The Austrian Dance Council

office@austriandancecouncil.at

www.austriandancecouncil.at

www.austriandancecouncil.com

HIGHLIGHTS

Founded in 1989

Advocacy for dance, especially ballet, in Austria
Informing the public about ballet and dance in Austria
Protection, development, support, and promotion of all matters related to Austrian dance in relation to its recognition, importance, status, and needs, in discussions with politics, business, interest groups, authorities, media, and personalities
Symposia, presentations, events; topics covering various tasks in the field of education, further training, and professional education

 “ÖTR Contest,” where children and young people from Austrian and international ballet schools compete in classical and modern variations on stage


 ÖTR Dance Days: Austrian and international ballet schools present their performances in St. Pölten.
“BALLET DAYS”: More than 30 European ballet schools perform their choreographies in evening shows in St. Pölten.

ÖTR Quality Seal: A certificate from the Austrian Dance Council for quality assurance in Austrian ballet and dance training institutions.

The Austrian Dance Council was founded in April 1989, among others, by the Society for Ballet, the Hilverding Society, the Association of Friends of the Vienna State Opera, the Society of Friends of the Federal Theaters, the International Music Center, and the Media Kult Association.

In the early years, Dr. Marius Mautner-Markhof served as president and Professor Michael Birkmeyer as vice president of the ÖTR. Additionally, Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Hubert Prantl played a significant role as general secretary in the initial phase of the ÖTR’s successful activities.
The then Federal Minister Dr. Hilde Havlicek, Federal Minister Dr. Erwin Busek, Dr. Alois Mock, Chancellor Dr. Franz Vranitzky, the Union for Arts, Media, and Freelance Professions, and Dr. Ursula Pasterk welcomed the establishment of the Austrian Dance Council.
Well-known figures from the ballet and dance world, such as Mrs. Rosalia Chladek, solo dancer Willy Dirtl, solo dancer Susanne Kirnbauer, Dr. Andrea Amort, artistic director Karl Regensburger, Mrs. Edith Wolf-Perez, and Dr. Doris Tarlowski supported the founding of the ÖTR.

Since its foundation, the Austrian Dance Council has been working to collaborate with related institutions, such as the Austrian section of the International Theatre Institute, UNESCO, and the Dance Working Group in Austria.
In 1993, Professor Karl Musil, solo dancer of the Vienna State Opera, was elected president of the ÖTR. His enthusiasm for ballet inspired many practical projects, including the idea for a ballet and dance competition. Thus, the ÖTR Dance Contest was born. Initially launched in 1996 as a national competition, the ÖTR Dance Contest became one of the largest international competitions in 1997. At that time, these were the only international competitions for ballet and dance, open to both amateurs and professional dancers of all ages.
With the ongoing and strong support from Professor Evelyn Téri, the competitions remain a crucial part of the ÖTR’s commitment to ballet and dance.

Through the ÖTR Contest competitions, the ÖTR Dance Days, and the BALLET DAYS, the original idea was continued and developed by later presidents Gregor Hatala and Peter Rille. The ÖTR has organized numerous performances and gala evenings at the Akzent Theater, the Volkstheater, the Museumsquartier, and the Odeon Theater in Vienna. Under the honorary patronage of the Republic of Austria and the City of Vienna, these events have provided a bridge to ballet and dance.