International dance art, powerful artistic voices, and an enthusiastic audience

Awards presented at the 18th International SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends in Cologne

The 18th International SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends, presented by Barnes Crossing – Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst, concluded with an awards ceremony on May 31, 2026. In the anniversary year “20 Years of Barnes Crossing,” the festival once again presented outstanding contemporary dance and performance works from Germany and abroad.

From more than 150 applications from 18 countries, 17 solo and duo productions were selected and presented in Cologne on May 29 and 30. The international jury, consisting of Vivianne Rodrigues del Britto (NL), Bébé de Soares (BR), and Leandro Kees (ARG/D), awarded five prizes.

The winning works particularly impressed the jury with their distinctive artistic styles as well as their engagement with contemporary social, political, and aesthetic issues.

The 2026 Award Winners (Jury Award):

AWARDED DUO + Residency

MUGA (Rotterdam, Netherlands)

Choreography: Francesco Paolino

Dance: Francesco Paolino and Tom Blanc

AWARDED DUO NEWCOMER

Project G2 Post Traffic Femtasy (Essen, Germany)

Choreography: Tabea Jung

Dance: Shauna Fischer, Merel Bastiaans

AWARDED DANCER

I could also be a black swan (Kassel, Germany)

Choreography/Dance: Klil Ela Rotshtain

AWARDED SOLO NEWCOMER + Residency

this is not an accident (Cologne, Germany)

Choreography/Dance: Cilai Herrmann

AWARDED SOLO + Residency

Sorry, one more thing (Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany)

Choreography/Dance: Leonie Greta Hardt

The jury’s full laudatory remarks can be downloaded with the press release.

Audience Awards

The audience also presented its own awards on both days of the competition.

May 29, 2026

• Audience Award Duo: Dustkind – Giacomo Liam Durante and Sofie Sochorcová

• Audience Award Solo: The skin remembers – Einav Berkovich

May 30, 2026

• Audience Award for Duo: MUGA – Francesco Paolino and Tom Blanc

• Audience Award for Solo: I could also be a black swan – Klil Ela Rotshtain

With MUGA and I could also be a black swan, two works were honored by both the expert jury and the audience.

Festival Team Award

To mark the 20th anniversary of Barnes Crossing, a Festival Team Award was presented for the first time this year. The non-monetary award went to the solo work BOLOKO by Karel KOUELANY (Vitry-sur-Seine, France).

Full press release & laudatory speeches as PDF

Hallo liebe kunst- und tanzinteressierte Menschen sowie jene, die es werden wollen!

Wir freuen uns, mit freundlicher Unterstützung der Stadt Köln, auch in diesem Jahr Audiodeskription und DGS-Verdolmetschung für das SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends bereitzustellen. Alle Information zur Barrierefreiheit und Anreise findet ihr im Audio-Flyer sowie auf der Website. Außerdem sind wir telefonisch und per E-Mail für euch zu erreichen.

Am 29. und 30. Mai 2026 zeigen wir 17 internationale Kurz-Choreografien des Zeitgenössischen Tanz bei Barnes Crossing im Kunstzentrum Wachsfabrik. Am 31. Mai findet die Preisverleihung durch die international besetzte Jury statt. Wir freuen uns drauf, euch bei uns zu begrüßen!

Herzlich
Eure Ilona, Künstlerische Leitung von SoloDuo

18. SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends Internationales Tanzfestival

Barnes Crossing 29. bis 31. Mai 2026

Tickets 29.05.2026  https://rausgegangen.de/events/soloduo-festival-new-friends-0/

Tickets 30.05.2026  https://rausgegangen.de/events/soloduo-festival-new-friends-1/

Booking for the awards ceremony on 31 May 2026: https://rausgegangen.de/events/soloduo-festival-nrw-friends-0/

SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends

Since 2009, the SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends has been an annual international dance festival dedicated to presenting contemporary dance productions – with a particular focus on emerging artists. The festival offers a unique platform for emerging choreographers, promotes artistic exchange among international participants as well as between participants and professional dance practitioners, and creates career opportunities.

