dancing cities

Barcelona, Mataro, Sitges and Sabadell, Spain hosted the XVIII International Contemporary Dance Festival in the past 3 days. What made the difference? The performances were held in urban spaces. Besides the ones organized in classic cultural spaces like theaters or museums, pop-up shows filled the streets, this creating a sort of “reclaim” event, citizens getting back what they deserve: having fun on the streets of their own city.

Being part of the Ciudades que Danzan red, Dies de Dansa‘s keywords were public space, feeling free and being creative. Attending the event is free of charge, this way, contemporary dance is really brought closer to people. As diverse as the provenience countries of the dancers, where the type of performances, from ballet and Capoeira to contemporary dance and circus show.

Few people are familiarized with this more or less new form of body expression. For those who cannot appreciate art at any level it may be difficult to watch such a show. Moves and performances are always sustained by concepts. So, if one doesn’t know or understand the meaning of the concept, he can think contemporary dance is, as contemporary art paintings for example, something that “I can easily do myself”.

Britta Lieberknecht and Reinhard Gerum from Germany, technically ripped their clothes off on the stage at CCCB Barcelona, until they got completely naked, while dancing in an erotic manner. The performance symbolized an act of liberation from day to day life’s conventionality. Company Decalage had a wonderful show mixing flute and Tabla live music with capoeira, B-boying and contemporary dance.

What never stops to amaze me in Barcelona is the quantity of free cool events and the fact that Catalunya’s public institutions are continuously educating citizens through art & culture. Dies de Dansa is one of those events.