The art of dance takes center stage in the coastal Peloponnese town of Kalamata starting this Friday with the 30th edition of the Kalamata Dance Festival (KDF).
Through to July 21, Kalamata welcomes international dance companies and troupes in dozens of shows marking the 30-year anniversary of its celebrated Kalamata Dance Festival.
For three decades the KDF has played a decisive role in the development and promotion of contemporary dance in Greece and has evolved into one of the most influential dance festivals in Europe and a breeding ground for next generation artists and creators.
Hessisches Staatballett in ‘Midnight Raga’ at this year’s Kalamata Dance Festival. Photo credit: De Da Productions
In addition to this year’s performances, KDF offers master classes and workshops for professionals, children’s and teens, families, people with disabilities, and 50+ crowds.
The KDF premieres on Friday with “Midnight Raga” by German choreographer Marco Goecke and “I’m Afraid to Forget Your Smile” by Imre & Marne van Opstal and the Hessisches Staatsballett.
Choreographer Elpida Skourou. Photo credit: Kalamata Dance Festival (KDF)
“The 30th Kalamata Dance Festival is dedicated to the artists of movement, to those courageous individuals who have chosen the challenging path of dance, preserving one of the oldest forms of expression against time and decay,” said KDF Artistic Director Linda Kapetanea.
“It is dedicated to all the children, teens, and young people who may be encountering dance for the first time, those who already dance, or who dream of stepping onto the stage one day. The future is theirs,” she said, adding that she can’t “envision contemporary dance in Greece without the Kalamata Dance Festival; it is intertwined with its very history”.
The Kalamata Dance Festival is made possible with the support of the Kalamata Municipality and Faris, the Culture Ministry, and the Peloponnese Region.
Performances will take place at the Main Stage, the Black Box as well as in and around Kalamata and other towns in the Peloponnese including Tripoli, Pylos and Nafplio on July 13. Workshops will run at the Kalamata Municipal Stadium and seminars at the Kalamata Dance Megaron and Municipal Cultural Center.
*For the complete program of events go here and ticket information here.
