Matthias Quabbe

Dramaturgie

Profil

Matthias Quabbe is a dramaturg working in contemporary dance. He lives in Hamburg.

He works freelance in choreographic projects with Alexandra Waierstall, Reut Shemesh, Rykena/Jüngst and others (see lists below for all projects, collaborations, and workshops). In his work, he strives to intertwine conceptual project development, production dramaturgy and strategic long-term processes through continuous conversations and occasional writing.

He also works as a coach for individuals and groups to advise them on the development of artistic concepts and gives workshops on dramaturgical topics (e.g. Landesbüro Tanz Köln, Tanzbüro München, Tanzbüro Berlin, DfdK Hamburg) and was a co-founder of the platform Guterplan, which offered online training, live workshops and individual consulting as a holistic education program (2021-2025).

He developed Werkstatt Dramaturgie.Tanz (together with Daniel Rademacher), a peer-to-peer workshop format. It invites to exchange on dramaturgical practices in process-oriented projects and share reflections, experiences and individual practical approaches. As part of the Distanz Solo funding (which he received in 2021 and 2022), a program run by the German Dance Association, he began writing texts on dramaturgical topics that can be understood as a direct translation of experience into practical knowledge (see section Recherche).

2005 to 2007 Matthias worked in the dramaturgy team of Kampnagel. 2007 to 2019, he was dramaturg and production manager at K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg. There he was in charge of the K3 residency programs and was moreover responsible for production management and strategic development of K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg as well as local and international cooperation projects.

2021 to 2023, he taught the class “Dramaturgical Practices and Making Public” in the MA Performance Practices program at the ArtEZ Hoogeschool voor de Kunsten in Arnhem.

He was a member of the jury for the Dance Platform Germany (2022), Tanzpakt Stadt Land Bund (2021), Spitzenförderung Tanz NRW (2011-2017), Körber Studio Junge Regie (2014) and is a member of the jury for NPN Dance since 2024. He studied at the Institute for Applied Theater Studies at the University of Giessen. After graduation (2000) he received a research scholarship from the Japanese Ministry of Education (Monbukagakushô) to study at Tokyo Gaikokugo University (Japanese) and Senshú University Kanagawa (philosophy) and to conduct research on Kabuki and Bunraku.

Projekte

  • Alexandra Waierstall „And here we meet: Choreography at the edge of time“, book (editor with Judith Jaeger), published June 2025, Theater der Zeit
  • Rykena/Jüngst „Transfigured“, premiere 09.10.2024, HochX München
  • Alexandra Waierstall „Heart Moment“, premiere 27.09.2024, tanzhaus nrw
  • Chikako Kaido „We Need Magic“ / „Torikaebaya“ (concept), 2024
  • Alexander Varekhine „Wo der Teppich Staub fängt“, premiere 17.09.2024, K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg
  • Swaantje Gieskes „Free Carmen – Are You Ready To Hang Your Castanets?“, premiere 16.11.2023, Lichthof Theater Hamburg
  • Rykena/Jüngst „Sense of Wonder“, premiere 24.05.2023, Kampnagel Hamburg
  • Reut Shemesh „Symmetry, Alibis & Intuition – An Inventory of Choreographic Choices“, book (concept, text), published March 2023
  • Overhead Project „Greenroom”, premiere 03.03.2023, Ringlokschuppen Mühlheim
  • Rykena/Jüngst „Splaaash“, premiere 12.12.2022, K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg
  • Antje Pfundtner in Gesellschaft „Tischgesellschaft: How to share Ideas, Money, Stage“, 06.-10.12.2022 Kampnagel Hamburg (also see Recherche: „As We Share / Stage“)
  • Martin Zimmermann | MZ Atelier, Konzeptionsförderung Zürich (concept), 2022
  • Véronique Langlott „Pop-Up Folklorique”, premiere 18.06.2022, Lichthof Theater Hamburg
  • Israel Akpan Sunday „Afroconfusionist”, premiere 29.04.2022, Sprechwerk Hamburg
  • Sabine Glenz „Das Morton Feldman-Projekt“, premiere 12.12.2021, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe / 21.01.2022 Wiese, Hamburg
  • Greta Granderath / Regina Rossi „Grande Attaque” (outside eye), premiere 14.10.2021, Kampnagel Hamburg
  • Sabine Glenz „Von Grenzen und Gärten oder The Space Between“, premiere 30.07.2021, Dianagarten im Stadtpark Hamburg
  • Reut Shemesh „Cobra Blonde“, premiere 09.04.2021, tanzhaus nrw Düsseldorf
  • Rykena/Jüngst „Rose La Rose“, premiere 25.02.2021, Kampnagel Hamburg
  • Ursina Tossi „Revenants”, premiere 09.12.2020, Kampnagel Hamburg
  • Jee-Ae Lim „Your East, My Ghost“, premiere 04.05.2018, sophiensaele Berlin
  • Reut Shemesh „Atara“, premiere 03.04.2018, K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg Kampnagel
  • „Ins Rot“, photo exhibition (mit Rolf Bergmeier, Objekte), 20.-27.10.2017, Künstlerhaus Faktor, Hamburg
  • Halgrim Hansegård / Frikar Dance Company „Leahkit“, premiere 05.07.2015, Rudolstadt
  • Jee-Ae Lim „10 years in 1 minute – Reprise“, premiere 13.11.2014, Tokyo Festival
  • Jee-Ae Lim „Hidden Body”, premiere 03.06.2014, Uferstudios Berlin

Workshop

  • Werkstatt Dramaturgie.Tanz & Performance #5 (Tanzbüro/Theaterbüro München), 2025
  • Dance Writing Quarterly 1-3 (K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg), 2024/2025
  • Werkstatt Dramaturgie.Tanz #4 (Theater Heidelberg), 2025
  • Werkstatt Dramaturgie.Tanz #3.5 (Tanzbiennale Heidelberg), 2025
  • Writing in Dance Projects (Bottom Up Dance School, Kampnagel), 2024
  • Werkstatt Dramaturgie.Tanz #3 (Landesbüro Tanz Köln), 2024
  • Dramaturgical Practice (Contemporary Dance School Hamburg), 2024
  • Werkstatt Dramaturgie.Tanz & Performance #2 (Tanzbüro/Theaterbüro München), 2024
  • Werkstatt Dramaturgie.Tanz #1 (Landesbüro Tanz Köln), 2023
  • Dramaturgical Practice (Contemporary Dance School Hamburg), 2023
  • Texts about Concepts (Tanzbüro München), 2023
  • Tandem 2022, Mentoring Programm (with Barbara Greiner, Tanzbüro Berlin), 2022
  • individual support for concept creation (Landesbüro Tanz Köln), since 2022
  • Moderation Round Table (sqFARM. – Fallbach Art Research Movement), 2021
  • From Idea to Concept – Writing about Concepts (Guterplan), 2021-2025
  • Dramaturgical Practice and Making Public, MA Performance Practices (ArtEZ Hoogeschool vor de Kunsten Arnhem), 2021-2023
  • The Big Picture – Communication of Concept and Profile (Landesbüro Tanz Köln), 2020
  • Writing about nonexistent Projects (Tanzbüro München), 2020
  • Writing about nonexistent Projects (TuPSH – Tanz und Performance Netzwerk Schleswig-Holstein), 2020
  • Dramaturgies of postheroic Leadership (Landesbüro Tanz Köln), 2019
  • Outreach as holistic Production Practice (Landesbüro Tanz Köln), 2018
  • Writing about nonexistent Projects (Landesbüro Tanz Köln), 2017