Summer Dance Forever
Summer Dance Forever is a spectacular dance festival dedicated to urban dance and its evolution as an art form. Every year, the festival presents a programme that always succeeds in elevating urban dance culture in Europe and beyond.
The festival is centred around dance spectacles, as well as workshops and thrilling performances. At Summer Dance Forever, 16 international choreographers and dance companies present their latest dance masterpieces.
Summer Dance Forever performance highlights
Six days of urban dance theatre performances will blow your mind, with choreographers and dance companies from countries as far-flung as Senegal, Canada and France.
[August 14] Summer Dance Forever Opening Night – Black Sheep presents FACT
The festival opens with a dazzling piece of choreography at the Stadsschouwburg. For opening night, the French dance company Black Sheep presents FACT for seven dancers. This performance explores the themes of collective energy and individual expression.
[August 15] YZ presents R1R2 START
YZ is a duo consisting of award-winning master pop and lock masters. The newest show by the duo is R1R2 START. At DeLaMar Theatre, virtual worlds will collide with this gaming-inspired dance spectacle!
[August 15] Quadruple Bill: Paradox-Sal / Sandrine Monar / Géométrie Variable / Chey Jurado
DeLaMar Theatre welcomes you to behold some of the “best of” hip-hop dance showcases in this quadruple bill featuring Paradox-Sal, Sandrine Monar, Géométrie Variable and Chey Jurado. French shoe-loving hip-hop dancer Sandrine Monar gives a shoe-themed performance, Géométrie Variable perform in Ghetto-style dance. The 100% female group Paradox-sal perform Afro-house style. Meanwhile, Chey Jurado is a dance battle champion.
[August 16] Tentacle Tribe presents Threesixnine
The Canadian conceptual hip-hop group Tentacle Tribe's "Threesixnine" manages to elevate hip-hop to contemporary art status, involving locking, falling and turning. The Montreal Gazette hails its founders “a dance duo with the technique, stage experience, chemistry, intelligence and creative firepower to push urban dance into high-art territory”.
[August 16] Triple bill: Mazel Freten / Art Move Concept / Iron Skulls
Eclectic is the best word to describe this triple bill featuring Mazel Freten, Art Move Concept and Iron Skulls. Mazel Freten is simply two people sharing history in the form of dance, in a mix of hip-hop and electro, a lively theatrical performance that barely needs a title. Spanish group Iron Skulls is all about diversity in 21st-century dance styles.
Art Move Concept mixes mime, circus arts and contemporary dance, bursting through the boundaries of performance genres. Catch all three acts at DeLaMar Theatre.
[August 17] Didier Boutiana (Soul City) performs Kanyar
A one-man show on the theme of exclusion, from being excluded to intentionally keeping oneself away from others. Didier Boutiana presents "Kanya", where he delves deep into the psychology of the themes, crossing boundaries and crossing our pre-conceptions.
[August 18] 5 o’clock class: Disney-inspired dancing
At the Vondelpark Open-Air Theatre, you can treat yourself and your loved ones to the dance performance "Zo niet Mulan", inspired by Disney’s Mulan for all ages.
[August 18] Double Bill: La Mer Noire / Le Neil
La mer Noire and Le Neil make up this eclectic double bill. La Mer Noire, founded in Senegal, is all about the contemporary dynamics of African hip-hop. The members have each won prizes in international competitions. Le Neil appeared at Summer Dance Forever with his precise, meticulous movements ranging from classic to energetic house. Now he appears as choreographer, dancer and visual artist.
[August 19] Nedda Sou: Ja He?
Nedda Sou's "Ja He?" is aimed at young people. Nedda Sou has previously danced for MTV and in Nike and Footlocker campaigns. This production is especially for youngsters and focusses on the importance of strength, growth and independence.
[August 14-19] Installation: Dance of the City Warriors by Anne Nguyen
Each day, visitors can experience the exciting installation "Dance of the City Warriors" between 12pm and 8pm at the Stadsschouwburg. Founder of Par Terre Dance company, French choreographer Anne Nguyen sees hip-hop as a dance form that constantly challenges restrictions on the human body and its surrounding space, especially in the big city.
In the installation, the viewer passes by various screens, each focusing on a particular element of hip-hop or breakdance, making use of animation, live motion capture and virtual reality.
Special events at Summer Dance Forever
From dance battles to seminars, from DJ sessions to workshops, there's a lot in store on the exciting and dynamic Summer Dance Forever programme.
Hip Hop Games Holland
The second edition of the international hip-hop dance competition known as Hiphop Games Holland takes place at Paradiso. The prize is 50.000 euros, enabling the winner to embark on a European tour!
Dance battles
Dance battles are at the heart of Summer Dance Forever. At Paradiso, experience the Locking Forever Battle and Popping Forever Battle on August 16, House Dance Battle on August 18 and Hiphop Forever Battle on August 19.
Amsterdam Soul Weekender
For four nights, Paradiso will be enshrined in soulful club music. Expect styles like afro-soul, boogie funk, broken beat, disco, hip-hop and house, against a backdrop of electronic music. Each of the artists is outstanding in their field and it's sure to be a weekend of superb, soulful clubbing! Amsterdam Soul Weekender passes are available on the Summer Dance Forever website.
Basement Sessions
Basement Sessions are unmissable during Summer Dance Forever, so get yourself to the basement at Paradiso and enjoy the urban DJ dance vibes on August 20, 21 and 22. The tickets are only 5 euros.
Urban dance workshops
The Summer Dance Forever workshops taking place at the Academy of Theatre and Dance on August 20, 21 and 22 are one-of-a-kind and a great opportunity to learn from some of the foremost experts in the urban dance scene. Workshops cost 20 euros.
Seminar on hip-hop theatre
There will be a free seminar upstairs at Melkweg on August 19 at 12.30 about "The Art of Hiphop Theatre".
Summer Dance Forever locations
The festival takes place in some of Amsterdam’s most prolific and iconic performance venues. The locations where Summer Dance Forever takes place are:
Buy your Summer Dance Forever tickets
Make sure you buy your tickets before it’s too late! You can book your tickets on the Summer Dance Forever ticket page. Summer Dance Forever offers both ticket packages and separate tickets for particular events.
Come and enjoy Summer Dance Forever and experience the limitless boundaries of urban dance.