In a short time, urban dance has penetrated the worlds of theatre and dance. Here the immensely popular art form, which for decades has only flourished in various battle formats, is developing in all kinds of directions and crossovers with contemporary dance, and even classical ballet. Examples of this can be seen during the festival.

How do these new developments relate to the raw authenticity and street credibility of the early years? Are these developments a threat for the authenticity, or is it part of the essence of hip-hop to constantly look for new forms?

During the Nederlandse Dansdagen, this urban paradox is discussed jointly by two leading urban festivals: the core scene-oriented The Notorious IBE in Heerlen and the experimental Open Your Mind in Eindhoven. 

There is also a debate: in the Professionals Programme makers, dancers and organizers examine the development of urban dance in the 21st century and the 'wants' and 'needs' of all players.