Yesterday evening Dance Festival Malta organised by Festivals Malta, opened its doors for the first time to dance professionals and dance afficionados with its very first edition. During the opening event the team presented a performance by Stopgap Dance Company called ‘Frock’. Frock is a mixed ability dance production where six striking dancers collide in an uplifting dance riot accompanied by original music by Hannah Miller and Oli Austin of Moulettes, which was specifically composed for the performance. In this quirky dance piece, playful observations of the yesteryears explode into a ‘punkish’ celebration of individuality and difference. Those participating in a Q&R session held at the end and facilitated by Dr Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel, who is Head of Research at the Royal Academy of Dance, exclaimed at how refreshing this performance was. They also commented on how inclusivity of mixed ability performers in the dance industry in Malta is lagging behind and congratulated Festivals Malta for taking the first step towards changing this by opening the first dance festival in Malta with a mixed ability performance.
The evening progressed with performances from local artists that presented projects with a twist. These dance projects featured an element of literature that was incorporated in the dance piece and gave it grounding, context and a different edge altogether. The packed auditorium of the Valletta Campus Theatre in Valletta was in awe with the high level productions presented by Ruben Zahra and his dance theatre performance ‘Who is She?’, Johane Casabene’s ‘(arti)kollazzjonijiet’, Julienne Schembri & Benji Cachia’s ‘Unchartered Origami’ and Moveo Dance Company’s ‘I am Alex’. Apart from literature these pieces touched on topics like, history, mythology, the process of change, and self-centredness amongst others.
The festival will be running with daily workshops and evening performances until the end of July, there are still some tickets available for the shows on Saturday and Sunday for whoever is interested. Tickets and more information can be obtained from www.festivals.mt/dfm.
Photos by Darren Agius
Dance Festival Malta jiftaħ l-ewwel edizzjoni b’bidu mill-aqwa
Ilbieraħ filgħaxija Dance Festival Malta organizzat minn Festivals Malta, fetaħ il-bibien tiegħu għall-ewwel darba għal professjonisti taż-żfin u dilettanti taż-żfin bl-ewwel edizzjoni tiegħu.
Waqt l-attività tal-ftuħ it-tim ippreżenta prestazzjoni minn Stopgap Dance Company bl-isem ‘Frock’. Frock hija produzzjoni ta’ żfin minn nies b’abiltajiet differenti, fejn sitt żeffiena jinterpretaw korjografija ta’ żfin, akkumpanjati minn kompożizzjonijiet oriġinali ta’ Hannah Miller u Oli Austin minn Moulettes. F’din il-korjografija mhux tas-soltu, osservazzjonijiet tal-logħob tal-imgħoddi jisplodu f’ċelebrazzjoni ‘punk’ ta’ individwalità u differenza. Dawk li ħadu sehem f’sessjoni ta’ Q&R li saret fl-aħħar u ffaċilitata minn Dr Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel, il-Kap tar-Riċerka fir-Royal Academy of Dance, esklamaw kemm din il-produzzjoni kienet rinfreskanti. Ikkummentaw ukoll dwar kif l-inklussività ta’ żeffiena b’abbiltajiet differenti fl-industrija taż-żfin f’Malta għadha lura, u ferħu lil Festivals Malta talli għamlet l-ewwel pass biex dan jinbidel billi fetaħ l-ewwel festival taż-żfin f’Malta b’wirja ta’ żfin minn żeffiena b’abbiltajiet differenti.
Is-serata kompliet b’wirjiet minn artisti lokali li ppreżentaw proġetti b’differenza, f’dawn il-proġetti taż-żfin spikka l-element ta’ letteratura li ġiet inkorporata fil-korjografiji ppreżentati u tat bażi, kuntest u spunti differenti lil dawn il-prestazzjonijiet. L-awditorju mimli tal-Valletta Campus Theatre fil-Belt Valletta kien immeraviljat bil-produzzjonijiet ta’ livell għoli ppreżentati minn Ruben Zahra u l-prestazzjoni teatrali taż-żfin tiegħu ‘Who is She?’, ‘(arti)kollazzjonijiet’ ta’ Johane Casabene, ‘Unchartered Origami’ ta’ Julienne Schembri u Benji Cachia, u 'I am Alex' ta' Moveo Dance Company. Minbarra l-letteratura, dawn il-biċċiet missew suġġetti bħal, l-istorja, il-mitoloġija, il-proċess tal-bidla, u l-egocentriżmu fost oħrajn.
Il-festival se jibqa’ għaddej b’workshops ta’ kuljum u wirjiet ta’ filgħaxija sal-aħħar ta’ Lulju. Għad fadal xi biljetti disponibbli għas-serati tas-Sibt u l-Ħadd għal min hu interessat. Biljetti u aktar informazzjoni jistgħu jinkisbu minn www.festivals.mt/dfm.
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