#1DecemberCultural National Day at the CNDB!

All cultural institutions under the Ministry of Culture have prepared a special programme for December 1st.

Here is our schedule, presented during the Iridescent Festival:

Screening of the documentary film O întâmplare cu jazz, directed by Mircea Albuțiu.
29 November, 20:00, Elvire Popesco Cinema – French Institute (77 Dacia Boulevard)

The film is the result of a meeting between dancer and choreographer Miriam Răducanu and photographer Mircea Albuțiu, who worked together for eight months in 2017 on a jazz theme, inspired by a 1959 Miles Davis video from Robert Herridge’s studio in NY. Fascinated by the figure and gestures of the famous jazzman, Miriam Răducanu sacrifices sleepless nights, sketches characters through her dance, recalls a life of passions and betrayals, and with her last dance, dedicates a “So what” to the world.

1 December, 10:00 – Workshop with Moritz Ostruschnjak

The copy & paste button will become our new leitmotif. We will take on the current dictum to copy and move from inventor to thief. Taken from the happy hunting ground of the World Wide Web, every movement, every sound, every image will be possible prey for us. From contemporary choreography to cheerleading, from the video game Fortnite to shampoo ads, from viral dance moves to the globally commercialized pose of Michelangelo’s David.

The National Center for Dance Bucharest

As every year, the CNDB Awards offer a special platform to celebrate the talents that shape and enrich the choreographic culture in Romania. This year’s winners Maria Luiza Dimulescu, Laura Trocan, Virginia Negru and Adnana Cruceanu were recognized for their excellence, passion and professionalism in the field of dance, thus contributing to the promotion of contemporary art in society.

The ceremony, which took place at the Odeon Theatre as part of the Iridescent Festival, was followed by the performance Mercedes mais eu, presented with the support of the Cervantes Institute in Bucharest.

Beyond any hierarchies, the CNDB Awards celebrate the value of the art of dance and its impact on society.

Maria Luiza Dimulescu

Maria Luiza Dimulescu is a dancer with a special sensibility, deeply exploring the nuances of themes and subjects in a distinct way. With a remarkable presence, Maria Luiza is dedicated to a deep understanding of the context in which she performs and brings an added value to the artistic universe. Passionate about travel, she also explores the area of dance film with talent.

Laura Trocan

With over 10 years’ experience as an independent producer for cultural projects, Laura Trocan stands out for her remarkable dedication. She has been involved in successful projects, contributing to the development of the contemporary dance community. Laura is a person of exceptional quality, a reliable producer and a supporter of the arts in all its forms.

Virginia Negru

Virginia Negru, a distinct playful spirit on the Romanian dance scene, was awarded for her contribution over the years to collaborative processes and the creation of artistic communities. Initiator of research labs and artistic director of the International Contact Improvisation Festival – Contact Bucharest Festival, Virginia is a mature and committed performer.

Adnana Cruceanu

With 10 years of experience in the cultural field, Adnana Cruceanu is a communications expert, public relations specialist and producer. Coordinator of the Communication, Marketing and Public Relations Department at the National Centre for Dance Bucharest, Adnana has brought a new spirit and consistent support to the team.

The National Center for Dance Bucharest congratulates the winners and thanks them for their substantial contribution to the promotion and development of dance in society.

At the end of each year, the National Center for Dance Bucharest celebrates the achievements of those who have added a brick to the value of contemporary dance in society and organizes the CNDB Awards Gala.

This year, the Gala takes place in the middle of the Iridescent Festival, a performative framework in which Romanian and foreign performances, atypical films and conferences, workshops and marathons of ideas become unique opportunities to explore together fresh and less known territories.

In this very special context, we invite you to a double event at the Odeon Theatre on Tuesday 21 November at 7pm.

We will start the evening with the awarding of the CNDB Prizes, which will be presented to the winners by Mrs. Diana-Ștefana Baciuna, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Culture, Mr. Jorge Jiménez Zumalacárregui, Director of the Cervantes Institute and Mrs. Anna Maria Popa, Manager of the “Andrei Mureșanu” Theatre Sf. Gheorghe.

Later, as part of the ongoing festival, we will enjoy the performance of Mercedes máis eu (SP), a collaboration between the composer Mercedes Peón and the performer Janet Novás. Through their work, the two artists connect music and dance and dive into a kaleidoscope of forms and dynamics on themes such as identity, belonging, memory and the common sensibility.

The performance is part of the Baila España programme, marks the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and is presented for the first time in Bucharest with the support of the Cervantes Institute.

The 2023 edition of the Awards, which is special because of the scale of the festival it is part of, is that privileged moment in the year that brings us together around dance and contemporary creation.

We look forward to celebrating it together!

