Daniel Dobbels studied literature, which led him, without paradox, to mime and contemporary dance (1975). From 1976, he danced for Susan Buirge, Alex Witzman-Anaya and Christine Gérard. At the same time, he created his first choreographies in collaboration with Maïté Fossen, François Verret and Christine Gérard (Le silence des sirènes (1984), followed by pieces he created alone within Arcor: Noli me tangere (1985), Sans Connaissance (1986), L'Enfer (1987), L'absence d'écho (1988), Et le ciel reste intact (1990), etc.

After founding the review Empreintes, écrits sur la danse (1977), he worked as an art critic for Libération (1982-1992) and as a columnist for Panorama on France Culture (1987-1997), and published numerous works on art and dance (Staël, Bruegel, Martha Graham, Danses tracées, etc.). In 1987, he joined the editorial board of the journal Lignes (1987-1999). He has developed a field of research into contemporary dance through conferences and events such as the German Film and Dance Night. Since 2003, he has taken part in the programme Tout arrive on France Culture.

Between 2000 and 2003, as part of the company De l'Entre-Deux, he created D'un jour à l'autre, an irregular series of dances, each of which explores a different modality of time. He also revived L'Enfer, Est-ce-que ce qui est loin s'éloigne de l'être humain ? based on Oskar Schlemmer, and She never stumbles, a solo danced by Brigitte Asselineau.

In 2005, he created Ni/Et, a choreographic approach to the work of Morton Feldman, and 10'.

He also created a dance event around Francis Picabia, L'élégance d'un soir, as part of an exhibition at the Musée Pierre-André Benoit in Alès, in partnership with the Scène Nationale Le Cratère.

Daniel Dobbels also gives numerous lectures on dance and art in general, both in connection with his work as a choreographer and otherwise.

He is also the author of L'Ortie, an 800-page poem that he read publicly at the Triangle in Rennes in October 2005.