More than a month of dance performances coming to Limassol and Nicosia finds ELENI PHILIPPOU

Recognised as the leading and largest event of its kind in Cyprus, the Contemporary Dance Festival returns this May and June with a rich programme featuring seven distinctive performances in Limassol and two in Nicosia.

Contemporary dance enthusiasts will have the opportunity to enjoy inspiring performances that reflect the various movements of contemporary choreographic art, building bridges between Cyprus and the global stage. The festival’s performances will run from May 31 to June 23, offering a multidimensional artistic approach and highlighting the innovation and creativity of the choreographers.

The first event is Susanna Fiala’s performance, installation and exhibition AiNA which will take place at Rialto Theatre at 8.30pm. On June 4, Arno Schuitemaker from the Netherlands will present The End – part 2 at Rialto while on June 10, Andreas Constantinou from Denmark’s Himherandit Productions will present Carcass. The same performance will be shown in front of Nicosia audiences on June 12.

Linda Kapetanea and Jozef Fruček from Greece will present the Rootlessroot performance on June 14 in Limassol and on the following night in Nicosia. AMAE, an Italian-Croatian and Belgian production will be shown on June 16 at 8.30pm while at 9.30pm, Alessandro Sciarroni’s Save the Last Dance for Me will be presented. The final performance will be Larsen C by Christos Papadopoulos on June 23.

Apart from the performances, the festival collaborates with the Cyprus New Movement of Dance to host a workshop led by the distinguished choreographers Eliana and Borna. The Theatrical Body workshop will take place on June 17 and will be based on physical theatre exploration, on the connection between intention/emotion and movement. Participants will be encouraged to further investigate their own individuality through different improvisation tasks and games.

“To expand our performativity and creativity,” say workshop organisers, “we will practice two approaches that are equally valid for a creative process: physicality evoking intention or emotion/thought embodiment. For this purpose, we will explore different tools. The main focus will be on researching different physical qualities and textures, and seeing how we can further implement them into partnering. Through a playful and open environment, we will challenge our movement habits and develop a strong sensibility for detail and authenticity in physicality.”

25th Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival

Dance performances from Cyprus and abroad. May 31-June 23. Rialto Theater, Limassol and Nicosia Municipal Theatre, Nicosia. www.cypruscontemporarydancefestival.com. Workshop registrations at: 99-881949. Limited places. Registration deadline: June 13