Dear friends and supporters of villa\wigman,
dear neighborhood,

An eventful and moving year 2025 is coming to an end – time to pause and look back on everything that has been created in and with villa\wigman. Our thanks go to everyone who fills this special place with life: the artists who have rehearsed and produced here, all the guests at our events, the members of Villa Wigman für Tanz e.V., our sponsors, and our donors. It is only with you all that villa\wigman becomes what it is – a vibrant space for the performing arts, a place of encounter, and a piece of living dance history. In this newsletter, we look back on important renovation steps that are gradually restoring the listed building ensemble to its former glory, on events that we were able to realize alone or with partners, and on our residency programs that enable artistic research.

We wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a relaxing holiday season –

and look forward to seeing you again in the new year!

The villa\wigman team

From TANZPAKT in residence
to residence plus

This year, we were once again able to offer residencies at villa\wigman. As part of TANZPAKT in residence, Katja Erfurth researched “Mary Wigman in Dresden-Hellerau” and Michael McCrae, together with Juliet Meding, researched the relationship between self-determination and the fragility of the subject within the flausen + residency program under the title “MACHT – THEATER – STAAT” (POWER – THEATER – STATE).

The next residency format is also just around the corner – with “residence plus,” we have initiated a residency program for 2026 in cooperation with TanzNetzDresden and five partner locations in Saxony, which is funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Science, Culture, and Tourism and the State Capital Dresden – Office for Culture and Monument Protection. The call for applications is open until December 22, 2025, at 1 p.m. Apply now!

We are also looking forward to the completion of the residency area at villa\wigman next year, which will enable artists to live and work in one place for artistic research.

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Visible progress in the renovation

With the help of foundations, primarily the Hermann Reemtsma Foundation, public funds, and donations, we were once again able to carry out further essential renovation work on the listed villa\wigman building complex this year. For the first time, we were also able to secure the support of the Wüstenrot Foundation. With the renovation of the walls in the Red Hall, we followed the restoration findings of the color scheme from Mary Wigman's time for the first time and made it possible to experience the extraordinary spatial effect once again. The renovation of the floor and walls in the corridors continued the design based on historical models. The floor of the Great Hall was completely renovated with underfloor heating and a sprung dance floor, and now offers the best working conditions for the performing arts.

A future residential area is currently being renovated on the first floor – Mary Wigman's former living quarters. The restoration findings reveal unique gold and silver tones, which will be incorporated into the renovation. An apartment with a kitchen and bathroom area as well as versatile workspaces are being created.

We are delighted with these renovation steps and grateful for any support! If you would like to make your donation shine, you can donate directly here for the cost-intensive color pigments in the future residential area.

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An eventful year at villa\wigman

The year 2025 was rich in special moments at villa\wigman. With PARCOURS³, we established a new format that uniquely combines the history and present of the location. In April and June, Svea Duwe guided visitors through the rooms of villa\wigman with PARCOURS³ #1, following the visible traces of Mary Wigman's time there. Three performances combining dance, theater, and music brought the defiance of art to life. In October and November, PARCOURS³ #2 followed with Charles A. Washington's mythological and artistic perspective on Mary Wigman's legacy—the audience moved freely between rooms and experienced different voices reflecting on Wigman's place in history. The highlight was the PARCOURS³ Marathon in December, in which both parcours were intertwined and presented in a new form.

On Open Monument Day in September, we once again opened our doors to anyone interested in the renovation of the building. With guided tours, an exhibition, coffee, and cake, we offered a variety of insights and views into the listed building complex and brought a century of dance history to life. To mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of Gret Palucca's school, the Leipzig Dance Archive, in cooperation with villa\wigman, the Palucca University of Dance Dresden, and other partner organizations, initiated the event “Ich will nicht hübsch und lieblich tanzen!” (I don't want to dance prettily and sweetly!) in October. In this context, villa\wigman provided the ideal venue for a lively discussion of dance history and contemporary dance from artistic, archival, participatory, and discursive perspectives. We would like to thank the more than 30 contributors and 200 guests who made this day a celebration of dance.
We look forward to the coming year with new formats and a great audience!

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