The SFB 1512 Intervening Arts warmly congratulates Prof. Dr. Gabriele Brandstetter on receiving an award for outstanding achievements in dance as part of the 2026 German Dance Award ceremony. The award ceremony took place on 28 February 2026 at the Aalto-Theater Essen as part of a festive dance gala. In front of more than 1,000 guests from the fields of art, culture and politics, it became clear how dance can unfold a connecting and reflective force in times of social upheaval. The German Dance Award is regarded as the most important distinction in dance in Germany.

In addition to the main prizewinner, choreographer Christian Spuck, Prof. Dr. Gabriele Brandstetter and the Butoh dancer Tadashi Endo (posthumously) were honoured. Brandstetter was recognised for her pioneering scholarly and cultural-policy contributions, through which she has had a lasting impact on dance research and its mediation both nationally and internationally. The jury particularly emphasised her central commitment to establishing dance studies as an independent academic discipline in the German-speaking world, thereby also underscoring the relevance of dance studies as an interdisciplinary field in close dialogue with artistic practice.

Before the award ceremony, Prof. Dr. Brandstetter was also a guest on Saarländischer Rundfunk. In an interview with Jochen Erdmenger on SR kultur, she spoke about the special significance of the recognition, which is granted from within the community of dancers themselves and thus honours the cooperation between scholarship and artistic practice. An audio recording of the interview is available for download below, kindly provided by Saarländischer Rundfunk.

We are extremely pleased about this well-deserved distinction and warmly congratulate Prof. Dr. Gabriele Brandstetter on this special recognition of her scholarly and interdisciplinary commitment.