Festival Tanz

Festival Tanz: twenty-five years of hip-hop in Seine-Saint-Denis

Festival Tanz is one of the oldest and most established hip-hop events in Seine-Saint-Denis. Since 1997, the Moov'N Aktion association has presented it every spring, bringing together the entire hip-hop culture in its most varied expressions for two weeks: dance, music, visual arts, poetry, and cinema.

The name Tanz – meaning "dance" in German – illustrates the festival's international openness, aiming to foster dialogue between French and European hip-hop scenes in a spirit of meeting and exchange.

A multidisciplinary program

The strength of Festival Tanz lies in not reducing hip-hop to just one of its facets. Its programming embraces the entire urban culture:

• Dance performances: choreographic creations by professional companies, from breakdance to the most contemporary forms
• Concerts: rap, beatbox, electronic live, spoken word
• Dance battles: competitions open to amateurs and professionals alike
• Workshops: introductions to rap, beatbox, breakdance, graffiti, open to all
• Exhibitions: street art, photography, visual arts related to hip-hop
• Screenings: films and documentaries on hip-hop culture
• Block parties: outdoor neighborhood parties, in the spirit of New York origins

Iconic stages in the 93 department

The festival takes place in several venues in Seine-Saint-Denis:

• The Centre national de la danse (CND) in Pantin, a reference institution for contemporary and hip-hop dance
• The Théâtre du Fil de l'eau, between Pantin, Bagnolet, and Bobigny
• Other venues and community spaces in the area

This itinerant presence is essential to the festival's identity: reaching out to residents in their neighborhoods, rather than expecting them to come to a single central location.

Seine-Saint-Denis, the birthplace of French hip-hop

It is no coincidence that Festival Tanz was born and continues to be held in Seine-Saint-Denis. The department is one of the cradles of French hip-hop, having seen the emergence of founding artists like Kool Shen, Joey Starr (NTM), Booba, and many others. Pantin, in particular, crossed by the Canal de l'Ourcq, has been the scene of many foundational moments of Parisian urban culture.

By organizing Festival Tanz every spring in this territory, the Moov'N Aktion association celebrates this heritage while opening the door to new generations who are reinventing hip-hop.