”My work in dance and the performing arts is rooted in the belief that art can open up new ways of experiencing and understanding both ourselves and the world around us. When something moves us physically, through the senses, or through surprise, we are reminded that change and connection are possible—and it is precisely that experience I seek to create.
Curiosity is my driving force. It leads me to explore what has yet to be articulated and to work across artistic disciplines. In collaboration with theatre makers, visual artists, and musicians, I investigate how dance and choreography can expand our understanding of the body — not merely as movement, but as a site where thoughts, emotions, and relationships come to life.
For me, art is about creating connections: between people, between bodies, between the physical and the digital, between the intimate and the collective. Each performance is an attempt to open a new space where we can experience the world a little differently — together.
— Tina Tarpgaard
Tina Tarpgaard is an award-winning choreographer based in Copenhagen, Denmark. In 2005, she founded Recoil Performance Group, which, with support from the Danish Arts Foundation (2009–2025) as well as Nordic, municipal, and private foundations, has created acclaimed performances at the intersection of dance and technology.
Her works have been presented at leading venues nationally and internationally, including the Royal Danish Ballet (DK), Kiasma (FI), Muffathalle (DE), and Dancehouse Melbourne (AU).
Working through a cross-disciplinary approach that brings together dance, music, theatre, and emerging technologies, Tina Tarpgaard has developed a distinctive practice exploring the artistic and immersive potential of interdisciplinary approaches to dance and the performing arts.
Her artistic practice is driven by a commitment to creating innovative performances relevant to contemporary society. Her performances have received critical acclaim, won multiple awards, and been recognised by audiences and critics alike for their sensorial richness and aesthetic precision.
Tina holds a BA in Dance and Choreography from Rambert School/University of Kent, London, and is currently completing a Master’s degree in Public Governance at Copenhagen Business School (CBS). She is a dedicated contributor to cultural policy discussions and serves on numerous boards, juries, and as a mentor in both national and international programmes.
Tina has served on the Danish Arts Foundation Committee and as chair of the board for the Danish Arts Foundation’s Artist-in-Residency Programme (Huskunstnerordningen) from 2018–2021. In 2023, she was appointed artistic airector of Sydhavn Teater.
Awards, Nominations & Recognitions
Winner of the German CYNETart Award for Cognitive Debris (2006).
Winner of the Neel Resling Halpern Award (2008).
Selected as a choreographer for Module Dance (2010), a European Union project by the European Dance Development Network.
Winner of the Danish Reumert Award for Best Dance Performance for FROST (2010).
Winner of the Danish Reumert Award for Best Dance Performance for LIVING ROOM (2012).
Nominated for the Danish Reumert Award for Best Dance Performance for ON/VOLT (2014).
Nominated for the Danish Reumert Award for Best Dance Performance for X-mythologies (2018).
Recoil Performance Group nominated for Theatre of the Year at the Danish Reumert Awards (2023).
Sydhavn Teater nominated for the Fair Practice Award (2024).