The “Hin und Weg – Das Volkstanzprojekt“ is not a dance group, but a digital platform established to explore German folk dances, it’s’ protagonists, contexts and meanings across Europe and Latin America, with the focus of making folk dance and its traditions accessible to a wider audience. The project seeks to enable discovery and dialogue so that traditional forms of dance in all their diversity can continue their development process and not fall into oblivion.

During the pandemic, we have been observing how groups and dancers are reacting to the impossibility of meeting and dancing. The Internet has been a very important vehicle to keep dancers in touch and motivated. In the first months, many new ideas arose such as video projects, online meetings and seminars, and indeed one positive effect was greater interaction between groups and a more open exchange of ideas than perhaps would not have happened in more normal times.

Nevertheless, as time passes enthusiasm always wains and new strategies must be found. For this reason, a database was created on the “Hin und Weg” website with ideas and suggestions that can be undertaken to hopefully maintain the motivation and provide a heartbeat of confidence that traditional dances and groups will still remain alive after the pandemic - and long into the future.

A popular and important project of “Hin und Weg” during the pandemic, was the production of a collective film featuring a universally favourite dance called “Sternpolka”. 68 dancers and 8 musicians from 5 different countries sent their creative contributions by video, featuring many step variations of the same dance from different parts of the world, making the final result an enlightening and beautiful, multi-cultural caleidoscope.

The designations employed and the presentation in the texts and documents referenced in this platform do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.