Each year, the festival presents 8–10 contemporary solo choreographies with a maximum duration of 6 minutes and duo choreographies with a maximum duration of 9 minutes. We welcome international applications, particularly those for mixed-ability productions. Two duos and three solos are selected from the programme by the international jury to either take part in international festivals organised by partner organisations or to benefit from a residency lasting several weeks at the “Quartier am Hafen”.

From 29 to 31 May 2026, the International SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends will take place for the 18th time. The festival is organised by Barnes Crossing – Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst, which has been providing an important platform for contemporary dance and performance for two decades.

This year, too, the festival underlines its international significance: over 150 applications were received from 18 countries, including France, the Netherlands, Brazil, Taiwan, Poland, Italy, Finland, Israel, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Greece, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, the USA, Portugal, England, Sweden and Germany.

PROGRAMME for download

Team 

Artistic Directors: Ilona Pászthy, Gerda König
Festival Assistants: Even Wainscoat, Joschka Heed
Selection Jury: Diana Treder, Ilona Pászthy
Graphic Design: miegL
Jury: Vivianne Rodrigues del Britto (NL), Bebé de Soares und Leandro Kees
Technical Support: Garlef Keßler
Sound Engineering Assistant: Simeon Kuhn
PR and Communications: Mechtild Tellmann
Workshop Leaders: Yvonne Hardt, Nina Patrizia Hänel
Photo/Video Documentation: Alessandro de Matteis

The jury for the awards are Dutch artist Vivianne Rodrigues del Britto and Bebé de Soares and Leandro Kees.

In addition to the competition entries, the festival offers a diverse supporting programme that focuses on artistic exchange. Discussion panels between participants and the jury provide opportunities for reflection and networking. The programme is complemented by two workshops: on Saturday, Yvonne Hardt will lead a discussion on current issues in dance policy, and on Sunday, Nina Patrizia Hänel will lead a practical workshop in the field of dance.

Awards and grants

The SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends will award the following prizes in 2026:

awarded Solo: €400 and a residency grant at Quartier am Hafen
awarded Duo: €800 and a residency grant at Quartier am Hafen
awarded Newcomer Solo: €400
awarded Newcomer Duo: €800
awarded dancer: €400

In addition, a further residency place will be awarded to a production selected by the jury. All prizes are sponsored by the KunstSalon Stiftung Köln in cooperation with the Quartier am Hafen.

Accessibility as a lived commitment

Thanks to renewed funding from the City of Cologne, comprehensive accessibility formats can also be offered in 2026. These include, amongst other things, audio descriptions (upon registration), a pick-up service from the nearest train station, and special services for deaf people. The venue is fully accessible – the festival thus sees itself as an inclusive cultural offering for everyone.

An audio flyer will be available on the website shortly.

Anniversary: 20 years of Barnes Crossing

In 2026, Barnes Crossing celebrates its 20th anniversary. The festival is part of this anniversary programme and will mark the occasion with special highlights. Visitors can look forward to additional programme items and surprises, particularly during the awards ceremony.

Practical information:
Competition performances:

Friday, 29 May 2026, 8.00 pm
Saturday, 30 May 2026, 8.00 pm

Awards ceremony

Sunday, 31 May 2026, 3.00 pm

Tickets
Tickets €19.00 / concessions €12.00 / €6.00 with Tanzcard (ZZT students) per festival day (limited availability), all prices subject to booking fee. Award ceremony: Free admission
Tickets available via rausgegangen.de

or at the box office (we recommend booking in advance, providing your name, address and telephone number, as only a limited number of tickets are available for general sale.  Tel.: 02236-963588, barnescrossing@web.de

17th SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends International Dance Festival
Barnes Crossing May 23rd to 25th, 2025

SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends

Since 2009, the SoloDuoFestival nrw + friends has been an annual international dance festival dedicated to the presentation of contemporary dance productions – with a special focus on emerging artists. The festival offers a unique platform for up-and-coming choreographers, promotes artistic exchange between international participants as well as between participants and professional dance makers and creates career opportunities.

