Elsa Artmann is a dancer, choreographer and the artistic director of the SANFTE ARBEIT ensemble in Cologne. SANFTE ARBEIT (formerly Artmann & Duvoisin) is an interdisciplinary dance ensemble that uses movement, text and voice to examine topics that initially make us feel powerless, devising »exercises for different circumstances«. Since 2022, the ensemble has been exploring emotional, care and relationship work within the context of cultural capitalism through various formats, including stage plays, radio plays, short films and a digital platform for collaborative writing.

Elsa Artmann has been the solo director of the SANFTE ARBEIT ensemble since 2024. The ensemble’s full-length dance pieces have been performed at Tanzhaus NRW and TanzFaktur Cologne, as well as at various festivals (Tanz NRW, Move! Krefeld, etc.). The newest production »Langes Wochenende« received the Kölner Theaterpreis.

Elsa Artmann works with forms of shared authorship and in collaborative structures. With a documentary approach, she examines everyday experiences to gain an understanding of political atmospheres. Her work appeals to the senses and different forms of perception, transitioning between language, sound and movement.

She holds a diploma and a Master’s degree in Painting with a Cross-Media Focus from the Academy of Visual Arts Leipzig, as well as a BA in Dance from the Cologne University of Music and Dance. As a dancer she has worked with Carla Jordão, Özlem Alkış, Amir Mashaherifard, Bianca X. Mendonça, Daniel E. Müller and Kollektiv Zoo, among others.

Since 2021, she has been a member of the mixed-ability dance company Forward Dance at Lofft – das Theater Leipzig. Living with an invisible chronic illness, Elsa Artmann has a personal interest in inclusive working structures.

She teaches artistic practice at the University of Cologne and dramatic writing at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz. She has also led workshops at the interdisciplinary literature festival aufTAKT in 2024 and 2025.