Due to current developments and the new regulations of the Swiss Federal Council, the Migros Culture Percentage Dance Festival Steps will not take place from 23rd April to 16th May 2020 – for the protection of the audience, cultural workers, employees and festival partners as well as the general population. In these challenging times, we would like to express our sincere thanks to our 38 partner theatres, who unanimously supported the decision. We would have been delighted to present all the outstanding artists of this year's edition.

Support for Swiss cultural creation is particularly important today. In these difficult times, the Migros Culture Percentage remains true to its commitment to the Swiss dance scene.  It's our intent to premiere the co-productions for the current Steps edition and to send them on tour starting in autumn 2020. These include the evening "I am who I am who I am" by Tanz Luzerner Theater with choreographies by Jasmine Morand, Ella Rothschild and Caroline Finn as well as the work "Nothing Left" by Compagnie Tabea Martin. "Faded", the co-production with Geneva's Cie Ioannis Mandafounis and the international co-production "LUDUM" by the Anton Lachky Company are also scheduled to go on tour. More information will follow in due course.

Ticket return is guaranteed. Information on refunds is available at the respective theatres or the ticket providers Starticket and Ticketcorner.

We would like to thank all those who support our festival in these uncertain times and we wish you all the best of health!

Stage performances are only one part of the programme: Steps offers dancers in Switzerland access to international professionals. As part of workshops in all regions of Switzerland, dancers from the Steps companies are ready and raring to share their expertise. There is a wide range of workshops on offer, from contemporary ballet training with Smaralia Karakosta to hip hop classes with Rémi Autechaud, and from high-speed improvisation with Anton Lachky to workshops in the inclusive dance language of AXIS Dance Company. Information on our full workshop programme and registration is available here.

Our programmes are also available in print in German, French and Italian. Order your own personal copy here. You'll receive your programme in the post in March.

Dance for everyone: Inclusion is an integral part of the festival, and this includes barrier-free access for the audience. Together with Fachstelle Kultur and the Sensability association, Migros Culture Percentage has developed a guide entitled "Ein hindernisfreier Kulturbesuch" ("Barrier-free visits") for our partner theatres and all interested organisers of cultural events. The practical handbook provides information about the specific needs of visitors with different disabilities and shows how access barriers can be dismantled. The guide can be downloaded in PDF form in German and French free of charge from the Kultur inklusiv and Sensability websites. Picture: AXIS Dance Company «Flutter» © Steve Disenhof

«Identity» is the leitmotiv of the current season. The festival’s artistic director, Isabella, Spirig, reveals in the editorial what questions went through her mind while creating the stage programme.

For children’s school classes from 10 years upwards, the Migros Culture Percentage offers work-shops in the run-up to the festival. At school, the children learn more about contemporary dance and are taught how to dance short excerpts from the choreography which they will later watch during a performance at the festival. Find out here in which regions our education programme is available.

In the run-up to the festival we will keep you in the loop – here on our website, in our newsletter, on Facebook and on Instagram.