Connecting/Stations Continue Connecting in 2026. The Site-Specific Dance Project Heads to Festivals in the Czech Republic and Slovakia

Following last year’s successful premieres at railway stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany, the Czech-Slovak site-specific project Connecting/Stations continues into a new season. In 2026, it will once again bring contemporary dance directly into public space, appearing at major festivals across the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Audiences can look forward to a unique experience in places normally associated with transit, waiting, and everyday movement - spaces that will instead transform into vibrant stages filled with movement, emotion, and unexpected encounters.

The project was created through a collaboration between the Slovak collective Tanečno and the Czech platform MOVE Ostrava as an original connection between two active contemporary movement scenes. Its aim is to popularise dance and physical theatre, reach new audiences, and bring art closer to people again - without barriers, tickets, or traditional boundaries between stage and audience.

Dance Where You Least Expect It

Connecting/Stations transforms railway halls and transit spaces into places of shared experience. The choreography draws from natural human contact, closeness, passing by, and encounters. It responds to the specific space and rhythm of the day, showing that even while travelling, it is possible to slow down for a moment and discover a new dimension of the everyday.

“We are excited that this unique project of live dance art in railway station halls will continue with new performances in both the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The current situation within the cultural sectors of both countries calls for art to move closer to people - even into places where we do not usually stop. Within both Tanečno and MOVE Ostrava, we have long worked towards popularising dance and connecting communities, which is why we are happy to present this work at our upcoming events: Bratislavské Tanečno in June, the 10th anniversary edition of the multi-genre dance and movement festival Tanečno in August in Námestovo, and MOVE Fest Ostrava in September,” says project author Andrej Štepita.

Before that, however, Connecting/Stations will make its first Czech stop of the 2026 tour on 1–2 May in České Budějovice at the Jižní Svéráz Festival. This Czech-Slovak tour perfectly underlines the idea that stood behind the project from the very beginning - to become a strong example of cross-border collaboration and a natural connection between the Czech and Slovak cultural scenes. On stage and beyond, it brings together artists, organisations, and audiences from both countries while rediscovering the synergy between the Czech and Slovak artistic communities.

“For us, Connecting/Stations proves that contemporary movement art can be open, alive, and understandable even for people who would not normally visit a theatre. Public space gives the project extraordinary strength - dance suddenly becomes part of the city and everyday life. We are happy that the project will continue in 2026 and that we can once again invite audiences to experience something unusual in familiar places. At the same time, we are proud that the project naturally carries a dimension of sustainability. All travel between performances takes place by train, making the journey itself part of an ecological and responsible approach to artistic creation,”adds Jana Ryšlavá, founder of MOVE Ostrava and performer in the project.

Photos: Rafael Sam Pedro, 19. 9. 2025, Zittau

Railway stations are places of departures, returns, waiting, and new beginnings. Connecting/Stations transforms them into spaces where people can pause for a moment, look differently, and experience art from immediate proximity. If you want to see dance where you would not normally expect it, this year offers several opportunities. So where will Connecting/Stations stop in 2026?

• 1–2 May — Jižní Svéráz Festival, České Budějovice

• 12–14 June — Bratislava Tanečno, Bratislava

• 12–16 August — Tanečno Orava Festival, Námestovo

• 16–18 September — pre-events of MOVE Fest Ostrava

• 23–28 September — MOVE Fest Ostrava