WORKSHOP: Niv Sheinfeld & Oren Laor - Playfulness as Practice - Liveness and Agency in Performance

In the organizer's words:

Playfulness as Practice - Liveness and Agency in Performance

08-10.07.2026, 17:30-19:30

In this workshop we understand a playful approach as a method to unleash liveliness, risk and immediacy in performance. Through physical tasks, improvisation and partner work, we invite participants to fully engage with the present moment and not to "show" movement, but to act.

We work with simple, clear instructions that create complex states: alternating between control and letting go, decision and chance, individuality and relationship. The focus is on agency - on how eachperformermakes decisions, takes up space and holds attention.

Drawing on our long-standing collaborative practice, the workshop understands movement as a living event: responsive, performative and constantly evolving. It is both rigorous and playful, precise and open, anchored in the body and at the same time activated by imagination.

improvisational & performative - playful & responsive

Niv Sheinfeld & Oren Laor

Choreographers / Performers / Artistic Partners

Tel Aviv-based Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor have been working together in life and art since 2004, combining contemporary dance with performance and theater. Coming from different backgrounds - dance and theater - they have developed an independent language that combines physical precision, emotional honesty and conceptual depth.

Their works deal with identity, partnership and belonging, often blurring the boundaries between the personal and the political. In intimate, minimalist settings, they invite reflection and participation in equal measure.

Their works include Two Room Apartment (2012), The Third Dance (2018), Art Attack (2021), Rendez-Vous (2022) and Disco, Baby! (2024). In 2020, they received the Landau Prize for the Performing Arts.

Their work has been presented internationally, including at Tanz im August, Montpellier Danse, the American Dance Festival, Julidans and The Place. They also teach, accompany and curate and have been artistic directors at Tmuna Theatre and the Intimadance Festival.

WORKSHOPS

In each workshop, the artists will work together over 3 days.

The workshop by Oren Laor & Niv Sheinfeld is ALL LEVEL - i.e. open to all levels of experience. Through variations in the exercises, both beginners and advanced dancers can participate.

PRICES

Early Bird: 90 €

Normal price: 125 €

Bundle 1 ALL LEVEL, 1 Intensive Early Bird: 190 €

Bundle 2 ALL LEVEL Early Bird: 150 €

The Early Bird prices are available until 07.06.26 23:45h

SUMMER ACADEMY

Every year in mid-July, the TanzFaktur Summer Academy takes place - Cologne's international festival for contemporary dance. Thelarge-scale two-week festival is a platform for top-class national and international artists, projects and collectives.

In addition to the performances, workshops for professionals and dance enthusiasts offer opportunities for exchange between dance professionals and the audience.

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Playfulness as Practice - Liveness and Agency in Performance

July 08-10, 2026, 5:30-7:30 pm

In this workshop, we focus on playfulness as a working tool - a way to unlock liveness, risk, and immediacy in performance. Through physical tasks, improvisation, and partner work, we invite participants to engage fully with the present moment and to act rather than "show" movement.

We work with simple, clear instructions that generate complex states: shifting between control and release, decision and accident, individuality and relation. The emphasis is on agency - how each performer makes choices, takes space, and holds attention.

Drawing from our long-term collaborative practice, the workshop approaches movement as a live event: responsive, performative, and constantly unfolding. It is both rigorous and playful, precise and open, grounded in the body while activated by imagination.

improvisational & performative - playful & responsive

Niv Sheinfeld & Oren Laor

Choreographers / Performers / Creative Partners

Since 2004, Tel Aviv-based Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor have collaborated in life and art, merging contemporary dance with performance and theater. Coming from different backgrounds - dance and theater - they have developed a distinctive language combining physical precision, emotional honesty, and conceptual depth.

Their works explore identity, partnership, and belonging, often blurring the personal and political through intimate, minimalist settings that invite both reflection and participation.

Their creations include Two Room Apartment (2012), The Third Dance (2018), Art Attack (2021), Rendez-Vous (2022), and Disco, Baby! (2024). In 2020 they received the Landau Award for the Performing Arts.

Their work has been presented internationally, including Tanz Im August, Montpellier Danse, American Dance Festival, Julidans, and The Place. They also teach, mentor, and curate, and served as artistic directors at Tmuna Theatre and Intimadance Festival.

WORKSHOPS

In each workshop, participants work intensively over the course of 3 days with the artists.

The workshop by Oren Laor & Niv Sheinfeld is ALL LEVEL, meaning it is open to participants of all experience levels. Through variations in the exercises, both beginners and advanced dancers can further develop their individual level.

FEES

Early Bird: €90

Regular Price: €125

Bundle 1 ALL LEVEL, 1 Intensive Early Bird: €190

Bundle 2 ALL LEVEL Early Bird: €150

Early bird prices are available until 07 June 2026 at 11:45 pm.

SUMMER ACADEMY

The TanzFaktur SommerAkademie - Cologne's international festival for contemporary dance - takes place every year in mid-July. The large-scale two-week festival is a platform for high-caliber national and international artists, projects and collectives.

In addition to the performances, workshops for professionals and dance enthusiasts offer opportunities for dialogue between dance professionals and the audience.