Each year, the festival presents 8 – 10 contemporary solo choreographies with a maximum length of 6 minutes and duo choreographies with a maximum length of 9 minutes. We welcome international applications, especially mixed-abled productions. Two duos and three solos will be selected from the programme by the international jury to either take part in international festivals organized by cooperation partner organizations or to benefit from a residency of several weeks in the “Quartier am Hafen”.

Artistic direction 2025:

Ilona Pászthy & Gerda König / Curation of the program 2025: Diana Treder / Ilona Pászthy

Participating artists benefit from:

a professional stage to present their dance pieces
Visibility in front of an international audience and an expert jury
Support with travel and accommodation costs as well as per diems
high-quality video and photo documentation of their dance pieces
a supporting program for artistic exchange and free workshops on contemporary technique and theory

Structure and promotion of the festival

Despite its international orientation, the SoloDuoFestival is the smallest festival format in Cologne. It is supported by the City of Cologne as part of its conceptual funding and by the Kunstsalon Foundation. This funding makes it possible to provide residencies in the Quartier am Hafen and to cover the travel and accommodation costs for the productions selected by the jury.

This year we received 78 applications from over 11 countries, from which 20 productions were invited to participate.

The festival has been held at Barnes Crossing since its inception, but the venue is always sold out and only seats 80. We would therefore like to open up the festival to other venues in Cologne in the future – for example Depot – in order to achieve a wider reach and reach more audiences.

Announcement of winners

For the seventeenth time, BARNES CROSSING (Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst) organized the international dance festival SoloDuo nrw + friends in Cologne from 23–25 May 2025 in cooperation with the KunstSalonStiftung and the Quartier am Hafen.

The jury Roos van Berkel, NL, Silvia Ehnis MX/D, Reut Shemesh ISR /D awarded the following prizes at the award ceremony on
May 15, 15:00h (see below for laudations):

Jury Prize:

Outstanding Solo: “MISS TAKES” by Naomi Kats (ISR)
Outstanding Duo: ‘M I Я’ by Darja Reznikova, Sade Mamedova, Maiia Selezneva, Gleb Bondarev (D)
Award-winning solo newcomer: ‘Johnny sieht von oben, ein Viertel’ by Teresa Curotti (D)
Outstanding Duo Newcomer: “Aporetico”, Francesca Sacchi, Giorgia Enrico (D)
Outstanding actress: “NUMBER 52”, Katharina Ludwig (CH)

The audience has voted for the following audience prizes:

Friday, May 23, 2025:

Duo: Sound of(f)… Movement, Opus 3, choreography/dance: Dagmar Ottmann, Christian Herrmann (D)
Solo: skin and shell, choreography/dance: Leonie Stöckle (D)

Saturday, May 25, 2025:

Solo: ISO. going to let, choreography/dance: Aleksandra Krutikova (D)
Duo: Sensilla, choreography/dance: Cristiana Casadio, Emmanouela Dolianiti (D)

The jury prizes include a residency invitation in the studios of the Quartier am Hafen for all prize winners and the prize money is used to cover the costs of travel and accommodation.

The cooperation that has existed for 16 years and the associated participation/invitation of the winners to the Budapest SzólóDúo Fesztivál cannot take place this year, as the Budapest festival can no longer take place due to the cancellation of funding in Hungary.

