Belgrade Dance Festival brings top int'l troupes to Serbia

BELGRADE, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Festival on Saturday with the performance of Netherlands Dance Theatre brings to Serbia international choreographies and troupes which are yet to become important for media and critics in season 2016/17, Aja Jung, founder and director of the festival told Xinhua.

Belgrade Dance Festival opened at Sava Centre in front of several thousand visitors on March 19 with the choreography "Shoot the Moon" and "Stop-Motion" by Lightfoot & Leon and "The Missing Door" by Peeping Tom performed by Netherlands Dance Theatre.

"Shoot the Moon" presents through dance choreography a love affair of three different couples, while "Stop-Motion" is an experiment with theatrical technological innovations followed by music composed by Max Richter.

"The Missing Door" is an attempt to dance through the last minutes of life that takes place "in the twilight zone between life and death."

Jung said in a statement prior to the opening that this year's selection of the festival ranks among top dance events in Europe and internationally because of its diverse program, attractive international dance troupes, and choreographies signed by artists such as Jiri Kylian, Sol Leon & Paul Lightfoot and Gabriela Carrizo.

"This year's selection brings famous and popular choreographers, together with young troupes. We have lot of premiers at the festival, and a lot of interesting authors," Jung, also the selector of the festival, told Xinhua.

"Some of the biggest dance troupes that will perform here at Sava Centre (Concert hall in Belgrade with the capacity of 4,000) are The Forsythe Company from Germany, Dimitris Papaioannou from Athens, and the Kylian Productions from Hague, Netherlands," Jung said, adding that performances in smaller venues are equally attractive where famous troupes from Switzerland (Tanz Luzerner), Spain (La Veronal), Denmark (Kristjan Ingimarsson company), the United States (Complexions) will have their performances.

Besides Sava Centre in Belgrade, shows will be held at Belgrade Drama Theatre, Theatre on Terazije, Yugoslav Drama Theatre, Madlenianum Opera and the Serbian National Theatre in Serbia northern city of Novi Sad.

Jung said "15 dance troupes from 13 countries will partake in the festival, with 30 choreographies in total," announcing companies from Czech Republic, Malta, Canada, Israel, Italy and France.

"It will be a truly fantastic program," Jung told Xinhua, promising that the plays are demanding and attractive.