With the support of
Aerowaves, AFCN, National Culture Fund Bulgaria, ARCUB, PMB, STB, Odeon Theatre, Bulandra Theatre, APOLLO 111, SAC, Malmaison, Solitude Project, Cervantes Institute, French Institute Paris, French Institute Romania, Goethe Institut, Franco Germa Fund, BLZT, Polish Institute, Hotel Duke

Main media partners
TVR, Radio Guerrilla

Media partners
ELLE, Radio România Cultural, Scena9, Revista Arta, Zile și Nopți, Black Rhino Radio, The Institute, RFI Romania, Happ.ro, Zeppelin, ISCOADA, Liternet, CUTRA, Modernism.ro, Films in frame

Aspiring dance writers wanted!

After Umeå, Barcelona, Pilsen, Aarhus, Sofia, Paris, Elefsina and Dublin, Springback Academy is once again offering aspiring dance writers the opportunity to be mentored in the fundamentals of quality dance criticism in the action-packed environment of Spring Forward, Aerowaves’ annual festival. This year the festival will take place in Darmstadt, Mainz and Wiesbaden, Germany.

The Academy will take place alongside the festival, from 20 – 23 March (inclusive).

Springback Academy is looking for up to 10 people with a lot of enthusiasm and some prior experience in writing about dance. The participants will be mentored by a team of leading critics including Donald Hutera (The Times), Sanjoy Roy (The Guardian), Kelly Apter (The Scotsman) and Laura Cappelle (New York Times).

Under their guidance, participants have the chance to create, shape and share conversations about dance, and hone their critical writing skills. Springback Academy is a fast-track route to gain experience and technique in responsible, effective, attractive dance criticism as well as to explore and understand the opportunities that digital publishing has to offer.

In March 2018, Springback Magazine was launched, with contributors drawn exclusively from writers who have participated in the Springback Academy programme, part of the ever-growing community of ‘graduate’ writers.

To see Springback writing from previous years, visit Springback Academy online.

A free quickstart guide to writing dance reviews can be downloaded as a PDF.

Apply before 24:00 (GMT) Saturday 2 December 2023

Find full application details and application link HERE

Application Form

For enquiries, please contact: Springback Academy director Oonagh Duckworth . 

Good luck!

Iridescent starts at the National Center for Dance Bucharest and we are waiting for you. Discover the main highlights of a festival with many premieres, celebrating the transformative power of dance and ideas.

3 performances from Aerowaves Twenty23

The CNDB brings to the festival 3 performances selected in the Twenty23 edition of the prestigious Aerowaves, the European contemporary dance network.

Ioanna Paraskevopoulou’s MOS invites us into a world of sound, cinematic landscapes and everyday objects, while Dominik Więcek’s Café Müller takes us into the world of fanfiction, in a tribute to Pina Bausch, but with humour. The third Aerowaves show brought to Bucharest is Jean-Baptiste Baele’s Nabinam, a choreographic solo in which the Madagascar-born artist tells the story of his adoption in Belgium. They are held on 8, 12 and 18 November in Iridescent and are not to be missed!

Adriana Butoi back on stage in Romania

Actress Adriana Butoi returns, after many years, on a Romanian stage, more precisely at the Bulandra Theatre, with the show Kill the Fucking Bill(s) on November 2nd. Adriana has been working in Mexico as an interdisciplinary artist since 2011 and proposes a performance inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill, which will transform the Liviu Ciulei Hall into a space of struggle against the systems that caused the failure of personal and collective utopias in history.

The show marking the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Artists Mercedes Peón and Janet Novás will meet you on 21 November at the Odeon Theatre, in a performance that combines the ritual of music and dance with current and powerful themes: identity, belonging, gender. Mercedes máis eu is a work in which every pulse and every tone, every voice and every silence gives us the measure of the sensitivity of the two artists and engages us in a playful trance from which we don’t want to come out too soon.

The premiere of the Academy of Dance and Performance

Young artists who graduated from the only regional dance and performance training program, the Academy of Dance and Performance, prepared a performance under the direction of choreographer Ioana Marchidan. If you come to the Bodies on the line premiere on November 14 you will (re)meet Anca Stoica, Sergiu Diță, Alexandra Zavelea, Hunor Varga and Eva Danciu, who will talk & dance about being an independent artist, with personal stories and situations that anyone can find themselves in.

An auto-bio-choreo-graphic performance

Renowned French creator Jérôme Bel recounts his own life in the world of dance… in someone else’s interpretation! Jérôme Bel’s performance has travelled around the world in this way: in each country where the performance took place, other performers and directors performed and staged the Jérôme Bel character-show. In the Romanian version, the performer is Cristian Nanculescu. Come on 10 November to follow Nanci in a play in which “me is the other”.

Workshops for professionals

Artists Dominik Więcek, Jean-Baptiste Baele, Janet Novás and Moritz Ostruschnjak are each preparing a workshop in Iridescent, which means a total of 4 opportunities for professional Romanian dancers and performers to get in touch with new methods and practices. Dominik encourages the participants to imagine they are taking part in a non-existent performance on the stage of the Wuppertal Opera, while Jean-Baptiste proposes a technique for performing movements with minimum effort and maximum impact. Janet will immerse the performers in a body that enjoys and takes risks without fear of failure, while Moritz will disabuse them of their status as image-makers. It’s all happening in Iridescent on November 11, 17, 22 and December 29-1.

