On dance festivals - Part one

I like festivals, in general. There is that feeling of something well thought and organised around a particular theme, that sense of “something is going on and I should take advantage of it”, and that sort of festive atmosphere that surrounds all the events. The dance festivals are the ones I know best, so that’s where I will focus from now. 

Usually, they are quite dense, as the program is very rich, with plenty of performances, conversations with artists, workshops, masterclasses, or conferences. A lot of things, happening in just a few days! On the one hand it can be a bit tiring or overwhelming, but on the other hand this abundance of stuff going on usually brings me a treasure of emotions, reflections, memories, relationships, conversations that stays with me forever.

As a spectator, the last festivals I have (partially) attended are ONE DANCE WEEK in Plovdiv, whereas in Italy I can mention Biennale Danza in Venice, Opera Estate in Bassano del Grappa and Prospettiva Danza Teatro in Padova, my city. They all give space to both renowned artists and emergent ones. As far as I know, Opera Estate is the one that lasts the longest and that has a great impact in the territory, as it usually offers residencies programs to artists that work with local communities or specific groups of people, often making open presentations.

But that’s when I started volunteering for dance festivals that I got much more into them. It happened in Bologna, in summer 2016, after my first year of master. Festival Danza Urbana was looking for people that could help in the organisation, so I thought it could be another great way to get involved in my beloved dance sector and get some experience in the field.

It was August and it was deadly hot (I remember I was a bit embarrassed as drops of sweat were running down my arm during the meeting with the artistic director!). We were five girls assisting the organisers. We really had plenty of tasks: picking up artists at the airport, printing and distributing promotional brochures, calling different offices, preparing welcome kits for the dancers... Since the festival was co-producing some performances, we were also in charge of finding some material for the artists, so we had the interesting experience of purchasing fake blood and huge ice cubes online, or renting policeman uniforms and an Alfa Romeo for a performance on Pasolini. It was a bit stressful, but fun.

Deriva Traversa, by Dewey Dell, at Collegio Artistico Venturoli

After the artists arrived, we also supervised the rehearsals, provided the refreshments, and took care of the audience during the performances, which is one of the hardest tasks, when the festival takes place outdoors or in places that are not aimed for dance or theatre. In fact, the peculiarity of Danza Urbana is that it is a festival of the dance in the city: the performances take place in the streets, in squares, churches, museums, parks, etc. The idea is to publicly occupy these territories and offer the community the possibility to watch dance for free (most of the shows had no ticket) and in the unique context of the city.

Collegio Artistico Venturoli

I love this concept, and I think it really is an amazing way to widen the dance audience, offer the city new perspectives and at the same time give artists the chance to dance in a very special architectural scenography (may this be the iconic piazza Maggiore, the elegant yard of the Mediaeval Museum or the more undergroundish Cavaticcio Park). When the performances are outdoors, two main difficulties can show up: adverse weather conditions, that forces the team to quickly make up a plan B, and the unexpected events that take place in an open area, like kids and dogs walking through “the stage” or motorcycles passing nearby, thus covering the meditative atmosphere of the live music. But that’s the beauty of live urban shows, I think! :D 

Anyway, besides offering me the chance to see great performances and meet extraordinary people, volunteering and working for Danza Urbana in 2016 and 2017 gave me a much deeper understanding of all the challenges that such events imply, showed me the importance of efficient communication and the crucial role of technicians, with whom I had never interacted before. It revealed to me the most practical aspects of the dance profession.

And with this knowledge I arrived in Sofia, in April 2018. Exactly before the beginning of the 11th edition of Antistatic Festival - International Festival for Contemporary Dance and Performance.