops and performances were so impressive to me. It made me to want to do something with my dark side story.
At that time, I was depressed cause the society that erase the death and there is no mourning community. I had felt the capitalism deals the human being as a machine as no die. But we all will end someday and we all will lose the important being. So I thought my generation need the mourning for ourselves.

In Atlas2024 program, I could share my story with sincere people. And they gave me warm hug and listen carefully every moments. With That experience told me what I needed.
I modified my project plan of Atlas, I opened the ending of my project and did a real experiment during the residency.
And I could find a possibility of movement/dance methodology for trauma body and people who lose some important thing.
In these days, I share my Atlas project with people who experience loss and trauma in workshop.


I recommend you this Atlas program with:
1. Talking about dance, do dance, see dance with artist peers everyday. This is the best thing you can do in Atlas.
2. ‘you can live in dance studio of your team as a home. That will change you different.
3. Every travel guide us to meet a new person and a new place, and it can change you and your life any different ways.
If you have a heart but no answer for your artist career, come and taste!!

Lucy Dillon

Report:

I feel incredibly grateful to have been a part of ATLAS 2024 with Angélique Wilke. The generosity, criticality, creativity, and silliness of our cohort was a main source of joy and inspiration during the summer. Each artist in our ATLAS group was asking questions and in the middle of an investigation, and being a part of that explorative space was an amazing fuel for my own making. Months later, I still feel energized by our community and what I learned from these artists.

Taking so many workshops with artists from different perspectives reinvigorated my dance practice. Particularly Peter Jasko’s ‘Deep Movement Consciousness,’ Be Heintzman Hope’s ‘Stripper Gollum,’ Isabel Lewis’ ‘Communal Epic Fiction,’ and Marta Navarida’s ‘Bounce workshop.’ I felt challenged, motivated, and uplifted throughout my summer in the studios. I feel incredibly privileged to have danced, learned, and collaborated within the festival and how lucky to live with groups of people and in spaces that care about movement and are so curious about the body.

Angélique Wilke was an amazing mentor. She took time and great care for each of us as individuals, and also facilitated our bonding as a group. Peer-to-peer mentorship was equally valued and respected in our cohort. It felt like Angélique’s workload was extremely significant for one person. Solutions like building more time to kick-off ATLAS before the festival itself starts, a smaller sized cohort, or somehow spreading out the ATLAS Happenings more would ease this burden. I am incredibly grateful for Angélique’s mentorship and felt affirmed, challenged, and truly seen in our conversations. I feel more confident in my direction as a maker and clear in my goals because of her guidance and the support from my ATLAS peers.

A big part of the summer and my experience at ImPulsTanz is everything that happens outside of the studios. Days by the river, biking around Vienna, vegan ice cream, celebrations, so much sweat, not enough time to cook or do laundry, naps on the studio floor, and resting in the park. I wish I could have paused and soaked it all in more, but it’s hitting me months later that these in-between moments were the most special. It was a huge privilege, and many of us in my ATLAS cohort were lucky to receive funding from institutions in our Western nations in order to attend the festival. I hope that in the future ImPulsTanz makes a greater effort to facilitate funding support, or offers scholarships, to students who are not able to find funding at home in order to increase access and build a more equitable, diverse festival.

My experience at ImPulsTanz was a beautiful blur or one long never-ending, sleep-deprived, adrenaline-fueled fantasy. Thank you to Angélique, Sara, Tina, Val, and Rio for the incredible amount of work and care and thank you to my ATLAS cohort. I have so much gratitude for the bonds I made and the chance to hone my craft and voice, and I continue to feel the ripples of this wild experience.

Alex Dobson

Report:

Impulstanz ATLAS FEEDBACK REPORT

Alexandra Dobson

ATLAS with Angleique Willkie 2024

When I think about it, I realize I’ve pinned one significant memory or event to each year of my life: 2023 – Sydney World Pride; 2022 – a nonstop year, followed by big heartbreak; 2014 – got Tumblr famous. For 2024, the word that comes to mind is Vienna. But the year isn’t quite over yet so there is still time for that to change.

I live in Narrm (Melbourne), Australia, and in the past, international trips have always felt strangely unreal. Not “unreal” as in cool or amazing, but unreal as if I hadn’t actually gone anywhere; travelling felt like a dream that just faded when I got back home. I couldnt feel any evidence in my body that I had been somewhere else. This recent trip felt different.

Before diving into five weeks in Vienna, I was coming off the back of a few months of sickness from covid and flu, and a year and a half of managing a low blood-pressure condition. Honestly, my main goal going into the festival was pretty simple: don’t catch covid, keep my symptoms stable, and avoid burning out. Managing this meant sacrificing days of workshops and nights of partying, which was tough - a little heartbreaking. An all-or-nothing, “sleep-when-you’re-dead” mindset was drilled into me during my education, and I have been practising it for years. But this time, I tried to balance my curiosity, creative challenges, and desire to connect with others with taking care of my mental and physical health. I think I did ok.

To be mentored by Angelique Willkie was a dream come true. I first met Angelique in her Release technique workshop at Impulstanz in 2022, and again when she was a guest teacher at the University of Melbourne. Our encounters have existed on a timeline of managing my low blood pressure symptoms, and now taking part in her ‘Personal Dramaturgies’ workshop in 2024 encouraged me to realize my body’s context- which is constantly shifting and changing. I am grateful for her mentorship which serendipitously appears in parallel with orientating my own journey of physical health. Her ability to gently prompt my honesty and vulnerability in the creative process was inspiring and invaluable. I feel as though being at Impulstanz has generated much creative energy within me.

Within the Atlas programme I had intended to continue the development of the work Gush- a duet using multiple mediums with various collaborators. Due to the nature of the programme and being alone in the studio my idea pivoted into developing a new solo work. Developing this work was exciting and felt like an essential shift in my creative process. I intend to develop both versions of the work, and I am excited by the new trajectory and creative energy that the ATLAS programme has brought me to.

Being immersed in a dance scene outside of Australia is energizing. It's refreshing to be exposed to new experiences, cultures, and contexts. Being immersed in the Impulstanz environment challenged me as an artist, as a dancer, and as an audience. I found that I was always searching for more context: Why particular work is supported and programmed, why my ATLAS peers enjoy or dislike work, how work sits within the cultural and economic context of a place. I’m still searching for this context- I haven’t found any answers to these questions. However, I am grateful to Impulstanz for accepting so many Australian artists to join ATLAS in 2024.

Peace and Love, folks x

Paula Dominici

Report:

We danced and guessed what it was: they said the process of being lost but knowing exactly where you are, to feel and express, body intelligence on display, extending whatever is left in bodies

We exchanged thoughts about art and life and I got to know someone by learning about their routine

Multiplied knowledge while driving together

Carried books

Listened with closed eyes

Recognized and got surprised

Thought about objects, value, power, distance and proximity, gaze, bullshit, presence, tendu, luxury, stage, nonsense, mentorship, my broken bag, a bouquet of flowers

driven to change, expand, put attention, scream, decide, fail, question, react, do, explore, listen, receive

without being practical