Other reconfigurations of the sensible

In addition to many other powerful performances, Iridescent brings you other kinds of events, such as Ioana Păun’s dream box (Dreamers performance), the explorative discussion on irreversibility moderated by Constantin Vică or the Ideas for Planet Earth marathon, with over 25 public voices coming with messages, statements and ideas to inspire us to imagine a better future. Plus you’re invited to party in Apollo111 and to the screening of Without expectations at Elvire Popesco!

Performances:

• 1- 8.11 |  Dreamers – Ioana Păun (RO)  | CNDB
• 2.11 | Kill the Fucking Bill(s) – Adriana Butoi (RO/MX) | Teatrul Bulandra, Sala Izvor
• 2-4.11 | Artwork  – Florin Flueraș (RO) | SAC/Malmaison
• 6.11 | Patosfera – Mădălina Dan (RO) | CNDB
• 8.11 | MOS – Ioanna Paraskevopoulou (GR) | CNDB
• 10.11 | Jérôme Bel – Jérôme Bel (FR) | CNDB
• 12.11 | Café Müller – Dominik Więcek (PL) | CNDB
• 14.11 | Bodies on the line – Ioana Marchidan (RO) | CNDB
• 16.11 | TransLucid – Paula Dunker (RO) | CNDB
• 18.11 | Nabinam – Jean-Baptiste Baele (NO) |  CNDB
• 19.11 | Dansuri mici | CNDB
• 21.11 | Mercedes máis eu – Janet Novás & Mercedes Peón (SP) | Teatrul Odeon
• 23.11 | BLOT – Simona Deaconescu & Vanesa Goodman (RO/CA) | Apollo111
• 24.11 | Made for Happiness – Iva Sveshtarova & Willy Prager (BG) | CNDB
• 25.11 | Shamebox – Iva Sveshtarova & Willy Prager (BG) | CNDB
• 28.11 | Tanzanweisungen – Moritz Ostruschnjak (DE) | CNDB

Workshops for professionals:

• 11.11 | Workshop Café Müller – Dominik Więcek (PL) | CNDB
• 17.11 | Effortless Flow – Jean-Baptiste Baele (NO) | CNDB
• 22.11 | The Busy Body – Janet Novás (SP) | CNDB
• 29.11 – 01.12 | Uncreative dance – Moritz Ostruschnjak (DE) | CNDB

Conferences and other reconfigurations of the sensitive:

• 3.11 | Ireversibil | CNDB
• 26.11 | Idei pentru Planeta Pământ | Apollo 111

Party and concert:

• 14.11 | Concert & afterparty
• 23.11 | CNDB x Apollo111

Film:

• 29.11 | Miriam Răducanu. O întâmplare cu Jazz – Mircea Albuțiu (RO) | Cinema Elvira Popesco

So, 23 events, a month of exploration time that we invite you to treat yourself with! See what catches your eye in the full schedule and Save November for Dance!

With the support of:
Ministry of Culture, Aerowaves, AFCN, National Culture Fund Bulgaria, ARCUB, PMB, STB, Odeon Theatre, Bulandra Theatre, APOLLO 111, SAC, Atelierele Malmaison, Solitude Project, Cervantes Institute, French Institute Paris, French Institute Romania, Goethe-Institut, Franco-German Fund, BLZT, Polish Institute, Hotel Duke

Main media partners:
TVR, Radio Guerrilla

Media partners:
ELLE, Radio România Cultural, Scena9, Revista Arta, Zile și Nopți, Black Rhino Radio, The Institute, RFI Romania, Happ.ro, Zeppelin, ISCOADA, Liternet, CUTRA, Modernism.ro, Films in Frame

The new production of the National Centre for Dance Bucharest, Bodies on the line, brings to the stage graduates of the CNDB Dance and Performance Academy 2022-2023, choreographed by Ioana Marchidan.

The show will also tour the country, in Sfântu-Gheorghe and Craiova, before its premiere at Iridescent 2023 – International Festival of Contemporary Dance and Other Reconfigurations of the Sensitive.

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Bodies on the Line explores fragile territories between confessions and statements, placing bodies in spaces of both safety and uncertainty, from which they can articulate their anxieties, hopes and the need to belong to a collectivity that makes the daily struggle for survival a little more bearable.

The performance compresses the time of personal stories and dilates the pressure of the times in which we live, dominated by the alienating flight after overlapping projects, exhaustion, burn-out and the feeling that if you are not seen, you do not exist?

CREDITS
Concept, choreography: Ioana Marchidan
Performers: Anca Stoica, Sergiu Dita, Varga Hunor-Jozsef, Eva Danciu
Text and dramaturgy in collaboration with: Mihaela Michailov
Original music and musical training for the performers: Alexandru Suciu
Light design: Alexandros Raptis

Duration: 60 min
Produced by: The National Centre for Dance Bucharest (CNDB) – 2023

TICKETS available online at kompostor.ro and at the CNDB box office before each performance.
| Full price: 40 lei
| Reduced price (pupils, students, pensioners): 25 lei

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Performance realized within the project 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒔𝑴𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒕, cofinanced by The Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or the way the results of the programme may be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the grantee.

