Vienna in a mood to dance with 29th Impulstanz Festival

What started as a contemporary dance meet has been growing every year, offering new creative forums for artists and fostering young talents.

Performances too have expanded in scope, drawing from theatre, media arts and improvisation.

The highlight of the festival (www.impulstanz.at), which runs from July 12 to August 12 in dozens of venues around the city, will no doubt be the participation of former Paris Opera etoile Manuel Legris and high-profile guests.

Over three evenings, the small troupe will perform works by contemporary choreographers like Jiri Kylian, John Neumeier, Angelin Preljocaj, Nacho Duato and Patrick de Bana.

Audiences will meanwhile be treated to the reunited Paris Opera pair of Legris, now Vienna Ballet's director, and Aurelie Dupont, one of his favourite partners, for two duets: Kylian's "Il faut qu'une porte..." and Preljocaj's "Le Parc."

Impulstanz co-founder Ismael Ivo will meanwhile interpret "Francis Bacon," a creation by Austro-German choreographer Johann Kresnik, with further performances including modern African dance by Benin's Koffi Koko and Japanese Butoh dance by Ko Murobushi.

Besides the established names, the festival will also feature works of 14 up-and-coming talents from around Europe, culminating in the Prix Jardin d'Europe, an EU-backed dance award.

Homegrown artists will also be in the spotlight, with creations from over 30 Austria-based companies and dancers on show. As part of the Austrian Pavilion, dancers will be able to exchange ideas and collaborate on new works over two weeks, with the result presented to the public on July 25 and 27.

More than a festival that takes place on stage, Impulstanz strives to involve its audience with over 200 workshops on offer during the month, from basic movement classes and yoga to more advanced contemporary, ballet and repertory sessions.

All ages and levels are encouraged, with special series dedicated to children and to seniors, and workshops catering to all tastes from African dance to Bollywood rhythms and hip hop.

Lectures, book presentations and club nights complete the programme.

Since its creation in 1984, Impulstanz has grown into one of the most important dance festivals in central Europe.

Since then, it has seen top companies go through its doors, including the Nederlands Dans Theater with Kylian, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, William Forsythe with Ballet Frankfurt and the Akram Khan Company.