What is the work of and for the future? How do we need to transform and redefine our strategies, environments and relations within the realms of work and life, so they can bring us toward a future community that we desire and identify with? For the 30th edition of Tanztage Berlin together with the association ZTB Berlin (celebrating its 20th anniversary), we are reviving a format envisioning alternatives to what the system of art production offers us and maybe even solutions to problems it creates. Its first part, moderated by Kasia Wolińska, will be dedicated to questions of work culture and the future of labour. Its second part moderated by Simo Vassinen will be dealing with the topic of mental health among Berlin’s dancing communities.

This winter’s festival proposes to zoom into the broad topic of mental health amongst Berlin’s dancing communities. Is ‘mental health’ even the right concept to talk about? What are the specificities of a body-based community regarding wellbeing? How to approach ideas of holistic health, of healing, of feeling well in the mind and the body? The panel discussion featuring three guests will revolve around the help that can be accessed through the city’s health services, and the ways to complement it.

A survey mapping out current urgencies, questions and best practices will be published in mid-December in order to gain comments from the field and to serve as a base for the panel discussion. Individuals inspired to give insight on addressing the topic beforehand are also encouraged to get in touch with the panel host at simo.vassinen@gmail.com or call 030 27 89 00 35.

The event will last a total of 1,5 hours with a 10-minute break and a 30-minute audience discussion and will take place as a Zoom webinar. It will also be streamed to vimeo and facebook. The panel will be held in English spoken language with audio description. Irina Bondas and Stefan Schade will translate into German spoken language. Oya Ataman and Svea Loy will translate into German sign language. Questions from the audience can be asked in English and German spoken or written language as well as in German sign language. The chat and raise-hand function can be used for this purpose. If you use the raise-hand function, we will let you join the discussion and turn your audio and video on. Questions can also be submitted on vimeo and facebook via the chat and commenting function. For questions or more information, please contact Gina Jeske at or 030 27 89 00 35.

Simo Vassinen is a dancer and performance maker, journalist, translator and researcher with a background in futures thinking. He has done writing, lecturing, production and moderation work at e. g. think tank Demos Helsinki, Monocle magazine and Kiasma Museum Helsinki, and shown performances at e. g. Tanztage, Delphi Theater and the Ufer Studios complex.

Mmakgosi Kgabi completed her MA in Solo Dance and Authorship at HZT Berlin in 2019. Her research proposal was to approach language as a choreography/dance with the mouth as the dancer opening up a possibility to move closer to the “dance”. She has a broad portfolio engaging most recently in work as a Dramaturg and Voice Performance Artist with a keen interest in acting for the camera. She is a trained physical theatre and improvisation performer and also a performance facilitator. She trained with Causing a Scene (JHB), Performance of a Lifetime (POALNYC) and Clowns Without Borders South Africa (CWBSA). She has developed her skills in the performance industry, both in South Africa and internationally as an on-screen actor and a stage actor. In the Berlin dance scene she has worked with Constanza Macras, Robyn Orlin, Jeremy Wade and Ligia Lewis.

Anisha Müller is an artist and movement instructor from the UK who gives empowerment workshops and talks. She specialises in feminist body practice where her main achievement has been founding and teaching the dance workout class “FemmeFitness”. Her work is driven by the need to confront and discuss the policing of bodies, safer spaces and critical whiteness. Aiming to bring QTIPOC (Queer, Transgender and Intersex People of Colour) to the front, she has given workshops in London and Berlin including with CutieBiPoC Festival, Move.Untld and Haus der Kulturen der Welt.

Mata Sakka is a Berlin-based dancer, teacher, health practicioner, movement and massage therapist. Her vision is to use different movement and hands-on bodywork techniques to establish a strong connection between the body, mind and soul, resulting in healthy living and prevention from disease. Her teaching and healing practices combine disciplines such as yoga (hatha, yin, laugh), movement improvisation, qigong, meditation, breathwork, reiki and massage practices. As a dancer she has toured around the world, with the longest engagement (since 2005) as an ensemble member of Sasha Waltz & Guests.