Performance realized within the European project 𝑺𝑬𝑬𝑫𝑺 – 𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒉-𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑬𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔, through which the Academy of Dance and Performance 2022-2023 was developed.

The SEEDS project is co-funded by the European Union through the Creative Europe programme.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the funding authority can be held responsible for them.

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REPRESENTATIONS
21-22 October @ CNDB-Stere Popescu Hall
6 November @ StudioM Sfântu-Gheorghe
8 November @ Craiova National Theatre
14 November @ CNDB / Iridescent festival 2023

The preview performances are presented as a Warm-Up to Iridescent 2023 – International Festival of Contemporary Dance and Other Reconfigurations of the Sensitive.

As you know, at Sandwich Library we are not for quiet in the reading room, nor for treating books with solemnity. On the contrary, we want the library to be a space for meeting and a relaxed exchange of ideas, where the titles on the shelves are taken in and used spontaneously, according to the pleasure and inspiration of those who pass through our doors. With Books on the Dancefloor, together with our friends from the National Centre for Dance Bucharest, we are taking another step in this direction, adding a play component to the equation. For one evening, the library’s books will thus leave their nest, to be rearranged, leafed over, handled, recontextualised and, ultimately, (re)put in relation with that corporeal reality from which their traditional allure as intellectual objects tends to distance us. We look forward to seeing you in large numbers, fans of the books and/or the movement alike! Where / when? At Sandwich and Sandwich Library, from 6pm!

– Sandwich Library

More about the performance:
For several hours on Doi Joi, the participatory installation Books on the Dancefloor transforms Sandwich Library into a space of unexpected encounters and potential transitions between books, ideas and performative practices. We invite you to participate in a process of cognitive and sensory deterritorialization of the physical library through a series of games, individual and collective actions, practices of reconfiguring books displaced from vertical shelves into the horizontal, non-hierarchical space of knowledge and interaction.
As part of Books on the Dancefloor at Sandwich Library you have the opportunity to participate in a unique and introspective experience with the Oracle of Performance Research, who offers one-to-one readings based on a set of oracle books inspired by issues of Performance Research. During these (un)incidental encounters, you can discover how the words, gestures and ideas generated by the readings connect to our shared present. Each book brings a new perspective to experiences that are already happening, opening us up to different ways of perceiving reality.

Books on the Dancefloor is a production of the National Centre for Dance Bucharest, developed within the CNDB Media Library in 2022.
By/with: Corina Cimpoieru, Renate Dinu, Paula Dunker
Co-authors: Ilinca Micu
Graphic design: Cristiana Costin

𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐮 is a versatile artist and cultural worker who embraces multiple roles. After studying economics, she studied art and visual culture, deepening the impact of participatory practices on social realities. Since 2016, Renate has been performing on stage, in conventional and unconventional spaces, in galleries and festivals. Her presence conveys a message that highlights the body as the main instrument of perception and production of reality and considers the stage a political space.

𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐮 has studies in cultural anthropology and currently works as a researcher and coordinator of the Media Library and Archive at the National Centre for Dance Bucharest. In recent years she has dedicated her time to identifying documents about dance, researching in both private and institutional archives, with the aim of recovering the history of Romanian dance and performance through archiving practices that reconfigure their potential for contemporary projects: performative re-enactments, dance and performance exhibitions, publishing projects.

𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐚 𝐃𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐫 promises that her (artistic) work is based on the analysis of systems of representation, production and creation. She works most often with the body. She is the daughter of Romanian contemporary dance, the sister of local political theatre, the mother of the queer clubbing scene in Bucharest and (together with Alex Bălă) the initiator of the techno-faggothique music genre. She confronts existing patterns, helps to build possible new worlds and to heal it.

Organizers: SANDWICH Gallery (contact person Maria Bîrsan)
Partners: /SAC, F-Sides Cineclub, Romanian Mental Health Film Festival, Czech Centre, MNAC, Suprainfinit Gallery, Aqua Carpatica
Address: 137C Calea Plevnei (Atelierele Malmaison, 2nd floor, room 26)

Project co-funded by the Bucharest City Hall through ARCUB, within the Bucharest at Home 2023 Programme.

We are putting out an open call for the opportunity to be part of the CNDB team at the second edition of the International Festival of contemporary dance and other reconfigurations of the sensible IRIDESCENT 2023, taking place throughout November.

Your role will be essential to the smooth running of the festival. You will have the opportunity to learn many interesting things and gain valuable knowledge about the organisation of an international festival. And of course about contemporary dance and performance.

We’re looking for someone who…

Will be in charge of the following activities:

• Coordination of access and audience in the venues;
• Welcoming guest artists, keeping in touch with them throughout their visit and informing them about programme, venues and other important details.
• Constant communication with your new colleagues in the CNDB team.
• Making sure things are going according to plan and being actively involved in managing unforeseen situations.
• Distribution of promotional materials in partner venues and other artistic hubs in Bucharest.

