Fourteen countries to take part in Modern Dance Festival in Vitebsk

VITEBSK, 2 November (BelTA) – Vitebsk will host the 23rd International Modern Dance Festival on November 24-29, Marina Romanovskaya, deputy director general of the Vitebsk Culture Center, told a press conference. More than 50 dance groups and troupes have applied for participation. Following the video-qualifying tour, the invitations to participate in the festival have been sent to 26 art groups from Belarus, Germany, Israel, China, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine, Switzerland and Japan. They will show 13 one-act ballets and 24 choreographic miniatures. The jury panel will be headed by honorary chairman of the UNESCO International Dance Council (CID-UNESCO) Dietmar Seyffert (Germany). The jury will determine the Grand Prix winner, and also the best ballet and choreographic miniatures, the best choreographer who will be awarded a special Yevgeny Panfilov prize. In addition to diverse competition program, the audience will be offered an extensive guest program. So, on November 24 the Vitebsk Concert Hall will present the ballet-phantasmagoria, The Nutcracker, by the contemporary dance theater, Kyiv Modern-Ballet (Ukraine), which is headed by one of Europe’s most famous young choreographers Radu Poklitaru. The production which is staged according to the basic classical ballet principles stars 30 artists. Stage decorations and costumes will be delivered by a special truck. The ballet lovers of the Belarusian capital will also have a chance to see this massive project. The Ukrainian theater will show it at the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theater on November 29. No less interesting, according to Marina Romanovskaya, is the Downshifting ballet performance by the Italian Spellbound Dance Company, Solo Con Piano by Gianfranco Celestino (Luxembourg) and also the productions by the Yevgeny Panfilov Ballet Theater from Perm, the festival’s favorite guest. The program of the forum also includes photo exhibitions, workshops, and press conferences with participants and guests. The International Modern Dance Festival in Vitebsk is designed to popularize the art of Belarusian modern dance companies and promote Belarusian choreography into the European and global cultural space. For its 22-year history the festival has won recognition in more than 40 countries. In 2009 the festival became a full member of the CID-UNESCO. The founders of the festival are the Culture Ministry of Belarus, Vitebsk Oblast Executive Committee, Vitebsk City Hall, and the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet. The organizer is the Vitebsk Culture Center.

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