Press photos:

Press photos can be used free of charge if the photographer’s credit is mentioned (in the file name) under the following link:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/0cdeww5bp7oo2hg5nv0gi/ALuMVR8yIKUTLnQ6fjDL-Tg?rlkey=25xlshbo0uxfc22v8k9l0100r&dl=0

Laudations Jury decision:

• Awarded Solo: ‘MISS TAKES’ by Naomi Kats (ISR)

In “MISS TAKES”, anger emerged with striking subtlety — a delicate interplay between control and fragility, toughness and softness. Naomi Kats crafted a fine understanding of timing, allowing images to accumulate slowly, like a growing shadow in the room, building tension with remarkable patience and abstraction. She created a solo that felt alive, danced, and shaped in the very moment of its becoming.

Naomi Kats is an Israeli choreographer and performer, trained at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance High School and the ‘Maslool’ professional dance program. Since 2019, she has performed with various companies and choreographers in Israel and internationally, including Lotem Regev, Rachel Erdos, Ido Gidron, Yaniv Cohen, ‘Ildance’ (SE), ‘MAZE’ (GER), ‘SUB.LAB.PRO’ (HU), and the Israeli Opera. Naomi’s choreographic work includes participation in the Suzanne Dellal Centre’s platform ‘1|2|3 for Emerging Choreographers.’ Her first trio piece, Don’t Run with Scissors, premiered at ‘THE BUNCH’ festival (IT) in 2023

• Awarded Duo: ‘M I Я’ by Darja Reznikova, Sade Mamedova, Maiia Selezneva, Gleb Bondarev (D) *

As they poignantly wrote: “This project reflects a global issue on our social lives, our everyday encounter with ourselves and others.”

The jury is deeply moved by their ability to address the subject of war and conflict in an ambiguous and complex way, as a self-reflection. You approached the theme by courageously examining your biographies and upbringings. With a distinct movement language and a bold, punk-inspired approach to choreographic structure, you brought forth a story about yourselves — about the “ordinary people”, about the places you were born and grow up at, caught in the heart of a storm that has been forced upon you, touched your personal lives and by doing so, also ours.

* M | Я (pronounced ‘MIR’) is Russian and stands for both ‘peace’ and ‘world’. The mirror-inverted R forms the last letter of the Cyrillic alphabet and means ‘I’.

Darja is a Ukrainian born choreographer, dance teacher and researcher in the field of interdisciplinarity. Her company SoBo Productions works in the context of Darja’s ongoing (published) research into inter- and transdisciplinarity and is in line with her SoundBody (SoBo) theory, which explores integrative voice and movement work based on the science of sound and vibration.

Sade Mamedova is a Russian born performer, choreographer and teacher based in Mannheim. She has been working as a freelancer since 2018 and has been recognised for her dance and choreography at renowned competitions and festivals around the world, including the International Choreography Competition in Copenhagen, the ICC. 

Maya is a dancer, choreographer and teacher in the field of contemporary dance. movement and performing arts. She graduated from Vaganova Academyn (St. Petersburg) with an MA in Choreography and has a medical degree in Psychiatry from Northern State Medical University. She studies at the NOD/ICD, the International Research Programme and the Arkhangelsk University of Arts.As a freelance dancer, she has worked with choreographers and companies such as Hea Min Jung, Alina Belyagina, James Finnemore, Naprimer Dance Company. Li Nekrasova, Tomislav English, Mualem/De Phillips Project and Third Rail Project. 

Gleb Bondarev is an artist whose main instruments are dance and video. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from the Faculty of Romance and German Studies in Krasnodar, Russia, 2018-2023 he was part of the contemporary dance company ” Zhest. 2020-2023 he was part of the art community* Street Physics . Gleb is experienced in urhan and contemnoran dance and videography. 

• Awarded Solo Newcomer: Johnny sees from Above, A fourth” by Teresa Curotti

In “ Johnny sees from Above, A fourth”, Teresa Curotti connected to the frenetic pulse of today. The performance reflected back to us a familiar state—a sensation of perpetually hovering between the current moment and whatever comes next. The solo dared to be unfiltered and skillfully incomplete, contained yet deeply expansive. The jury sees a promise of a distinctive choreographic vocabulary emerging within the paradox of anticipated physicality while remaining honest and attentive to the moment.