Has the following skills:

• Knowledge of English
• Ability to work in a team
• Communicates effectively and transparently
• Is punctual and responsible
• Has attention to detail

WE OFFER for our future volunteers…

• Working experience in organising large cultural events;
• Proof of practical experience;
• Free access to festival performances, subject to availability;
• Opportunity to get in contact with established artists;
• Access to resources and information in the field of contemporary dance and performance;
• Promotional items (festival tote bags).

What do you need to do?

• Fill in the form available HERE, until October 18th, in which you write a few things about yourself (what you do, what field you work in and why you want to be part of the team behind an international contemporary dance festival).
• Keep an eye on your email; if you are selected we will contact you by 20 October and send you details of our first meeting and info on what to do next.

We’re looking for people who are enthusiastic about the prospect of working in the cultural field, passionate about dance and performance, and no previous experience is necessary to participate.

We look forward to having you join us for a month full of dance at Iridescent – International festival of contemporary dance and other reconfigurations of the sensible!

In November we make room for new worlds to emerge. The National Centre for Dance Bucharest launches the second edition of the Iridescent Festival.

In an ever-changing universe, Iridescent celebrates the transformative power of ideas and dance, so this edition is themed on irreversibility.

This year’s programme brings 16 performances and works, most of them premieres in Romania. Creators such as Ioana Paraskevopoulou, Jérôme Bel, Adriana Butoi, Jean-Baptiste Baele, Mădălina Dan, Moritz Ostruschnjak, Florin Flueraș, Janet Novás, Ioana Marchidan, Dominik Więcek, Ioana Păun, Simona Deaconescu & Vanessa Goodman, Iva Sveshtarova & Willy Prager and their guests challenge you to set sail into unknown territories.

The festival runs from 1 November to 1 December at the CNDB and partner venues and is an invitation to curiosity and openness.

In Iridescent you will have the opportunity to take part in dance and film workshops and in a discussion about the phenomena that shape our existence, together with Constantin Vică, Veronica Lazăr, Anda Zahiu, Alexandra Zorilă and Paul Gabriel Sandu. We invite you to be part of a Marathon of Ideas for Planet Earth and we are also waiting for you at the party.

Don’t miss out on Early Bird tickets, with discounts on festival events, available in limited numbers only from 3-13 October.

Iridescent is a space to be together. Think of it as a navigational tool that inspires us to discover new possibilities and imagine a better world. Save November for Dance!

Full schedule & tickets here.

The Iridescent Festival is made possible with the support of:
Aerowaves, AFCN, National Culture Fund Bulgaria, ARCUB, PMB, STB, Odeon Theatre, Bulandra Theatre, APOLLO 111, SAC, Malmaison, Solitude Project, Cervantes Institute, French Institute Paris, French Institute Romania, Goethe Institut, Franco German Fund, BLZT, Polish Institute, Hotel Duke

Media partners
TVR, Radio Guerrilla, ELLE, Radio România Cultural, Scena9, Revista Arta, Zile și Nopți, Black Rhino Radio, The Institute, RFI Romania, Happ.ro, Zeppelin, ISCOADA, Liternet, CUTRA, Modernism.ro, Films in frame

A century ago, Brâncuși photographed Lizica Codreanu in his studio – wearing the special costume created for her by the sculptor. Lizica, a dancer and choreographer whose life and artistic career made a significant contribution to the development of a new aesthetics of movement in the first part of the 20th century, is one of the artistic figures from Bucharest whose name is not sufficiently known among today’s generations.

About the project Female Memoirs. Lizica Codreanu

Hearth Association initiates a multidisciplinary cultural project that aims to repair and build, at the same time, a connection between the people of Bucharest and their cultural past, by exploring the link between dance and visual arts, and to (re)discover and pay homage together with the local community to Lizica Codreanu’s contribution to the development of an innovative dance movement, which is part of the avant-garde.

“The project aims to offer a unique experience of the intersection of visual arts and contemporary dance through a set of interactive and participatory activities. By assuming this objective, the project aims to strengthen and develop the local artistic community, to increase awareness and appreciation of contemporary arts, to contribute to the promotion of Romanian culture among the general public and to contribute to the development of a sense of community and belonging to the city, in an innovative way. Through this artistic experience, we aim to offer a new perspective on art and body movement, to inspire the imagination of artists, to arouse the curiosity of the public and to enrich the cultural map of Bucharest with a series of innovative events.” Doina Dogăroiu, Hearth Cultural Projects Manager

Project co-funded by the Municipality of Bucharest through ARCUB in the framework of the Bucharest Home 2023 Programme. For detailed information about the funding programme of the Municipality of Bucharest through ARCUB, please visit www.arcub.ro.

