UNI-TANZ is an international cultural exchange platform based on the theme of dance. The project was created and organized by Roman Arndt and Giorgia Maddamma with the aim of promoting and developing a serious and profound educational process for high education in dance field in the South of Italy, Lecce.

It is important to focus on the learning process of dance education, and to lay the foundations for a future within high education that offers young people the possibility of attaining the highest levels in their development as artists. Additionally, we encourage students to hone skills and give back knowledge to their home country origin. Due to the Uni-Tanz project, an active collaboration between neighbouring countries has developed. With clear objectives, we will acheive new avenues for international themes in dance. Uni-Tanz offers a rich opportunity to discuss current strategies for necessary development in dance and dance training. Collaborations and presentations of working projects aim cartel on the way forward, the contents and organization of vocational training in the art of dance today.

Uni-Tanz consists of one / two intensive weeks of program, which offer technique classes, dance laboratory, dance theory classes and performances in city festivals and site specific.

Professors and choreographers Malou Airaudo, Roman Arndt, Stephan Brinkmann, Rodolpho Leoni, Giorgia Maddamma, Susanne Linke, Henrietta Horn, Johannes Wieland, Fernando Suels Mendoza, Mark Siezkarek, Kenji Takagi, Marigia Maggipinto, Nina Dipla, Tamas Morics, Aida Vainieri, Thusnelda Merci, Pascal Merighi, Francesca Falcone, Alejandro Russo, Sonia Stomeo, Antonio Farì, Cristian Bevilacqua, Marco Bardoscia, have been teaching different dance technique classes and choreographic workshop, History of dance, Laban notation, Music, Gyrokinesis, Feldenkrais and art classes during the several editions of the contemporary dance campus.

Since Uni-Tanz started, in 2013, circa 10 students who participated at the campus, had the opportunity to audition and be accepted at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen Germany. Some of them is working for dance companies in Germany as Folkwang Tanz Studio Essen and worked as guest dancer for Tanztheater Wuppertal-Pina Bausch.

Since the second edition in 2014, we developed a parallel educational program, held at Cantieri Teatrali Koreja in Lecce:

• For the edition 2014, the organization invited the choreographer Susanne Linke to give a choreographic workshop and had her absolute premiere for her last solo “A lost solo-Hommage to Dore Hoyer”;
• The actual director of the Folkwang University of the Arts Prof. Dott. Stephan Brinkmann was invited to give a Pedagogy course based on Jooss-Leeder method;
• Fernando Suels Mendoza, dancer of Tanztheater Wuppertal-Pina Bausch and choreographer participated as guest teacher and performed two of his own pieces in the Uni-Tanz performance program: “I lost something on the hill” and “Es waren drei konigskinder”.
• For the edition 2016, Unitanz proposed a Residency of the Folkwang Tanz Studio Company held at Cantieri Teatrali Koreja of Lecce. The ten members of the german company based at the Folkwang University of the Arts and directed by prof. Rodolpho Leoni, have been working in Lecce with the german choreographer Johannes Wieland. After two weeks they took part of the two performances of the campus, dancing a piece choreographed by the american choreographer Stephanie Miracle and a piece choreographed by prof. Rodolpho Leoni.
• For the edition 2017 Uni-Tanz proposed a new Residency program called MASTER EXCHANGE–RESIDENCY. It involved several master students of choreography coming from three different universities, Folkwang University of the Arts (DE), Academy of Dance Rome (IT), NYU Tisch School of the Arts (USA) and three master students of the Academy of Fine Arts Lecce. Each master student has been working and living at Cantieri Teatrali Koreja in Lecce for two weeks sharing his knowlodge and artistry with the other students, learning new ways of composing, experimenting and searching together. At the end of the creative proces they all created a small piece which has been performed at the Uni-Tanz performances, together with participants of the campus and guests artists.
• During the edition 2019 Uni-Tanz partecipated at the international project “Nelken Line” created by the Pina Bausch Foundation. The Bausch dancer Marigia Maggipinto led the famous line with all partecipants of the campus in the historical center of Lecce and for the performance Uni-Tanz Dance Evening-Guests held at Chiostro dei Teatini Lecce.
• For the edition 2020 Uni-Tanz proposed an online version of the campus, due to the covid19 restictions. Giorgia Maddamma and Pascal Merighi offered technique classes in a simple digital version; Aida Vainieri and Thusnelda Merci offered a choreography lab aimed to create a small video with all participants. The restitution of the week work has been an online meeting held at the Koreoproject Facebook page and directed by a journalist, with all guest teachers invited to talk about the project.