Tanz.Spur.Leben.
International Conference on Dance and Therapy 2027
8. - 10. Oktober 2027 I Schloss Retzhof I Styria (A)
Movement as a resource for expression, connection and resilience.
The conference "Tanz.Spur.Leben." explores the transformative power of dance and movement in the context of resilience, connection and creativity.
The conference presents a wide range of perspectives from practice, research and the arts – with a particular focus on the creative and artistic dimensions of dance therapy.
Welcome to "Tanz.Spur.Leben."
30 years of movement, connection and personal growth – and a shared vision for the future.
For 30 years, the Zentrum für Ausdruckstanz und Tanztherapie has been a place where dance moves people – artistically, therapeutically and personally.
What Veronika Fritsch founded, we now carry on together as a mother-daughter team: through training and further education, dance therapy, expressive dance, dance theatre, seminars and spaces for self-discovery and creative growth.
Our work combines artistic expression with therapeutic depth, bodily experience with scientific insights, and personal development with shared experiences.
This connection also shapes our conference on dance and therapy, "Tanz.Spur.Leben.".
We aim to build bridges: between dance therapy and artistic dance, between therapy, education and performance, and between research and lived movement. That is why we invite not only therapists but also dancers, dance educators, artists and professionals from the fields of medicine, social work, neuroscience and movement research.
Let’s celebrate 30 years of lived dance and dance therapy culture together! And let’s shape new perspectives for dance, therapy and connection together.
We look forward to creating new paths together.
Veronika & Teresa Fritsch
Zentrum für Ausdruckstanz und Tanztherapie
Movement as a Resource
FOR EXPRESSION, CONNECTION & RESILIENCE
8–10 October 2027
Schloss Retzhof (Leibnitz, Styria)
Dance therapy works where words fail – it creates space for expression, connects people and unlocks new resources for dealing with trauma, illness and emotional challenges.
Here, dance and movement are understood as traces of lived experience – as an expression of our history, our relationships and our creative potential. Every movement can be a bridge: between body and soul, between the individual and the community, between art and therapy.
Key themes
-
Trauma & Resilience: How movement strengthens protective factors and activates inner resources
-
Neuroscience & dance: What happens in the brain when we dance – and how we can make use of this
-
Dementia & Dance Therapy: Searching for clues through dance – memory, identity and relationships in old age
-
Promoting resilience across different stages of life: Working with children, young people and adults in creative and dance therapy contexts
-
Creativity in Dance Therapy: The use of creative media, texts, images and symbols – intermedia dance to strengthen self-efficacy and joie de vivre
Furthermore, we aim to strengthen the dialogue between dance therapy and artistic dance, between therapy, education and performance art, and to bring people from different disciplines together through movement.
Objectives & Target Audience
The conference is aimed at:
-
Dance therapists & creative therapists
-
Dancers, dance educators & artists
-
Professionals from the fields of psychotherapy, medicine & social work
-
Specialists and interested parties from the fields of neuroscience, movement research & education
-
Students and trainees in therapeutic and educational professions
Objectives of the conference:
-
Exchange and networking between practice, research and teaching
-
Highlighting the importance of dance therapy for resilience and development
-
Experiencing one’s own movement as a resource for expression and connection
-
Promoting creative processes and interdisciplinary collaboration
-
Providing impetus for the further development of practice
We would also like to extend a specific invitation to people from other professional fields to attend the conference.
Workshops & Keynote
Conference participants will have the opportunity to get active themselves in a wide range of workshops, gain hands-on experience of different methods, and find new inspiration for their work or for themselves.
In addition, a series of talks will provide subject-specific insights from various therapeutic and artistic contexts.
Conference organisers, keynote speakers and workshop leaders
Founder and Director of the Centre for Expressive Dance and Dance Therapy (BTA), music teacher, dance and expressive therapist, movement analyst, choreographer and academic supervisor
CONFERENCE CHAIR
Head of the Centre for Expressive Dance and Dance Therapy, dance and expressive therapist (BTA), behavioural biologist, choreographer and systemic coach
CONFERENCE CHAIR
Dance and movement therapist, freelance dance practitioner and specialist in art and health
KEYNOTE & WORKSHOP
Educator and philosopher, dance and movement therapist, and psychotherapist
KEYNOTE & WORKSHOP
Psychologist and professor at the Institute of Psychology, University of Graz
KEYNOTE
Educator, dance and expressive therapist (BTA), person-centred psychotherapist and body-oriented psychotherapist
WORKSHOP
Dance and expressive arts therapist (BTA), dance teacher, Montessori teacher and adult educator
WORKSHOP
Elementary music and dance teacher, DanceAbility teacher and certified Tamalpa Life/Art Process trainer (Level 3)
WORKSHOP
Psychologist, dance and expressive arts therapist (BTA) and psychotherapist in training under supervision (Integrative Gestalt Therapy)
WORKSHOP
Social education worker, contemporary dancer, choreographer, dance teacher and DanceAbility trainer
WORKSHOP
Dancer, dance teacher, choreographer and dance and expressive therapist (BTA)
WORKSHOP
Long-standing martial arts instructor (Eskrima, Wing Tsun), experience in numerous martial arts disciplines, long-standing dancer, technical project manager
WORKSHOP
Art historian, artist, dance and expressive therapist (BTA) and cultural educator
WORKSHOP
Conference venue
A place where people can come together, creativity can flourish, and movement does not stop at the walls of the seminar room.
We have chosen Schloss Retzhof as a special venue for the 2027 International Conference on Dance and Therapy.
Staying overnight right at the conference venue means short distances and a special atmosphere, in which the conference can be experienced as a shared experience that extends beyond the individual workshops.