The unique events of the project Female Memories. Lizica Codreanu

“Female Memories. Lizica Codreanu” is a multidisciplinary cultural project built around three components that revisit the link between dance and sculpture initiated by Lizica Codreanu at the beginning of the last century. During the project, Bucharest residents will have the opportunity to participate in the following activities:

• A dance-theatre performance – “Brâncuși’s soul child. Lizica Codreanu” – with three performances; the show aims to present the life story of the dancer and choreographer Lizica Codreanu, performed by an actress; Lizica’s journey will also be illustrated with moments of choreography performed by a dancer and complemented by projections that will bring the image of Lizica Codreanu and important moments of her life before the audience, illustrating the contrast between old and new.
• Three almost spontaneous performative interventions in the workshops of contemporary Romanian artists: choreographer and dancer Alexandra Mihaela Dancs will create a series of almost spontaneous performative interventions in the workshops of three contemporary Romanian artists (sculptors Marian Zidaru and Victoria Zidaru and painter Nicolae Comănescu); these artistic demonstrations will be inspired by the works of art found in the artists’ workshops and will serve as documentation for the dance-theatre performance.
• Three movement workshops with the participation of 30 members of the public, coordinated by choreographer and dancer Alexandra Mihaela Dancs, will explore the relationship between body movement and visual arts.
• A screening of a documentary film made with footage from Alexandra Mihaela Dancs’

“The dancer Lizica Codreanu is one of those cool women in the history of Romania, who can still be considered cool by today’s young people – in search of values and inspiration when it comes to the autochthonous – but also a novel discovery for older generations who certainly have not heard of Brâncuși’s close friend, who was adored by the Dadaists and the Parisian avant-garde.” Natalia Cebanu, Artistic Director of Hearth Association

Calendar of events within the project Female Memories. Lizica Codreanu

27 September 2023
Performative intervention workshop Victoria Zidaru @Combinatul Fondului Plastic
Performative intervention workshop Marian Zidaru @ Combinatul Fondului Plastic

28th September 2023
Performative intervention SAC Gallery Nicolae Comănescu @SAC Gallery

8 October 2023
Movement workshop @Hearth Association (Kerim House)

15 October 2023
Movement workshop @Hearth Association (Casa Kerim)

5 November 2023
Movement workshop @Hearth Association (Kerim House)

28 October 2023
Premiere of the show “Lizica Codreanu, Brâncuși’s soul child” @Hearth Association (Kerim House)

29 October 2023
Performance “Lizica Codreanu, Brâncuși’s soul child” @Hearth Association (Casa Kerim)

3rd November 2023
Performance “Lizica Codreanu, Brâncuși’s soul child” @MNȚRplusC

4 November 2023
Documentary film screening @Hearth Association (Kerim House)

For more details about the events of the project, follow the pages of
Facebook and Instagram pages of Hearth Association and the website https://asociatiahearth.ro/.

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The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of Bucharest City Hall or ARCUB.
Partners: the National Centre of Dance Bucharest, SAC Gallery, DS Projects Lab, MNȚRplusC, Radio România Cultural, Radio România București FM, LiterNet, BookHub, ArteVezi

Nova Festival supports young artists through the NOVA GROW programme, in partnership with UniCredit offering an opportunity to step into the global NOVA network, connecting art and science in 8 countries!

If you are an emerging artist and passionate about technology in the creative process, here is your chance:

• An educational residency at the National University of Art in Sofia in 2024
• Exhibition at the International Digital Art Festival Sofia

Travel and accommodation costs – 100% covered! Plus, explorations in creative labs, gallery visits and hands-on workshops.

Apply now! Send your CV, portfolio and motivation to by 30 September 2023.

Announcing the winner? On 10 October!

Complete details HERE! Good luck!

This is not a “save the date”, but a reminder to book November for dance and related events at the CNDB Iridescent 2023 festival!
This year’s Iridescent Festival moves into autumn, bringing 9 international performances, 4 Romanian, workshops, parties, conferences, exhibitions and more.

Get ready to find out more details soon and discover the Iridescent 2023 programme by following our website and social media pages (Facebook, Instagram).
And don’t worry, enjoy what’s left of the summer, because we’ll take care of the rest!

Through the Iridescent Festival we promote contemporary dance and strengthen the links between the local and international scene. We bring to the fore new creations by Romanian choreographers and offer the Bucharest audience the opportunity to discover established works by international creators, which address relevant themes and current perspectives of contemporary society. By doing so, through dance and contemporary creation we put Bucharest on the map of important cultural events, both nationally and in the Central and South-Eastern Europe region.

– CNDB team

Bucharest International Dance Film Festival (BIDFF), the 9th edition, takes place from 7 to 10 September in 6 locations in Bucharest, including the National Centre for Dance Bucharest (CNDB). To see the events happening at CNDB, click here.

Artistic direction and the theme of the festival: CLUSTERS

“Now in its 9th edition, the Bucharest International Dance Film Festival (BIDFF) creates an interdisciplinary framework, blending performing and visual arts with film, promoting critical thinking and ethical use of technology. This year’s theme, Clusters, derives from the philosopher W. V. O. Quine’s premise that no individual belief can be confirmed or denied in isolation, but should be evaluated within a larger network of beliefs.

The festival is structured into five distinct sections, conceived as “clusters”: Films, VR, Expand, Community, and, for the first time, Exchange. These sections offer the audience a wide range of experiences, from watching dance films and innovative VR experiences to participating in performative conferences, community activities, and international collaborations. BIDFF #9 aims to stimulate social and artistic cohesion, inviting participants to reflect on current discourses related to the body and contemporary world.

