Univ.-Prof.
Helge Musial
Helge Musial worked as one of the central dancers and choreographers in Berlin in the 80s and 90s and was one of the formative artistic personalities of the early experimental dance factory in Berlin, Kreuzberg. 2000-2006, the point of his entry into higher education teaching at the legendary Dartington College of Arts in Devon, England, he led his own dance company in Berlin. His choreographic work is characterized by explorative engagement between contemporary dance technique, contact improvisation, partnering, multimedia means and life music. Since 2014, Helge Musial has been Univ.-Prof. for Dance at the Orff Institute, which he directed 2017-2022.
His choreographic work is characterized by explorative engagement between contemporary dance technique, contact improvisation, partnering, multimedia means and live music. Since 2014 Helge Musial is Univ.-Prof. for Dance at the Orff Institute, which he directed from 2017 to 2022.
Helge Musial studied choreography at the Hochschule für Schauspielkunst "Ernst Busch" as well as contemporary and classical dance in Berlin. Study scholarships brought him to Riga to the School of Choreography and Music, to New York to the Graham Studios as well as to Bobby Blankshine and to the company of the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam. In 2010 he completed a Postgraduate Certificate for Teaching in Higher Education (PGChE) program at University College Falmouth, England.
Helge Musial emphasizes in his choreographic work that each individual with his body, his sensuality, his spirit forms a wholeness for which an own form, an unmistakable expression can be found. He is interested in bringing out the specifically personal on stage. His choreographic work has been shown worldwide, in North and South America, Canada, Southeast Asia, Russia and almost all European countries. As a choreographer and movement director in numerous dance, spoken word and musical theater productions, he has worked for both independent and "large scale" projects and stages, such as the Staatsoper Unter den Linden, the Maxim Gorki Theater, the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz in Berlin, the Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, the National Drama Theatre in Seoul, South Korea and the Norrdans Company in Sweden.
Helge Musial has taught internationally at numerous universities and colleges: 2010-2014 at Teesside University in Yorkshire, from 2005 to 2009 at Dartington College of Arts in Devon, England, 2012-2023 in the acting department of the Akademie für Darstellende Kunst Baden-Württemberg, 2010 at University College Falmouth, 1996-2005 in the acting department of the UdK Berlin. From 2008-2010 he worked as a visiting professor at the HZT Berlin, where he was instrumental in establishing the MA Choreography course. Helge Musial has taught numerous master classes and workshops in choreography, dance and acting worldwide, for example at the Sungkjungwang University Seoul, the University of Music and Performing Arts Damascus, the HdK Bern, the Dimitrij School for Physical Theatre, Verscio, the Theatertreffen der Jugend in Pula, Croatia, the K. E.R Studio, Hania, Greece, several times at the Forum of Young Stage Members of the Berliner Festspiele, for the Kyoto Arts Centre in Japan, at the Deutschsprachiges Theaterhochschultreffen at the HdK Zurich in Switzerland and of course at the Tanzfabrik Berlin, his former artistic home.
He is in demand as an expert for contemporary dance in juries of funding programs. He advised the Fonds Darstellende Künste, the Deutsche Studienstiftung, Stiftung Kultur NRW and the Kulturamt Stuttgart. In 2008-2010, as a member of the Committee of Experts, he advised the Inter-University Center for Dance in the implementation of new study programs in Berlin. He also acted as an expert for dance in accreditation phases at European art universities.