Guimarães Dance Week wants to promote meetings between people and between times

It is on the 27th and 28th of April, Saturday and Sunday, that the birthplace of the city will breathe dance again.

In a new format, extended over time, with new approaches, different types of dance and a special connection to the celebration of World Dance Day, Guimarães Dance Week is back.

These two days, which promise to be intense, begin with a Folklore Workshop, with the Folklore Ranch of the Centro Cultural e Recreativo de Moreira de Cónegos. Returning to the origins and keeping traditions alive, creating a connection between traditional dances and contemporary dance is one of the objectives of the Guimarães Dance Association and the Ballet Academy, where this moment of learning will take place. “Respect for the past is achieved through the preservation of memory adapted to the present time through a common language, which is that of movement as an expression of feelings and experiences”, explains Rui Donas.

Curated by the Cineclube de Guimarães, “Billy Elliot” will be shown on Saturday afternoon, in the small auditorium of the Vila Flor Cultural Center. A day that culminates with the presentation of “Take“, by São Castro and António M. Cabrita, in the large Francisca Abreu auditorium. They present a creative reflection on multidisciplinary intersections and the use of different tools in the construction of the artistic object.

Anyone who knows the work of these dancers and choreographers believes the artistic director of Dance Week, “recognizes in them the language that distinguishes them from other creators. This is one of the purposes of this project: to bring the city’s young dancers opportunities for contact with different ways of thinking and being in contemporary dance”. Something that will be reflected on the second day of the event, with two Contemporary masterclasses led by the people themselves.

The importance of parallel actions has always been present at Dance Week, since its first edition, in 1994. Upon the return of this event, in 2022, round tables and conversations, cinema and gatherings, became an integral part of the programming and This year’s edition is no exception. For this reason, after the workshops, there will be a screening of the documentary “Portugal que Dança”, a conversation moderated by Carlos A. Correia, at Espaço Oficina, and a meeting with all participants, choreographers and the public.

Still, with some surprises to reveal, Rui Donas highlights the importance of “leaving the classroom, interacting with professionals in the field and colleagues with the same affinities, observing others, seeing and recognizing differences, listening and giving opinions, discussing processes and paths” and thus invites the entire community to participate in this edition of Dance Week.

Dance Week is an event organized by ADG – Associação de Dança de Guimarães and Academia de Bailado de Guimarães, in co-production with A Oficina. In 2024, it will have the support of DGArtes.

Always confirm with the concert hall or promoter the conditions of access, confirmation of the date or time, ticket place of sale, price, and availability.

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