Teresa Curotti is an Italian choreographer and dancer. She is currently studying for an MA in Choreography at Folkwang Universität der Künste and previously completed a BA in Dance at the University of Music and Performing Arts Mannheim. Her work has been recognized at festivals such as Internationale Tanztheater Festival Erfurt, SOLOCOREOGRAFICO Frankfurt, TanzGala Baden-Württemberg and the Solo Dance Contest in Gdańsk, where she received awards and finalist placements.  

• Awarded Duo Newcomer: “Aporetico”, Francesca Sacchi, Giorgia Enrico

“Aporetico” meticulously weaves space with bodies through unpredictable yet precise choreographic patterns. The duo offers invitations into their universe —through uniform-like costumes, an intimate moment under the lamp, a repeating motif with a scarf, with hands, and between the bodies. The duo emerged from a profound connection to the body, combining it with fresh compositional and cinematic curiosity.

Francesca Sacchi, born in Turin, Italy, 31.03.99, performed for Chris Jaeger in Daddy Shot My Rabbit and toured in Germany, and also danced in the film Rotes Sterne Überm Felde by Laura Laabs.year-long internship with Dart Dance Company, and holds a diploma from Opus Ballet Company,International Choreographic Center, where she also interned. Currently, guest teacher at Motion Berlin and DartDSP, specializing in creation and improvisation tools.Her daily routine includes Counter Technique, ballet, urban dance, floorwork, and improvisation. Giorgia Enrico,born in Turin, Italy, 26.03.02. Former member of Deutsche Tanzkompanie Neustrelitz where she choreographed and taught and still guest. Member of FlyingStepsCompany Berlin. Guest at CottbusTheater. Ballet and contemporary teacher at FlyingStepsAcademy. Former ballet dancer graduated from Victor Ullate and Fortea Conservatory Madrid. Her current focuse practices are contemporary,urban and martial arts. 

• Awarded Performer: “NUMBER 52”, Katharina Ludwig

Katharina Ludwig shows great versatility as a dancer and performer. She combines different dance styles ranging from ballet to breaking, displays great qualities as a stand-up comedian and handles text well. The jury applauds her ability to deliver a strong critique towards the dance field as an industry while keeping the performance light-hearted and witty.

Katharina Ludwgi received her training at the Iwanson School of Contemporary Dance in Munich and obtained her Master’s Degree in Movement Research from the Anton Bruckner University in Linz. Based in Bern, she currently works as a freelance artist in Switzerland and internationally. Katharina has danced in engagements with Joshua Monten, Wim Vandekeybus, Simone Elliot, Emese Nagy, Sade Mamedova, Emi Miyoshi, Nunzio Impellizeri and Karolin Stächele. As a choreographer, Katharina created several short pieces which have been performed internationally. She is currently working on realizing her first evening-length production in collaboration with TANZhAUS Bern. 

Accessibility:

Audio description: Lena Visser

Accessibility assistance: Emily Lenau

Visual communication: Alessandro de Matteis

PR/Accessibility: Mechtild Tellmann

Sign language consulting: Tom Liesenhoff

Organizer

Barnes Crossing | Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst im Kunstzentrum Wachsfabrik
Industriestraße 170
50999 Köln-Rodenkirchen, Germany
www.barnescrossing.de

Cooperations-Partner Quartier am Hafen

Funded by: Kulturamt der Stadt Köln, KunstSalon Stiftung

Contact for press inquiries:

Mechtild Tellmann kultur@mechtild-tellmann.de / +49 171 385 7031

For the 16th time, BARNES CROSSING organised the international dance festival SoloDuo NRW + friends from 10 to 12 May 2024 in Cologne and once again cooperated with the Budapest SzólóDuó Táncfesztivál and the Almada Dance Company / Almada international Dance Festival.

