ENCHANTING TRICK
Dance Center of Iran
Opens its door to support a nationwide initiative to promote independent dance companies across the country.
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A Collective Awakening in Iranian Dance
The Dance Center of Iran (Khaneh Raghs-e Iran), abbreviated as DCI, represents a groundbreaking initiative established in the early 2020s through the collective efforts of Iranian dancers residing both inside and outside Iran. This organization arose from a long-standing need to create a platform that could unify and support Iran’s diverse, yet often disconnected, independent dance community. It is the first initiative of its kind that seeks to bring together freelance dancers and small dance companies from across the globe who are engaged in Persian classical dance, folkloric traditions, and free or contemporary forms of expression. DCI excludes institutionalized forms of dance such as ballet, aiming instead to highlight the vibrant diversity and grassroots energy of Iran’s independent dance scene.
The members of DCI represent a wide range of backgrounds. Many are self-taught dance enthusiasts and artists active in Iran’s underground movement, while others are dance practitioners and researchers who have received formal academic training abroad. This intersection of amateur passion and professional expertise is one of DCI’s greatest strengths, reflecting the resilience and creativity of Iranian dancers who have worked under the weight of decades of cultural suppression and limited institutional support.
Building Infrastructure for Independent Dance
DCI is an active force in promoting dance through research, festivals, seminars, and educational workshops. The organization has hosted online dance festivals, developed networks of international collaboration, and established platforms for public discourse on dance. In the years to come, it envisions becoming a nationwide umbrella organization that will serve as a professional home and advocacy body for all freelance dancers and small independent dance groups throughout Iran. Such an organization would safeguard the rights and interests of its members, represent them nationally and internationally, and work in close dialogue with the state in shaping a sustainable cultural infrastructure for the art of dance.
To realize this ambition, DCI draws inspiration from well-established models in Europe, where national organizations play a crucial role in shaping the artistic, political, and professional landscape of dance. One such model is Danscentrum Sverige, the umbrella organization for independent dance in Sweden. With multiple regional offices, Danscentrum provides professional dancers and choreographers with access to studios, rehearsal spaces, funding opportunities, and political advocacy. It promotes cooperation within the sector and offers educational and technical support to enhance the presence of contemporary dance across Sweden and abroad.
Dance thrives. Independent voices unite for Iran.Nima Kiann
Another important source of inspiration is Centre National de la Danse (CN D) in France. Since its establishment in 1998, CN D has played a pivotal role in the development and institutionalization of dance as a respected art form in France. It serves as a national hub for dance artists and researchers, offering residencies, rehearsal spaces, grants, and public programming. CN D is deeply committed to fostering choreographic culture, supporting emerging artists, and ensuring that dance remains accessible to broader society. Its existence has allowed dance to flourish in France as a serious, innovative, and socially engaged practice. Through CN D, independent artists have gained not only visibility but also security and legitimacy in the cultural ecosystem.
DCI also looks to European frameworks such as the European Dance Development Network (EDDN), which works toward creating a sustainable and equitable dance ecosystem across the continent. EDDN develops high-quality programs that strengthen the professional growth of dance artists and support communities through artistic dialogue. These models prove that strong organizational structures can profoundly transform the status and conditions of freelance artists.
A Vision for the Iran of Tomorrow
In the Iran of tomorrow, the Dance Center of Iran has the potential to become a powerful and representative national body, much like Danscentrum or CN D, capable of supporting the needs of the country’s non-institutional dance sector. It can become a bridge between the government and independent artists, a voice that negotiates, safeguards, and promotes the art of dance as an integral part of Iranian cultural identity.
While the organization was not founded or led by Les Ballets Persans, the latter will support the establishment and evolution of DCI through its international network and help interconnect other internal organizations under its future umbrella. The long-term goal is to ensure that the practice of dance in Iran is not relegated to the margins but is granted the recognition, resources, and respect it deserves.
The Dance Center of Iran represents hope—a place where movement becomes meaning, where grassroots initiative becomes national infrastructure, and where the voices of independent dancers shape the cultural landscape of a renewed and open Iran.