T he currentness of the programme has determined the high position of the Belgrade Dance Festival on the international map, while stand- ards and the courageous introduction of new choreographic manuscripts and aesthetics have raised expectations among audiences and dictated the challenges for 17 years al- ready. This year’s Festival will be held under the slogan“Pure Sensation”, so we asked its director and founder, Aja Jung, what sensa- tion means for her? “Every choreographic piece that we’ll show is sensational, just like the list of com- panies and artists. We will introduce a series of surprises into the performances, from live orchestral music to inimitable stage innova- tions. The principal dancers of the New York City Ballet will perform in Serbia for the rst time, while Belgrade will be among the cit- ies where Ballet Jazz Montreal will perform to the music of Leonard Cohen, we’ll see “Furia “by Lia Rodrigues from Brazil, about whom the European press is buzzing; the piece“Augusto”, which resulted in Alessan- dro Sciarroni winning this year’s Golden Li- on in Venice, as well as famous Indian danc- er Shantala Shivalingappa with her dance of drawing in ash... For the rst time we’ll also have a work created speci cally for the Belgrade audience, which will be prepared by Jacopo Godani and will be performed by his dance company from Frankfurt at the opening of the festival, on 21 st March at the Sava Centre. However, sensation is in dance itself...” What titles shouldn’t be missed? “A special piece by Lisbeth Gruwez on freedom of speech, the inimitable“Fugue“ of Israeli artist Inbal Pinto, and the magical autobiographical solo of Olivier Dubios. I believe the audience will be entertained by Argentinian troupe Un Poyo Rojo, the piece entitled “Graces” by Sylvia Gribau- di, or the aesthetics of black & white lms of theatre by Jakop Ahlbom. Another im- portant name at the upcoming festival is Jason Samuels Smith, a Broadway master of tap and a dancer whose feet are insured for millions of dollars…” How would you assess the growth of the festival, also in terms of its artistic range, since its emergence? “It was last year that London’s The Guardian announced that Belgrade has one of the best dance festivals in the world. In her review, Judith Mackrell wrote that the BDF “is not just about the duration of the programme, the number of troupes and new choreographic pieces, but about the referentiality of the content, a good balance between di erent dance forms, di erent themes and voices, as well as the relation- ship between established and younger au-
DANIEL ULBRICHT, NEW YORK CITY BALLET
thors“ ... Of course , it isn’t easy to maintain the quality of the programme and surprise both local and international audiences every time. It’s not simple to work and endure in Serbia, but when we see that the produc- tions we’ve presented in Belgrade are on- ly performed months or years later in Paris, Moscow, London or New York, then we are certain that we’ve chosen well.” Thanks to your event, Belgrade has be- come a prestigious port of call in the bi- ographies of artists who create trends and inscribe the history of dance. How does the cultural o er of the capital seem to you today? “Belgrade has valuable examples in cul- ture, but it doesn’t have its own concept and internal organisation, nor the ability to im- pose its contents in the region and around Europe. I admire the Belgrade Philharmonic Orchestra, which has its own faithful audi- ence, and I’m proud of the wide-open doors of the Museum of Contemporary Art and the National Museum in Belgrade.” Pod sloganom „Čista senzacija“ 17. Beogradski festival igre održaće se od 21. marta do 12. aprila Under the slogan “Pure Sensation”, the 17 th Belgrade Dance Festival will be held from 23 rd March to 12 th April
JASON SAMUELS SMITH
INBAL PINTO
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