In 2008, Tanzplan’s Educational Program initiated a research project on important techniques in modern, postmodern, and contemporary dance in which renowned dance institutions in Germany and Europe were invited to take part. In seven project units, dance artists, experts, and students researched the working methods of notable educators. The project’s goal was to provide a comparative insight into the various transmission models of dance technique and to make practical and theoretical knowledge applicable. Drawing from the results of this research, this workbook provides the ideal reference for dancers, dance professionals, teachers, scholars, and choreographers. In addition to providing a closer look at the respective historical context, concept, ideology, and intended aesthetic, this study also describes physical requirements, movement characteristics, the conceptual basis for training, and the methodology of teaching. The book is completed by accompanying essays dealing with the term “dance technique” and its manifestations. Contemporarry dance is chracterized by many styles and ways of working., and the different types of training each have a unique role to play. Dance techniques can source a hybrid network of dance forms and body-work techniques, along with presentation methods and teaching forms. Yet, at the same time, the| method of training contributes to the style: the way of working informs any individual artistic practice. How do these factors relate to one another? What exactly do contemporary and modern dance teachers teach? What influences factor into a teacher’s fusion of material? What is the relationship between artistic production/process and technique? Might we be even more general and ask: How do we define dance technique today? And, moreover, what constitutes good teaching? Until now there has been no comparative study examining practices employed by contemporary and modern dance educators, a fact that became clear during our initial research in 2007. This publication intends to close this gap—and can be seen as the beginning, not the end, of practice-based research into dance. For three years we worked and researched with approxtmately one-hundred-and-eighty participants in dance departments at seven universities. Our aim was to look at both artists’ and educators’ practice, as well as theoretical approaches taken by dance scholars. Our goal was to learn more about the histories and contexts of contemporary dance techniques, about approaches taken toward the body and movement, and about the principles behind the teaching methods. Our ultimate goal was to make this knowledge available. The connection between practice! and theory? was discussed in various waysin working groups as well as during training sessions that were held in conjunction with various German institutions as part of Tanzplan Deutschland’s Educational Program. In the last several years, dance scholarship has been institutionalized in German-speaking regions—driven by both historical and theoretical knowledge—and has influenced university dance curricula. It is time to envision new structures in which dance practitioners’ knowledge will become more accessible and available. This publication is the result of a joint effort by dance practitioners and scholars; it proves the quality and relevance of practice-based research at dance departments housed in the various universities, Practice and scholarship are given equal value. The foundations for this project were laid by Ingo Diehl, and Friederike Lampert joined him two years later. They embarked on a three-year project that would involve cooperation with various consultants,* a DVD team,’ dance educators,” dance scholars, sports’ scholars, and dance students at the seven universities in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, England, and Belgium. Tanzplan Deutschland’s close cooperation with the public-sector training institutions was integral to its success. The results published in this book include the work of seven research teams; it offers models—structured presentations—about method and craft, | theories, and artistic working processes that reflect current practices of selected dance educators. These structured research projects are designed to provide certain insights into the contemporary and modern dance world and, above all, to be employed as prompts and tools (materials and methods) in , both practical and theoretical contexts. The aim is to make knowledge avail_ able to dancers, educators, dance academics, students, and other interested ‘ parties....