CorresponDance: The festival bringing international artists to the Czech Highlands
An American choreographer working with local residents on the banks of the Sázava River. Performances filling historic courtyards, streets and parks. CorresponDance has grown into an international celebration of contemporary dance rooted in the Czech Highlands.
The first sounds visitors hear are not those of an orchestra but of running water, percussion instruments and children laughing beside the Sázava River. Under the trees, professional dancers perform alongside local residents who have spent days preparing together. It is a scene that captures the essence of CorresponDance – a festival where the line between artists and audiences often disappears.
The project by American choreographer Sue Schroeder exemplifies that philosophy. Instead of bringing a finished performance from abroad, she and her international team spent several days working with volunteers from Žďár nad Sázavou to create a site-specific piece inspired by the river itself. For Schroeder, the landscape is not simply a backdrop but an active participant in the creative process.
"The piece happens here because it's about this water, this river. I have to listen to the river because we're collaborating with it. It's not just alongside the river – the river is one of our collaborators," says Schroeder.
From Prague festival to a regional celebration
The woman behind CorresponDance is Marie Kinsky, a French-born former dancer and choreographer who has spent more than two decades helping contemporary dance flourish in the Czech Republic. Together with her husband Constantin Kinsky, she has also helped transform the family's restored former Cistercian monastery and château in Žďár nad Sázavou into a lively cultural centre. Rather than concentrating events in a major city, she believes international art can thrive in places many visitors might otherwise overlook.
When Kinsky first arrived in the Czech Republic after the Velvet Revolution, contemporary dance was only beginning to find its place again after decades of communist rule. Supporting young artists became her mission, eventually leading to the creation of CorresponDance, which first took place in Prague before moving to Žďár nad Sázavou and, more recently, expanding across the Vysočina Region.
"I wanted to help talented young artists find their own path. Twenty-six years later, I'm proud that we can present strong Czech voices to the world while also connecting local communities with international ideas," Kinsky says.
Contemporary art meets everyday life
Today the festival extends well beyond Žďár nad Sázavou itself. Alongside performances at the château, events are staged in nearby Jihlava and Nové Město na Moravě, reaching audiences who might never otherwise attend contemporary dance. The idea, Kinsky explains, is not simply to attract visitors but to make contemporary art part of everyday life across the region.
That philosophy also shapes the river project led by Sue Schroeder. Rather than presenting a polished production, the American choreographer sees the creative process itself as part of the artwork, inviting local residents to participate from the very beginning. The result is a performance that could not exist anywhere else. "We really want to support artists to make the work they need to make. The work comes first, and then we help it find its audience," Schroeder explains.
