Dance in August is a well-established international contemporary dance festival that is open to and encourages new formats and innovative choreographies. Performances often include German premieres and Berlin debuts. The festival is mentioned alongside the Montpellier Danse and Impulstanz in Vienna as one of the most significant dance festivals in Europe.

The opening day on 10 August at Haus der Berliner Festspiele presents "Trois Grandes Fugues" by the Ballet de l’Opera de Lyon. The piece is dedicated to Beethoven's String Quartet "Große Fuge", which is taken up by three of the most important choreographers in the contemporary dance world – Lucinda Childs, Maguy Marin, and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker – who each provide quite different interpretations of the fugue.

The main festival venue is the Hebbel am Ufer theatre (HAU) known for its progressive productions, but performances also take place at various other venues in Berlin, such as Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Workshops, concerts and parties are part of the festival, too. The full programme is available on the Dance in August website shortly before the festival starts.