FREI ART Festival — Spring Edition

Dance Festival with a Vision

The FREI ART Festival was founded in 2023 by dancer and choreographer Chantal Kohlmeyer in Merzhausen, on the southern outskirts of Freiburg im Breisgau. Her Studio Pro Arte functions as a dance house and cultural center, connecting supra-regional and international dance and performance scenes with the cultural landscape of Freiburg. The festival takes place twice a year — the Spring Edition in early May and the Autumn Edition in September.

Spring Edition 2026 — Focus Areas

The Spring Edition 2026 brings together dancers, choreographers, performers, and theater professionals from all over Europe from April 30 to May 3 for four days. The program is divided into four pillars that Studio Pro Arte has established as its core format:

• Performances — international companies with pieces for various age groups
• Workshops — masterclasses and movement workshops with established dance educators
• Seminars — discussion rounds on contemporary topics in dance pedagogy and performance theory
• Frei Art Connect — a format for conversations and networking with cultural practitioners from the Freiburg region

Highlight — NRW Juniorballett

The musical and dance highlight of the Spring Edition 2026 is a guest performance by the NRW Juniorballett from Dortmund: "Radio and Juliet", an intense dance adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet set to songs by Radiohead. Choreographed by Edward Clug, the piece is considered one of the most poignant dance works of recent years — a collaboration with the Dortmund Theatre.

Own Production — Reels of Reality

Concurrently, Studio Pro Arte is showing its own youth production "Reels of Reality". A group of young dancers explores themes of the future, change, and perception in social media through dance — a contribution specific to their generation.

Open Stage on May 2

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 8–10 PM, the festival opens its Open Stage — an open platform for artists of all disciplines (dance, music, performance, contemporary circus, hybrid formats). Those who wish to perform can apply via the open call form on the festival website. The selection is made by Chantal Kohlmeyer.

Workshops with Pia Fossdal and Justo Moret

Workshops are a central element of the Spring Edition. In 2026, two international dance educators will lead the studio classes:

• Pia Fossdal — Swedish choreographer and dancer (Ballet/Contemporary)
• Justo Moret — Spanish dance educator focusing on improvisation and urban dance

The workshops can be booked separately — prices range from €10 to €25 depending on the format. Registration via the festival website.

Merzhausen — Freiburg's Green Suburb

Merzhausen is an independent municipality in the Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald district (AGS 08315) with just under 5,000 inhabitants — directly bordering Freiburg to the south and accessible by city bus. Studio Pro Arte is located in a quiet residential area on Rohrgraben, easy to reach but with an atmosphere far from the hustle and bustle of a big city festival. This combination — international program quality in an almost rural location — makes the FREI ART Festival unique in the South Baden dance scene.