Premiere
FOLKWANG DANCE STUDIO
Choreography: Rodolpho Leoni

June 26 and 27, 2026,
Pina Bausch Theater,
both at 7:30 p.m.

“I love choreographing in space”—that is, in a spacious setting, so to speak, says Rodolpho Leoni. But this time, he’ll be drawing out that expansiveness from a very confined space. He’s taking on the apse of the Pina Bausch Theater—the circular niche at the back of the stage—and having the ten dancers perform within it. How can something big emerge from something small and confined? How can its inner world be turned inside out? How much can fit in there or happen, and how many moods can the niche hold as it changes color like a soap bubble?

The Folkwang Dance Studio ensemble performs: Mateusz Bogdanowicz, Subin Cho, Tullia Francischiello, Gabriel Gaudray-Donnio, Jordan Gigout, Yun-Ru Lee, Tzu-Chun Liou, Chen-Yi Lou, Emmi Osenberg, and Harrison Rodrigues Gomes dos Santos.

Performance Information:
_Address: Pina Bausch Theater, Folkwang University of the Arts, Klemensborn 39, 45239 Essen
_Admission: €15 | reduced rate €8
_Advance ticket sales: at the Folkwang Shop, Klemensborn 32, 45239 Essen; by phone at 0201_4903-231; or by email at karten@folkwang-uni.de
Advance ticket sales begin on the 1st of the previous month.

Change in Artistic Direction at the Folkwang Dance Studio

After 18 years, there is a change in artistic direction at the Folkwang Dance Studio
Rodolpho Leoni, Folkwang Professor of Modern Dance | Dance Choreography, served as artistic director from 2008 to 2026. Under his leadership, over 50 productions were staged, and the Folkwang Dance Studio’s influential and inspiring collaborations with international choreographers—including numerous renowned Folkwang alumni and figures—were successfully continued.
Guest choreographers have included, among others: Reinhild Hoffmann, Susanne Linke, Ben J. Riepe, and Mark Sieczkarek, as well as Barnaby Both, Emanuel Gat, Renate Graziadei, David Hernandez, Moya Michael, Richard Siegal, and Michiel Vandevelde. In addition to performances at renowned venues in the Rhine-Ruhr region, such as the Aalto Theater in Essen, PACT Zollverein, and tanzhaus nrw, the ensemble, under Leoni’s direction, has made numerous guest appearances at national and international festivals, including in Amman (Jordan), Athens (Greece), Bruges (Belgium), Bytom (Poland), Izmir (Turkey), Lecce (Italy), and Medellín (Colombia).
The collaboration with the Master’s program in Dance Composition | Choreography was of particular importance to Leoni, as it allowed students to gain experience working with complex choreographies within the FTS’s artistic environment even while still in training.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when rehearsal and performance opportunities were limited, Leoni also sought out alternative artistic production and presentation formats and developed a successful video project with the FTS dancers.
Rodolpho Leoni continues to serve as professor of Modern Dance | Dance Choreography at Folkwang. Starting in October 2026, Henrietta Horn, professor of Contemporary Dance at Folkwang University of the Arts, will assume the artistic directorship of the Folkwang Dance Studio.

Selected Productions
Rodolpho Leoni: “It’s OK” (2026), “For the love & laughter” and “Unplugged” (2025), “Wonderful Life” (2022), “Would you like an invitation to my destination” (2015), “Bits and Pieces” (2009).
“Wandering Mind” by Renate Graziadei (2023), “Christ on the Mount of Olives” by Reinhild Hoffmann (2020, in collaboration with Theater Bonn), “Neuer Neuer Tanz” by Michiel Vandenvelde (2019), “Mondschein” by Emanuel Gat (2014), “Frauenballett” by Susanne Linke (2010, new production), “shy-wild” by Ben J. Riepe (2009).

Selected Guest Performances
“Wonderful Life”: Izmir Festival (2024) and IDEA Festival, Amman, Jordan (2023); “Auftaucher” (excerpts): Dance Award, Aalto Theater, Essen (2021); “Neuer Neuer Tanz”: Festival in Beweging, Bruges (2020); “Wilderness Tender” / “Auftaucher”: Ruhrfestspiele Recklinghausen (2019); “Auftaucher”: DANZA MED, Medellín, Colombia (2018); “Would you like an invitation to my destination”: Zeche 1, Bochum (2015); “Melange”: tanz.rausch Festival, Cologne (2014); “Notations” with Henrietta Horn: Ruhr Piano Festival (2012); Cage Project with Daniel Goldin: Theater Münster (2010); “Bits and Pieces”: Teatr Tanca, Bytom Festival, Poland (2010); “Frauenballett”: International Dance Festival, Athens, Greece (2010); “Writing on Water & There is an abyss”: tanznrw Festival (2009)