Festival represents exactly the values of EU, such as cultural diversity, said Michael Davenport, and added that this world famous event brings Europe to Serbia and vice versa.
For the second time, EU Delegation supports the Belgrade Dance Festival, because the festival is about bringing European and world cultural heritage together, said Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Michael Davenport at the press conference held on the occasion of 11th Belgrade Dance Festival, which will be held from March 30th until April 14th.
Festival represents exactly the values of EU, such as cultural diversity, said Michael Davenport, and added that this world famous event brings Europe to Serbia and vice versa.
The essence of European Integration process is not strictly related to political and economic standards that Serbia has to fulfil, said the Ambassador, and assessed that dance and music are important part of common European cultural heritage, that gains value especially in the times of economic crises, because it reminds us that we have got plenty to offer to the world.
He said that the founder and festival’s director Aja Jung brings a touch of joy to Serbia each spring, and that by this, Serbia becomes the global dance scene centre.
Huge enthusiasm
Exceptionally well attended press conference held at the City Assembly, showed once more the excellent organisational skills of Aja Jung, Director of BDF, who managed to gather nearly “half“ of the diplomatic corps from Belgrade, Republic and City representatives as well as representatives of the companies sponsoring the Festival.
“Each festival year has been different and brave, and this is the year that is introducing us into the second decade of the Festival,” said Aja Jung.
She assessed that it wasn’t easy to climb to the world’s dance scene top, nor is staying there easy, and added that in order to achieve this, one needs alliances sponsoring the festival.
During 16 festival nights in Belgrade, Vršac, Pančevo and Novi Sad, dance enthusiasts will have an opportunity to see the repertoire that would otherwise be performed throughout the year.
Jung said that extraordinary enthusiasm was put to effort in order to bring the best dance troupes to Belgrade. “Over the course of eleven years, dance has come from margins to the centre, new audience has been brought up, and the Festival acquired a prominent position among the world and European best dance events.”
Planetary review
Dance Festival in Sava Centar will be opened by Hubbard Street Dance troupe from Chicago with the play One Thousand Pieces, while the Belgium play Minutes Opportunes by Michèle Noiret is closing it in the Madlenijanum Theatre.
The play “Whispers”, choreographed by the famous French choreographer Bouba Landrille Tchouda, will be performed in Culture Centre in Pančevo on April 1st.
ShadowPlay, choreographed by the Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili will be performed by Augsburg Theatre Ballet Company on April 10th in Sterija Theatre in Vršac, while the Les Grands Ballets Canadiens will perform for the first time in Serbia the play “Minus One” by Ohad Naharin in Novi Sad.
Ambassadors, Charge d’affaires and Attaché of the embassies of Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, USA, UK and Greece, the last one presiding EU and providing support to this year’s Festival, individually presented the troupes hailing from their countries, underlying that there is no doubt that this Festival is among the most important European and world dance events.
Programme of the 11th Belgrade Dance Festival:
