32 Questions for Tanzhaus Zürich

We’ve been around since:
1996.

When we think of Tanzhaus Zürich’s 30th anniversary, the first thing that springs to mind is:
᛫ there was quite a lot of bare skin on show. ✓
᛫ with such a lovely riverside location, it’s a great place to move. ✓
᛫ we’re staying flexible (winking smiley)
᛫ a big thank you to all the shoulders we stand on. ✓

What we do in 3 words:
Disturb, move, connect.

Our guiding principle is:
Together, we create spaces for moments of movement.

Our annual budget is:
CHF 2.4 million.

We receive our funding from ...
... the City of Zurich, the Canton of Zurich, various foundations and ticket sales.

If we had an extra 1 million at our disposal each year, we could ...
... give everyone access to dance!

We are at our most efficient when...
...team spirit kicks in.

We are at our least efficient when...
... when it’s no fun.

We deal primarily ...
... with the past.
... with the present. ✓
... with the future.

If we had to define contemporary dance in a nutshell, it would go like this:
Ideas hurled through the body.

Unlike ballet, contemporary dance strives ...
... for diversity. ✓
... for personal stories.
... for experiences that stir the soul. ✓
... not for physicality.
... not for perfection. ✓
... not for symmetry. ✓
... not for beauty. ✓

This is how we explain why people in Zurich don’t dance more often:
᛫ The gym simply takes up a lot of time.
᛫ Unfortunately, people are often ashamed of their own bodies. ✓
᛫ People here find it difficult to show their emotions. ✓
᛫ The joy of life is expressed more through chocolate consumption.
᛫ Unfortunately, dancing isn’t part of the school curriculum. ✓
᛫ Work and consumption take precedence. ✓

Our events ...
... play with conventions. ✓
... have an educational character.
... can be shocking. ✓
... can be liberating. ✓
... are aimed at marginalised groups.
... are aimed at the curious. ✓
... adapt to global political events. ✓

Through our events, we promote ...
... love. ✓
... working up a sweat. ✓
... health. ✓
... irony. ✓
... irrationality. ✓
... justice. ✓
... individualism.
... collectivism. ✓

We will soon be breaking this taboo:
Only celebrating birthdays on the actual birthday.

If our programme were a dish, it would be ...
... popcorn.

This superstar, dead or alive, is who we’d love to have on our stage:
The planet Earth.

A persistent rumour surrounding our work is:
We are a dance school.

Cultural life in Zurich has something you won’t find anywhere else in the world, and that would be ...
... diversity in a small space.

For Zurich’s cultural scene, we wish for ...
... more courage.

If we didn’t exist, our audience would ...
... probably go to the Gessnerallee.

Our building is accessible to people in wheelchairs ...
...

By inclusion, we mean ...
... barrier-free access for everyone.

This is how many people work for us:
17.

By team spirit, we mean:
Alone you go faster, together we go further.

The average salary of our staff is ...
... CHF 6,400 on a full-time basis.

We make this mistake time and time again:
We think an event isn’t technically complex.

The hardest part of our work is ...
... saying ‘no’.

The best thing about our work is ...
... the moment when the lights go down and the performance begins.

Working for culture is worthwhile because ...
... it touches, moves and changes us.

We’d also like to share this with you:
‘Hard times require furious dancing’ (Alice Walker).