Important titles like Omen (d. Baloji), Smoke Sauna Sisterhood (d. Anna Hints), Theater Camp (d. Molly Gordon, Nick Lieberman), and Kite Zo A (Leave the Bones) (d. Kaveh Nabatian), which premiered at Cannes, Sundance or Locarno, will be showcased every day of the festival. Strong choreographic voices such as Hofesh Shechter (UK), Ginevra Panzetti and Enrico Ticconi (DE/IT), Sarah Vanhee (BE), and Flor Firvida (AG/MX) present works in this year’s edition. The professional training program is led by artists with interdisciplinary practices such as Heike Salzer (DE/UK), Ioana Vreme Moser (RO/DE), and Camelia Neagoe (RO).

A new collaboration with Companhia de Dança de Almada (PT) takes center stage in the newest section — BIDFF Exchange, which also includes the unique film projection Cine e Danza de Buenos Aires, presenting fragments from the intricate life of independent dance in the capital of Argentina. The projection Toons and Grooves previews this year’s edition of the Animest International Animation Film Festival, which revolves around the theme of dance, showcasing a selection of 10 dynamic and amusing short films.

This year, BIDFF continues its Community initiative, dedicated to intimate meetings with communities in the capital, through a series of events organized in partnership with the Vârsta4 Center and the Residential Center for the Elderly Amalia and Chief Rabbi Dr. Moses Rosen, as well as the Ferentari Studios. Artist Adrian Ionescu (RO) continues his guided tours through Bucharest, but this time with two meetings dedicated to alternative and underground music events from the early 2000s.

One of the most popular events of the festival, BIDFF VR, features five immersive experiences at the /SAC @ MALMAISON. These encounters offer navigation through a dynamic, interactive space where connections and intersections shape the human narrative through technology. The program includes VR films awarded at Cannes, Sundance, or Venice, with some of them suitable for children as well.

The heart of the festival remains the International Short Dance Film Competition. 25 films from 16 countries celebrate the power of rhythm through dance and hidden senses, unveiling bold collectives that struggle to break free from the norms of unfair societies, questioning contexts and rules that revolve around topics such as capitalism, human rights oppression, or the destruction of the ego, and proposing strong expressions that reflect hidden hopes and anxieties.”

– Simona Deaconescu, BIDFF Artistic Director

Schedule and ticket information HERE.

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Bucharest International Dance Film Festival is organized by the Tangaj Collective Association.

“Bucharest International Dance Film Festival, the 9th edition” is a cultural project co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. The project does not necessarily represent the position of the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or how the project results can be used. These are entirely the responsibility of the beneficiary of the funding.

“Bucharest International Dance Film Festival, the 9th edition” is a project co-financed by the Bucharest City Hall through ARCUB within the București acasă 2023 program. The content of this material does not necessarily represent the official position of the Bucharest City Hall or that of ARCUB.

Supported by Conceptual Lab by Theo Nissim, Goethe Institut, Flanders State of the Art and sponsored by Mariage D’Or, Five Continents și Jarre by Alouette. 

Partners of the festival:  the French Institute in Romania (Cinema Elvire Popesco), CREART – the Center for Creation, Art and Tradition in Bucharest (The Film Garden – Cinema and More), the Contemporary Art Space Association (/SAC@MALMAISON), the National Center for Dance in Bucharest, Linotip – Independent Choreographic Centre, ADO Association – Art for Human Rights (Vârsta4 Centre), Residential Center for the Elderly “Amalia și Șef Rabin Dr. Moses Rosen”.

Media partners: Radio Guerrilla, Ziarul Metropolis, Happ.ro, Scena9, Radio România Cultural, Zile și Nopți, Cinemap, MovieNews.ro.

GESTURES BLOOMING
Strengthening the dance ecosystem in Romania (May-December 2023)

Instead of introduction…
If a documentary were made about contemporary dance in France or Germany, it would be a film about great creative figures, about performances that have made history and about aesthetically revolutionary approaches or styles.

In Romania, however, it would be a film about the stubbornness of a few artists to overcome their lack of means, about their success, beyond expectations and obstacles, in getting dance institutionally recognised as an art in its own right – by setting up a national dance center – about the constant struggle for visibility and recognition despite precariousness.

Project
The Goethe-Institut and the French Institute in Romania have been running cultural cooperation projects for several years, co-financed by the Franco-German Cultural Fund, a fund whose mission is to support initiatives through which artists and structures from France and Germany collaborate with artists and structures from other European countries, including Romania. 

This year, in partnership with the CNDB, the Goethe-Institut and the French Institute in Romania have conceived and are implementing a project dedicated to the Conemporan dance: Gestures Blooming – Strengthening the dance ecosystem in Romania. The project aims to stimulate the local scene and creativity through the transfer of knowledge and practices in dance, drawing on the expertise of artists and structures in France and Germany.

