Tanec Praha is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation - civic association founded in 1991 with two essential priorities: to develop and enhance the International Festival of Contemporary Dance and Movement Theatre TANEC PRAHA, and to facilitate the development of contemporary dance in the Czech Republic and its international involvement.
The association has two basic missions. In the first place, to organize international festivals of contemporary dance and movement theatre with the highest possible artistic as well as organizational quality including additional programs (seminars, workshops, conferences of theoreticians and critics, etc.). Secondly, to operate spaces intended for production, creation and realization of pieces mostly from dance domain but also other artistic fields that mutually support and advance each other.
The activities of the association are carried out on several levels: the most significant event remains the festival TANEC PRAHA which is held annually in June. The important mission of the festival is to inspire local artists and to popularize dance art in the eyes of broader laic public. An integral part of the festival comprises creative meetings of foreign artists with Czech dance community as well as discussions with media. Since the mid 90s, the visit rate of the event has increased considerably - nowadays most festival performances are sold out. The interest of public and media goes hand in hand with high appreciation of the festival abroad which manifests itself in the high number of international appraisals and multiple invitations to membership in important international organisations and panels for the director of the festival.
Tanec Praha civic association is a member of IETM (Informal European Theatre Meeting) and its director was elected a member of the IETM Council. She was also invited to represent the Czech Republic at in the International Jury at Aerowaves (European choreographic competition). Furthermore, the association is a partner of the project Trans Danse Europe. Last but not least, the director of Tanec Praha was also addressed to revitalize the Czech National Commission for Dance at UNESCO. Tanec Praha actively co-operates with artistic schools and also with renowned festivals, such as Prague Spring or Golden Prague.
The other, no less significant project organized by Tanec Praha association is the Czech Dance Platform festival which originally started as an inconspicuous display of Czech dance activity; the first edition was held in April 1995 in Duncan Centre. During the four years to follow the platform was a profile event of the city of Hradec Králové, bearing the name "Entrée k tanci" ("Entrée to Dance"). Subsequently, on the occasion of the IETM plenary session in April 2000 in Prague, the platform has permanently settled in the capital city. The aim of the Czech Dance Platform is to present contemporary Czech dance to international partners as well as to Czech public. The event takes place predominantly in the space of Ponec theatre; however, there are several other theatres and stages that have joined the project recently - Alfred ve dvoře theatre (led by the art association Motus), Archa theatre or NoD Roxy.
The operation of Ponec theatre is the most recent but all the more essential activity of the association. The opening of the theatre meant the appearance of a new type of space content-wise on the theatre map of the Czech Republic. The dramaturgy and operation are systematically focused on contemporary dance and movement theatre and they also support all inspiring overlaps to other genres and to various alternative and scenic technologies generated by contemporary art. Ponec is a “stagiona” bearing the characteristics of a dance-hall and as such it provides time and space conditions for the creation and production of new pieces. Besides performances, the programme of the theatre involves educational projects, workshops, professional seminars, conferences, and discussions. To sum up, Ponec is a perfect institution providing artists and professionals with conditions for artistic creation. Last but not least, it’s a noticeable theatre-space for the public.
An important part of Tanec Praha civic association activities is constituted by actions supporting legislative changes and the establishment of conditions necessary for financing NGOs in the Czech Republic as well as organizational changes linked to these. The director of the association participated on the activities of NGO Council by the Government Office of the Czech Republic. She is also a co-founder of VSNNOKU (Volné sdružení nevládních neziskových organizací v kultuře / General Association for NGOs in Arts and Culture). Last but not least, Tanec Praha civic association allows access to its video library and information centre to professional public.