Dresden celebrates dance: programme highlights in the dance year 2025

Anniversaries, events and activities

Szene aus „Beethoven“ von Sasha Waltz
„Beethoven“ von Sasha Waltz & Guests, ein Tanzhighlight 2025 in Dresden, präsentiert in HELLERAU. Foto: Sebastian Bolesch

With special anniversaries such as the 100th birthday of the Palucca University of Dance and the 200th anniversary of the Semperoper Ballett, Dresden celebrates its long dance tradition and becomes a place-to-be for dance enthusiasts. We have put together the highlights of the 2025 dance year for you.

Spotlights on, and let the stage come alive – Dresden is dancing! In 2025, the city will build on its rich dance heritage and transform into a grand stage, celebrating one of the oldest and most beautiful forms of human expression in all its diversity: dance. From classical ballet and urban street dance to avant-garde choreographies, the joy of movement knows no bounds.

Adding extra glamour to this exceptional dance year are several major anniversaries: 100 years of the Palucca University of Dance, 200 years of the Semperoper Ballett, and 100 years of the Semperoper Ball – all shining a well-deserved spotlight on Dresden’s vibrant dance scene. Dance lovers can look forward to a year filled with unforgettable moments and breathtaking performances.

Tradition meets modernity: what makes Dresden an exciting dance city

With impressive performances, dance festivals and a major anniversary gala, Dresden is once again making it clear that it is one of the most exciting dance cities in Europe. Whether in the European Centre for the Arts HELLERAU, the historic Villa Wigman, the magnificent Semperoper or the modern Staatsoperette, dance is performed practically everywhere. International artists meet local talent, classical masterpieces meet new artistic signatures.

This diversity has a long tradition: in 1925, Gret Palucca, the icon of German expressive dance, laid the foundation stone for the Palucca University of Dance here, which continues to set dance standards to this day. In 2025, the legendary institution will celebrate its 100th anniversary with an annual programme. Also deeply rooted is the Semperoper Ballett, which is celebrating one of the oldest ballet traditions in Europe with its 200th anniversary. With world-class productions, it characterises the international dance scene and never ceases to inspire.

This is how the Tanzstadt anniversary is celebrated:

European Centre for the Arts HELLERAU

HELLERAU – the European Centre for the Arts – is one of the leading centres for contemporary dance and offers a varied programme of dance, theatre and music all year round. The European dance scene comes together at Highlights 2025.

10 years of ‘Floor on Fire’: Celebrating the diversity of movement

The popular Saxonz format celebrates its anniversary and makes the stage shake. Breakdance, hip-hop and street style meet top dance, because at Floor on Fire, different dance styles merge into a rousing competition. The audience helps decide which team triumphs.

Location: European Centre for the Arts HELLERAU, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 56, 01109 Dresden / Dates: 21 – 22 March 2025

Sasha Waltz & Guests – Beethoven 7

In April, Sasha Waltz will be a guest at HELLERAU. Together with an ensemble of 14 dancers, the star choreographer devotes herself to Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7, which she reinterprets in a contemporary context. The art of dance is accompanied by live electronic sounds by Chilean composer Diego Noguera.

Location: European Centre for the Arts HELLERAU, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße 56, 01109 Dresden / Dates: 24 – 25 April 2025

Floor on Fire, a dance battle with international dancers of different genres in HELLERAU.
Floor on Fire is a battle of international dancers from different genres and a celebration of the art of movement. Photo: Stephan Floss

Staatsoperette Dresden

The Staatsoperette Dresden blends captivating musical theatre with breathtaking dance artistry, making it a key institution in the city’s vibrant dance and stage scene. Its in-house ballet ensemble thrills audiences with diverse choreographies in operettas, musicals, and revue productions. A true standout in the 2025 dance calendar is the DRESDANCE dance gala, a must-see event for dance and culture enthusiasts.

