This year's festival will feature artists from three continents: Africa (Mozambique, Congo, Senegal), South America (Brazil), and Europe (France, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Finland, Czech Republic, and Ukraine).
“It’s hard for me to highlight a few names because this year’s program is exceptionally diverse; we have a lot to look forward to! The infectious energy of Mozambican dancers in the performance Vagabundus at the festival's opening rivals that of performers Amaly Dianora, who work in a completely different style with their street show Level Up, which will be followed by Awir Leon as a DJ. In contrast, we will be drawn into the dark interpretation of Cherish Menzo in D̶A̶R̶K̶MATTER, and to enjoy all the contrasts of dark skin, we will also be amazed by the fashion icon and dance-music multitalent YAV, originally from Congo, now mainly based in the Netherlands. There is clearly fertile ground for experimentation in the Benelux region, and Belgian and Luxembourgish guests will also present performances that take your breath away. The temperament and perspective of the well-known Italian author Silvie Gribaudi in a provocative solo created for Claudia A. Marsicano for teenagers will not be missed, but also the deep experiences of Ukrainian women who create in various places across Europe,” says Yvona Kreuzmannová, the founder and director of the festival, adding: “the right finale, the catharsis, will be brought by the closing of the festival. Emanuel Gat is not here for the first time, and his Lovetrain literally lifts the audience from their seats.”
A new co-production will bring a full-length performance by Italian choreographer and director Simone Sandroni titled Let There Be Light, and we will see more within the Open Air projects. These include Yana Reutova (UA/CZ) and Clara da Costa (BR/PT), as well as another interesting duo: Adriana Štefaňáková (CZ) and Sten Heijster (FI).
The nationwide character of the festival provides an opportunity for other domestic productions in combination with foreign ones, and the accompanying program will focus on a deeper understanding of the context of selected productions in relation to history, other artistic disciplines, and the reality of today’s world as such.
