HUMAN dance

“For me, it was natural to take part in a project on the topic of “human rights” because, in my opinion, human rights in themselves are a matter of course. Every person in the world should have the same chances and opportunities to live a happy and fulfilling life. We all know that there is still a long way to go and that is why we should keep campaigning for a fairer world. Being able to do this in such a creative way as in the “HUMAN” project was of course also fun, despite the serious background.“

‘It’s great how HUMAN music and dancing together open the doors to a new shared school living and learning space. Here, the 160 students, 32 teachers and 41 educators involved come together without language to form a large community: what a wonderful plea for more humanity across all borders.’

‘Dance creates connection. The HUMAN project allows the often abstract idea of human rights to be visualised through movement. Humanity is the ability to develop a deeper understanding of each other and a stronger connection through shared experiences and forms of expression.’

‘Dance means learning with all the senses and with the body. A project that translates human rights into dance opens up a valuable experiential space to experience the foundations of social coexistence, such as tolerance, respect, cooperation and communication, on a completely different level.’

‘Community is reflected in the interactions of our students. Where, if not in dance, can togetherness open up a space for so much more?’

“The HUMAN Project is designed to empower young people and help them flourish!”

“Even the first rehearsal together was full of touching, humorous, tense moments. It was a great feeling to experience how intensively the students had already engaged with human rights and music. I’m looking forward to the big performance in June.”

“The German-Polish student encounter week in connection with the HUMAN project days was the most impressive thing that ever took place at our secondary school. The 45 children from Germany, Ukraine, Kosovo, Albania, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Hungary, Syria, Spain and Peru also rose above themselves in the Community Dance. What a touching and moving sign for more humanity!”

“Participating in the Human International Cultural Dance Project in Pfeffenhausen was an unforgettable adventure and a beautiful learning experience for the Polish students.”

“The dance project was very special. It was so nice to see how much joy the impaired people had to be able to dance with us.”

“Unbelievable what the group has worked out on human rights in such a short time. The implementation turned out beautifully and touched me very much.”

“Very much I hope that many will be inspired by the innovative and exciting HUMAN Culture Project and the young people’s commitment to human rights. It is with pleasure that our university contributes to this.”

“The project was a completely new dance experience and a really nice togetherness, without any pressure of grades. We could all get involved and problems were dealt with directly.”

“During the project we started to think more about the topic of human rights. The thoughts about the fact that some privileges like the right to work or education do not exist in many countries did not let us go. We don’t even think about it anymore because we seem to take these rights for granted, but through the intense immersion through movement and words, we realized how much we still have to struggle in this area.”

“Young people who are interested in people in other countries develop a deep understanding of a Europe of diversity, of a Europe of peace and democracy. This is the great pound of this school partnership and the HUMAN performance for it a powerful, distinctive sign.”

“It was an exciting and intense week where the students pushed themselves to their limits while living ‘humanity’ with grace and energy. A wonderful experience for all involved!”

“The HUMAN International Culture Project as a process of human rights education honours human rights and also all the contributors to it.”

“Don’t be afraid to be big, it was one of the best experiences of my life.”

“Well, I think human rights are an incredibly brilliant idea! That man as a species, which is very much characterized by ‘survival of the fittest’, can conceive of such ideals of equality, freedom and connectedness, that is a phenomenal achievement.”

“A project like HUMAN emphasizes what unites all people and makes us think about how important human rights are. I’m happy to contribute to making society more aware of their importance.”

“For me, HUMAN is the chance of an intercultural embrace between people who value life.”

“HUMAN offers an inspiring and empowering opportunity for youth and all others involved to work together on an artistic project, and with a focus on the values, needs, and desires common to all people, to creatively counter the current tide of global issues that are shaking our inner stability.”

“Dancing together is so wonderful. Because dance is a great language that all people understand. I take great joy in expressing the 13 pieces on being human. I’ve really been bitten by the dance bug!”

“For me, the HUMAN performance expressed a new human right, as essential as any other: the right to be who you are!”

“With HUMAN, we want to encourage young people to develop their personal strengths and visions with the goal of going their own way as part of a free and tolerant society.

