The final performance of the 27th Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival brings an international performance to Rialto Theatre’s stage. On Sunday, June 21, the festival concludes with TEMPO by Kalle Nio and Fernando Melo.

The co-production explores the concept of time: its sensation, acceleration, deceleration and suspension. Through a fusion of dance, theatre and stage illusion, the performance invites audiences to reflect on how time is experienced and how it shapes our perception of everyday life.

TEMPO marks the first collaboration between director, visual artist and magician Kalle Nio and choreographer Fernando Melo. Based on a text by Harry Salmenniemi, the work weaves together spoken and wordless scenes in which time slows down, reverses or appears to come to a complete standstill.

The music by Samuli Kosminen functions as an integral layer of the stage composition, enhancing the constant shift between the real and the imaginary.

Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo, with a distinguished international career in leading European dance and opera companies, creates choreography that defies gravity and linear perceptions of time. On stage, Slovenian dancer and puppeteer Barbara Kanc, Italian dancer Luigi Sardone and Swedish dancer-acrobat Winston Reynolds move within a space between dance, theatre and acrobatics, producing images that stretch the boundaries of the possible.

Kalle Nio is regarded as one of the most significant figures of the contemporary Finnish scene, known for his unique ability to combine visual theatre, film, contemporary circus and magic. Through his work and the company WHS, he has presented productions in more than 200 theatres across over 40 countries worldwide.

After the performance, at 9.30pm, audiences are invited to the Rialto Theatre’s outdoor bar for the closing party, featuring music by DJ D-Prank. A festive evening marking the conclusion of the 27th edition, bringing together audiences, artists and collaborators for one final summer gathering before we meet again next year.

Tempo

Performance by Kalle Nio and Fernando Melo. Part of the 27th Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival. June 21. Rialto Theatre, Limassol. 8.30pm. www.rialto.com.cy