The jury Roos van Berkel (NL), Bruno Duarte (PT) and Stephanie Thierisch (D) awarded the following prizes at the award ceremony on 12 May at 3 pm:

– Prizewinner Solo – Newcomer: Kezia Jonah / Beloved – “oui ou non”.

– Honoured Solo: Layers of Ash / Choreography: KOMA&KO / Magdalena

– Outstanding Duo – Newcomer: In the Land of Last Things – Chapter 1 Choreography: Elena Cattardico / Dance: Francisco (Paco) Làdron De Guevara, Saskia Astrid Hamala.

– Award-winning duo: Die Bürde des Seins / Choreography and dance: Alessio Damiani + Matthias Vaucher.

– Outstanding dancer: Minsu Kim (Mia Maria)

For the fifteenth time, BARNES CROSSING (Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst) organized the international dance festival SoloDuo NRW + friends from 19-21 May 2023 in Cologne, once again cooperating with the Budapest SzólóDuó Táncfesztivál and the Almada Dance Company / Almada international Dance Festival.

At the award ceremony on May 21st, 03:00 p.m., the following prizes were awarded by the jury: Roos van Berkel / NL, Johanna Bodor / HU, Christina Maria Purkert /D:

Jury prizewinner 2023

• Excellent duo: ‘Simposio’ by Cie. Bellanda
• Award-winning duo newcomer: “Aggomitolamelo” by Nicolas Sanchez and Irene Valesano
• Excellent solo: ‘Frozen shoulder’ by Hea Min Jung
• Award-winning solo newcomer: ‘Meg til deg’ by Amisha Kumra
• Outstanding actress: Laura Louise van Moers

Audience Award Winner 2023:

May 19th 2023:  

• Solo: Laura Louise van Moers with „On Top of the Cake“ (Choreographie Viviane Hamm zusammen mit Laura Louise)
• Duo: Nicolas Sanchez, Irene Valesano with „AGGOMITOLAMELO“

May 20th 2023:

• Solo: Hea Min Jung with „frozen shoulder“
• Duo: Claudia Latini und Giovanni Leonarduzzi with „Simposio“

For the fourteenth time, BARNES CROSSING (Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst) organized the international dance festival SoloDuo NRW + friends in Cologne from 20-22 May 2022, once again cooperating with Budapest’s SzólóDuó Táncfesztivál and the Almada Dance Company / Almada international Dance Festival.

At the award ceremony on May 22nd, 03:00 p.m., the following prizes were awarded by the jury Roos van Berkel / NL, Ildikó Mándy / HU, Christina Maria Purkert /D – see also laudations:

Jury-Preisträger 2022

• Best solo: ‘She comes in on clouds’ by Sten Rudstrom
• Best Duo: „A strati“ by Beatrice Panero und Dario Rigaglia
• Best Solo-Newcomer: Eine perfekte Übereinstimmung (?)“ by Paulina Jürges
• Bester Duo-Newcomer: ‘Remanenz’ by Mira Rosa Plikat and Selina Koch
• Best dancer/performer: Paula Niehoff

The jury prizes include an invitation to the SzólóDúo Fesztivál in Budapest in January 2023 for all prize winners (the prize money will be used to cover travel and accommodation costs and will be awarded by the Kunstsalonstiftung. The winning solo and duo will also receive an invitation to the Almada International Dance Festival 2022 in Portugal. The prize money for these two productions will be increased by the amount of the travel costs, which will also be covered by the Kunstsalonstiftung (per awarded solo €400 / per awarded duo €800)

The following audience prizes were awarded by the audience:

Friday 20.05.2022:

Best Solo: Ein perfektes Paar (?) Paulina Jürges

Best Duo: 24 Stunden Mihyun Ko and Jay Park

Saturday 21.05.2022:

Best Solo: Smadar Goshen Lucy in the sky

Best Duo: Remanenz Mira Rosa Plikat, Selina Koch