13th Belgrade Dance Festival takes place from 19 March-10 April in Belgrade and Novi Sad where the audiences will have a chance to see contemporary dance production from around the world. The Festival will feature a total of 15 dance companies from 13 countries, with more than 30 performances.
Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport said the EU Delegation proudly supported the Festival for the fourth consecutive year. He said that the 2016 Festival slogan, Happiness is Danced “really hit the spot, because the Festival indeed brings happiness and joy to Serbia.“
Davenport said the EU Delegation felt the need to bring back the happiness to young Serbian dancers, so it organised a classic ballet master class for ballet students in Serbia.
The class takes place from 2-8 March and will be taught by Marco Ferrini, one of the leading classic ballet pedagogues. “Aja Jung and her dynamic young team are doing an amazing job which is why Belgrade Dance Festival will once again turn Serbia into the epicentre of dance scene and send a beautiful and positive image of Belgrade and Serbia to Europe and beyond,“ Davenport said.
Serbian Assembly Speaker Maja Gojkovic said the manifestation was among the most important events in Serbia, putting it on European and global cultural maps.
“Since its foundation, the Festival has grown into an estimable event which wins new audiences over every year and pushes the boundaries of both dance and theatre aesthetics,“ said Maja Gojkovic.
She also said that Festival founder and director Aja Jung, through her ideas and tireless energy, succeeded in making the Festival a tradition, attended by over 20,000 visitors in 2015.
Minister of Culture and Information Ivan Tasovac said Aja Jung and her team’s admirable international reputation represented an indisputable acknowledgement; you can make your dreams come true if you have the vision and are not afraid to make a sacrifice and face challenges, if you are dedicated to your work and committed to solving your own problems.
“I hope the multitude of critics who, from the comfort of their homes, claim that Serbia is no good, would see that hard work and not dancing with chance, could indeed bring you a danced happiness,” Tasovac said.
Belgrade Mayor Sinisa Mali said Belgrade Dance Festival was a way to promote not only culture, but also Belgrade and Serbia, which is why the City would stand by Aja Jung and her team in the years to come.
The press conference was also participated in by representatives of embassies of Greece, Canada, Germany, France, the USA, Italy, Switzerland and Czech Republic.