In concrete terms, Gestures Blooming has 2 main axes:

For dancers and choreographers:

• DANCE WORKSHOPS – one intensive workshop each in: Bucharest, Iasi, Sfântu-Gheorghe/Târgu-Mureș, Timișoara
• MENTORING – accompanying an emerging choreographer in the creation of a dance piece
• EXPLORATORY VISITS

For dance teachers:

• INTENSIVE TRAINING CAMP in contemporary dance pedagogy (Teach the Teachers).

HERE you can find the full information.

The dance ecosystem in Romania faces many challenges – from infrastructure and educational content to means of production and public presentation – but this does not mean that it is devoid of artistic potential and international connections.  The present project was conceived starting from systemic needs but also from existing positive points and aims to contribute to the strengthening of the local dance scene through various forms of intersection, transfer and connections with artists and structures in France and Germany.

Four months after the March 1977 earthquake, Nicolae Ceausescu convenes an urgent meeting in Bucharest. On 4 July, ca. 300 people (engineers, architects, party and local government leaders) are gathered in a room behind the CC and Ceaușescu orders them to stop all consolidation work on the buildings affected by the earthquake. In the capital alone, more than 10,000 buildings were thus left vulnerable to the next big earthquake.

After the success of the theatre show “4 July 1977. The Unknown Earthquake”, performed once – in October 2022 – at the Odeon Theatre, Re: Rise invites you, on July 4, to take part in the July 4, 1977 meeting, right where it took place.

You will have the opportunity to experience the sensations and moments experienced by those responsible for consolidation after the earthquake – the engineers and architects Ceaușescu ordered to stop consolidating. We will then go through the story of Gheorghe Ursu – the hero of seismic risk reduction in Romania and the only voice who sounded the alarm about Ceausescu’s order.

On the 4th of July, we reopen the Omnia Hall for one last time – before it undergoes a major renovation. Exactly 46 years after Ceausescu’s murderous order, we’ll re-enact that moment together.

We were very keen to hold this event in the very place where the meeting of 4 July 1977 took place – the Omnia Hall. The space, however, has been closed and unused for a long time, and this has led to the building deteriorating and potentially dangerous areas forming inside. So, to make this event possible, we need to take some risk reduction measures, such as:

Access to the event will be by prior reservation only
Capacity will be limited to 50 people
We will organise 3 evenings (50 people each), with access starting at 17.00, 18.30 and 20.00 respectively
All participants will be equipped with a safety helmet, which must be worn
Participants will be briefed on safety rules when entering the hall
Each participant must confirm that they have been trained and are aware that there is a certain level of risk involved in attending the event

Cast: Irina Artenii, Andrei Barbu, Denis Imbrescu, Răzvan Mîndruță, Vlad Pânzaru
Video projections: Mara Oglakci
Soundscape: Adrian Piciorea
Set design: Sabina Reuss / Theodor Niculae
Director: Carmen Lidia Vidu
Special guest: Andrei Ursu
Partners: Gheorghe Ursu Foundation, National Dance Centre Bucharest, Reflektor Bucharest

An initiative of Re:Rise – Association for Seismic Risk Reduction.

The National Center for Dance Bucharest announces the Gestures Blooming project – Strengthening the dance ecosystem in Romania, in partnership with the Goethe-Institut and the French Institute of Romania. The project aims to strengthen and promote contemporary dance in Romania, providing training and collaboration opportunities for contemporary dance teachers in the country.

In the framework of this project, a camp dedicated to contemporary dance teachers in Romania will be organized from 28 August to 7 September 2023 at Ballet Studio in Marisel/Dealu Mare, Cluj. The camp is aimed at teachers from choreography and vocational art high schools, but also from universities or working in the private sector. The Gestures Blooming Camp offers the opportunity to participate for 10 days in 4 intensive practical workshops, coordinated by guest trainers from Germany and France with international experience in contemporary dance pedagogy, namely, Nadja Raszewski, Sunia Asbach (Germany), Lauriane Madelaine, Pierre Chauvin-Brunet (Ballet du Nord, France).

The workshops will address various aspects of contemporary dance, such as methodology, structuring a class/course, techniques and repertoire transmission. They are connected to current trends in artistic creation and education and offer participants the opportunity to improve their skills and knowledge in the field.

Following their participation in the camp, the selected teachers will receive a certificate of participation, signed by the trainers and organizers – the National Center for Dance Bucharest, Goethe-Institut and French Institute of Romania. The organisers also provide accommodation, meals and transfers between Cluj-Napoca and the camp location for the duration of the event. Participants from cities other than Cluj-Napoca must provide their own transport to and from Cluj-Napoca.

A total of 10 places will be offered and the participation fee is 350 lei. To apply, applicants are kindly requested to fill in the application form available HERE until 20 July; The selection process for participants will be finalised by 28 July 2023 at the latest.

Blooming Gestures Camp – Strengthening the Dance Ecosystem in Romania is an opportunity for contemporary dance teachers in Romania to develop their skills and knowledge in the field, to connect with international experts and to contribute to the strengthening and promotion of contemporary dance in the country.