Żfin Malta Dance Ensemble’s first performance will premiere in March. Photo: Emma Tranter

Malta’s first dance company is already receiving invitations to perform abroad, ahead of its international debut in Palestine.

“The creation of the national dance company has created some international excitement,” artistic director Mavin Khoo told this newspaper.

“Malta is usually associated with tourism and the island’s profile of contemporary dance is very young, so the news of its setting-up was received with pleasure by the international community.”

Speaking just as Żfin Malta Dance Ensemble is gearing up for its premiere in March, the international dancer and choreographer said the company’s eight eclectic dancers started rehearsing in October.

The proposal to set up the company was made in 2012 but it was only in the Budget speech of 2013 that €200,000 was allocated to get the project off the ground.

Mr Khoo believes the company’s rehearsing directors, who have their own following abroad, had also increased the company’s visibility. It was now important to show the world that it could stylistically take on any challenge.

Its first performance, called Erbgħa and lasting 70 minutes, is made up of four works, including new pieces by Spanish choreographer based in the UK, Jose Agudo, and Francesca Tranter. A third piece, also an international premiere, will be by Mr Khoo himself and will involve all the eight dancers. The last piece is a 2011 duet choreographed by rising star Iván Pérez.

This performance should be touring for two-and-a-half years and the company will in the meantime develop other pieces for its repertoire.

The first stop after Malta and Gozo will be Palestine for the Ramallah Dance Festival. The company will tour Asia and Europe and Mr Khoo is planning on heading to the UK in autumn of next year.

Apart from its touring abroad, the company will also run community projects. By April it plans on designing 45-minute pieces that can be performed at old people’s homes, schools and local council halls.

“It will not be a lecture, but a demonstration encouraging interaction. There might be times when it won’t work at all. We want to present great art and give people a choice to like it or not. If it fails, we’ll go again and once they start liking it we can develop a relationship.

“Criticism is also a form of recognition and we want people to take ownership of the company and say whether they like it or not,” Mr Khoo added.