From slick Spanish moves to elegant contemporary, Jo Caruana discovers a new festival platform for dancers and dance lovers.
An upcoming dance festival, the ŻfinFest International Dance Festival of Malta, is set to be the first step towards better opportunities for local dancers and performers in the future.
The initiative’s pilot performance is being organised by Francesca Tranter, from the Contact Dance Company, and Lucía Piquero of the Diciembre Dance Group, both of whom founded the festival. The women are also guest lecturers within the University of Malta’s Dance Faculty.
“Future editions of the festival are already in the pipeline and will involve a larger team of artists, consultants and international contacts who will work towards strengthening the growth and success of the festival,” Tranter explains.
“Our initial impulse stemmed from the lack of professional dance opportunities for Maltese dance artists today. We want university graduates and dedicated dance artists to be able to showcase their work in their own country, and this platform will bridge that gap.”
Additionally, the team hopes to create a space where local audiences can watch different dance styles performed by high-calibre companies. “And, beyond that, we want to put Malta on the dance festival circuit, and to forge links that will hopefully lead to artistic exchange and the growth of dance in Malta,” she says.
Ahead of the first edition, the producers have clearly outlined quality as the main focus of the festival, and plan to work with a variety of special guests and international experts in the future.
“We are eager to create an environment that facilitates artistic exchange and quality. So much so that the performances will be supplemented by workshops, discussions and seminars that will open the world of dance to a bigger audience from an informed position,” explains Piquero. “It will bring an international community of choreographers, performers and educators together to exchange performances and create new work.
“We really hope that the festival will offer a supportive atmosphere aimed at fostering a creative exchange of ideas, and one that will encourage the exploration of new ground.”
The first edition promises to get the ball rolling, and this pilot performance will include a showcase by groups of Maltese and Maltese-based artists, including Mavin Khoo Dance, Anusha Kedhar, Ingrid Sciberras from the Alegría Dance Company and Dorian Mallia from the Moveo Dance Company.
“As special guests, we also invited the Bari Junior Dance Company, an Italian youth company directed by Sara Accettura, to join us,” Tranter says. “Meanwhile, Lucía and myself will also present work on behalf of our companies.”
The performance programme promises to be an exciting mix of contemporary, Spanish and contemporary Indian dance that will doubtlessly push the boundaries of what audiences have seen locally so far. “It will reflect the huge variety on offer in the professional dance world,” Piquero says.
“The following day, the Saturday, will target dancers themselves, offering master classes on contemporary and classical Indian dance, as well as a workshop on potential collaborations between the choreographer and composer.”
There will also be a panel discussion on Dance in Malta, as well as a short presentation of the organisers’ ideas for the festival.
“We definitely believe this is an exciting time for dance on our island, and that there can be huge strides forwards in the years to come.
“Next year’s festival is already in the offing, with plans for three days of performances, seminars and workshops with emerging and established companies. It will also be linked to other festivals around the world, and will hopefully open doors for local artists.
The plan is even to have a permanent base for the festival, with ongoing activities throughout the year. “This is the first step towards what we hope will be a dance space that supports local and international artists, and promotes dance all year round,” Tranter adds. “We can’t wait to experience positive results.”
The festival takes place on Friday at the MITP, Valletta. There will be performances at 6pm and 8.30pm. It will be followed by a variety of master classes on Saturday. Tickets are available through Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zfinfest-International-Dance-Festival-of-Malta/545053662194879 or via e-mail on zfinfest@gmail.com.