Hellerau Festival Theater, built in 1911 as a school of Rhythmics, is today the location of HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts, Dresden. Following an eventful history – in the 1930s it served as a military camp; later the Soviet army used it as their barracks – in the 1990s the site was brought back to life through art. HELLERAU has since become one of the most important interdisciplinary centers for contemporary arts in Germany. It is home to contemporary dance, musical theatre, contemporary classical music, theatre, performance art, the fine arts and new media, as well as a place for reflection on art and culture. The internationally renowned Forsythe Company has been the company in residence here since 2005. Since April 2009 performances have again been held at the Festival Theater all year round. Along with its partner organisations on the grounds the European Center for the Arts has been working on creating an 'arts workspace' in HELLERAU. This is a place where people experiment with art, test out art, present art. In all these enterprises, contemporary dance has top priority.