Kalamata, the city of dance, is set to host its 20th annual programme of events between 17 and 24 July 2014.

The Kalamata International Dance Festival is the key event in the year of the city’s International Dance Centre. The Centre was founded in the spring of 1995, charged with supporting and promoting the art of dance via research, education, and artistic activities and creativity.

After twenty years as an active presence in the Greek dance scene, thanks to the support of the local authorities the Kalamata Festival has earned itself a special place on the festival map of the Mediterranean South, and built bridges to international dance creativity.

A number of influential figures, whose work is shaping the history of contemporary dance made their first Greek appearance at Kalamata, while the Festival has also taken care to promote and support Greek creativity in the field by commissioning works from talented Greek choreographers and supporting new companies in their experimental explorations.

Another important part of the Festival are the workshops and talks aimed at dance students and professions alike, while other parallel events include publications and video dance productions.

This year’s program is acknowledged as one of the best in the festival’s history. It includes impressive performances, interesting collaborations and original international productions.

The festival’s Greek entries include the Aerites dance company performing “Planites” (Planets), choreographed by Patricia Apergis on July 22. Planites explores the concepts of loss, of pain and division, but also of encounters, recognitions, fusions, the longing for inclusion without giving up one’s own identity.

Another Greek festival production is a dance performance for children, entitled “Petrosoupa” (Stone Soup), featuring music by Stathis Gyftakis and choreography by Dimitris Sotiriou. Just like the Stone Soup of the Chinese folk tale, this musical tale was cooked up jointly by a team of children and grownups and it is scheduled to bring the Kalamata festival to an end on July 24.

Source: www.kalamatadancefestival.gr