“The HUMAN project means for us as a label: empathy and enthusiasm to put the UN human rights in music and dance in a completely new way in sound and image.”

“The HUMAN evening carried us away. Mutual union and decoding of movement and music. Profound and joyful at the same time. A moving reminder of human rights, which are so precious and so threatened.”

“More than ever, our world needs humanity. So I am very happy that HUMAN wants to overcome opposites with young people in order to realize the dream of equality and unity of cultures in a loving and humane way.”

“For me, HUMAN is about essentials: beyond language and cultural barriers, we are all first and foremost human beings – with bodies that want to move. Community dance can break down walls and build bridges! So let’s dance!”

“For me, dance makes my world better. I tell stories and images with it. It’s something very unique, intimate, and at the same time, very communal.”

“Dancing together is an ideal platform to meet each other with openness, respect and acceptance.”

“It is a very special opportunity to share with others and through HUMAN and dance theater to bring body movements, images and demands for human rights such as freedom, equality, creativity … forever into the world.”

“Being HUMAN is our reality, but feeling HUMAN is our right. Through this project and through dance, we want to invite participants to love and express life, to feel, to understand and to work together for a better world.”

“Movement arises out of itself, that’s how I dance. Doing this for human rights holds archaic moments and touches my heart – it is healing. Taking the movement of our VALUES into the world is just wonderful.”

“It’s about self-confidence. HUMAN is a very beautiful project where you can express yourself, and I think that’s great.”

“Edris – a young Afghan who danced in this project won my heart! Between despair and tears in his eyes from laughter, he made me live through everything in the four days. At the end, he gave me a Turkish euro, which he probably had with him as a good luck charm on his escape. It was really as if someone was pressing a gold treasure into my hand out of sheer gratitude of being seen. THAT touched and impressed me deeply.”

“Participation in the Human Project has given me the opportunity, through the expression of dance, to recognize and communicate universal sensations and feelings of human rights in a wonderful and, for me, unknown atmosphere. Both in terms of the artistic situation and the group of people who participated in this project. A hug for all of you!”

“Expressing in free dance what shows up moment to moment on these compositions by Helge Burggrabe on elemental themes of being human, unites us as a group and brings our individual expression of humanity to the world. From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU for this great gift!”

“The idea of the Human Project is to bring young people together, to give them a voice so they can be heard individually and collectively.”

“With a dance project like HUMAN, everyone can participate. There is consideration for one’s own abilities and the best is brought out.”

“To participate in a community dance project means for me to be able to express myself without borders. In HUMAN, this is how we present the basic rights of humanity, which unfortunately are not respected in many countries.”

» We are tonight in the HUMAN dance project spectators or participants of a new human-human relationship without ifs and buts. […] The only essential thing is the encounter at the same eye level in the presence of the full individuality of each other. «

“A great project! I wish all participants deep lasting and happy impressions and encounters. I would love to dance along immediately! Hopefully the message will also reach places and people where it is especially needed, so that human rights can really be rights of all people.”

“Human rights are the minimum framework on the basis of which the individual can develop. Therefore, they must be collectively demanded and protected. In the workshop team formed by Amaya and Wilfried, we are all pieces of a beautiful puzzle whose elements fit together to form a whole. But the message is never clear, it requires audience members who are challenged by what happens on stage.”

“Human encounter in movement, where the spark jumps before the dance begins. And suddenly we spectators are also part of this warm-hearted community of people who are all on our way.

“Dancing with people is always very moving and fills the heart immensely, especially when you see so many different people who didn’t know each other before dancing a piece like HUMAN together on stage.”

The moving engagement with human rights set positive processes in motion in the participants and promoted and enriched communication between all.

“It fills me with great joy and confidence to weave in free dance, together with other dancers, the loving, appreciative togetherness of the human family.”

“The music and the dance express what cannot be said and about which it is impossible to be silent. Man must not be silent and must not be silenced. That is why we dance.”

“Project HUMAN is about all of us. Regardless of your skin color, country of origin, age, background, disability or culture, it’s about you. And it’s a privilege to be a part of it!”