Canan Erek is a dancer, choreographer and curator based in Berlin. After classical dance training in Ankara and Istanbul, her encounter with the work of Pina Bausch led her to Germany. From 1987 to 1992, she studied dance at Folkwang Hochschule in Essen (now Folkwang University of the Arts), followed by studies in directing and choreography at the Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Arts in Berlin.

As a choreographer, she has created stage works and site-specific performances in public spaces, including Dance Poetry(2012–2016) and Green Move (2017). Her work explores social questions, human relationships and the particular qualities of different places.

Since 2007, she has also worked in cultural education, developing choreographic projects with children and young people. In 2017, she co-founded PURPLE – International Dance Festival for Young Audiences with Inge Zysk. As founder, artistic director and curator, she shapes the artistic direction and programme of this Berlin festival, dedicated exclusively to international contemporary dance for young audiences.

From 2022 to 2026, she curated the international dance festival Tanz! Heilbronn. She has also served on the jury for the German Dance Prize. In 2027, she is a curator for the Augenblick mal! festival. She is currently a member of the jury for Tanzplattform Deutschland 2028.