Ponderosa is an art-centered place in the German countryside, in the village of Stolzenhagen, around an hour on the train from Berlin, close to the border with Poland in the Lower Oder Valley National Park. For 20 years it has been a site where people gather and exchange in and with the stunning natural beauty of Brandenburg.

Through a history of deep involvement with dance, contact improvisation, yoga, and international and regional artistic exchange, Ponderosa is a place where the theory and practices of dance, performance, somatics and contemporary art making merge. People who spend time here are motivated to step out, to show their own approaches and contribute to a kind of living library of thoughts and ideas in exchange between the independent scene and the established art and performance world.

There are a few recurring things that Ponderosa is well-known for. These include the P.O.R.C.H. summer school, the Ponderosa Tanzland Festival (with its events and workshops, concerts, performances, artists and teachers, and lots more), the Ponderosa Artists-in-Residence program, and the Ponderosa kitchen and gardens. 

Lovingly held across four studios, a garden, a kitchen, a library and all the spaces in between, Ponderosa offers an environment to unfold mental as well as physical potential, to develop and to try new things. Ponderosa is a community that welcomes guests – this creates a dynamic feeling of both an international gathering and a sense of home for long term residents and local audiences. 

More information about the space: https://www.ponderosa-dance.de/location