DRESDANCE 2025: the diversity of dance

With the DRESDANCE dance gala on 29 March 2025, the Staatsoperette is bringing the entire diversity of Dresden’s dance scene to the stage: the Staatsoperette Ballet, the Landesbühnen Sachsen, the Palucca University, TanzNetzDresden, the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company and the Semperoper Ballett will all be taking part. An evening full of artistic collaborations.

Location: Staatsoperette Dresden, Kraftwerk Mitte 1, 01067 Dresden / Date: 29 March 2025

Dance piece ‘The Seven Deadly Sins / 100 Passions’ by the State Opera
With the dance piece ‘The Seven Deadly Sins / 100 Passions’, the Staatsoperette is ringing in the dance year 2025. Photo: Pawel Sosnowski

Semper Opera

This year, the Semper Opera is celebrating the 200th anniversary of the Semperoper Ballet, one of Germany’s leading ballet ensembles. The anniversary programme includes fascinating choreographies such as Nijinski and Swan Lake as well as a large open-air dance and interactive festival on Theaterplatz. As if the festivities were not enough, the Semper Opera Ball will also be 100 years old.

200 x 200: Dance and hands-on spectacle on the theatre square

A spectacle for all the senses: 200 dancers from the Semperoper and the Palucca University of Dance will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Semperoper Ballett in the open air on 1 April 2025. Participation is expressly encouraged!

Location: Theatre Square, 01067 Dresden / Date: 01 April 2025

team match: ballet evening in three phases at Semper Zwei

In this innovative format at Semper Zwei, three choreographers compete against each other in alternating teams. The task: to further develop one another’s choreography. The result is a creative dialogue in three phases that connects the past and future of the Semperoper Ballett.

Location: Semper Zwei, Small Scene of the Semperoper, Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden / Dates: 01/02, 11/12, 23-25 April 2025

100 years of the Semperoper Ball: special guided tours

One of the most beautiful nights of the year is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2025: the Semperoper Ball. The doors to the anniversary ball will open on 7 February 2025. Before and after the event, special tours offer exclusive insights behind the scenes of one of Europe’s oldest balls. From the elaborate transformation of the ballroom to exciting stories about award winners and celebrities – let yourself be enchanted!

Location: Semperoper, Theaterplatz 2, 01067 Dresden / Dates: 02 February 2025, 5:30 pm, 5:45 pm, 6:00 pm; 08 February 2025, 6:00 pm, 6:15 pm, 6:30 pm, 6:45 pm, 7:00 pm

Dancers of the Semperoper Ballet in ‘Nijinsky’ by John Neumeier.
The Semperoper Ballett company is currently celebrating great success with John Neumeier’s ‘Nijinsky’. Photo: Admill Kuyler

Villa Wigman

The Villa Wigman, the former workplace of dancer and choreographer Mary Wigman, is now a space for the independent performing arts and an important meeting place for Dresden’s dance scene.

PARCOURS3

Under the title PARCOURS3, the Villa Wigman presents a series of performative tours with artistic and installation-based interventions. They shed light on the history, present and future of the villa, where the pioneer of German expressive dance, Mary Wigman, lived and worked between 1920 and 1942.

Location: Villa Wigman, Bautzner Straße 107, 01099 Dresden / Time: 23 February 2025, 11:00 am; further dates: 13 April, 15 June, 14 September, 19 October, 7 December 2025

  • Villa Wigman – Tanzkunst im Dialog von Vergangenheit und Zukunft
  • Die Villa Wigman für Tanz in Dresden

To join in

Silent Disco Dancing Tour

From April 2025, dance enthusiasts can explore Dresden’s neighbourhoods in a special way on the Silent Disco Dancing Tour. Equipped with headphones, participants will dance through the city and learn quirky facts and stories along the way.

Location: Various districts of Dresden / Dates: from April 2025


You can also find current dates for modern dance and performances in Dresden in the dance calendar of TanzNetzDresden, the network of the independent dance scene in the city on the Elbe.