Dancers from 35 countries around the world will compete in Masdanza
Eighteen pieces of contemporary dance have been selected to participate in the contests of the twenty-sixth edition of Masdanza that will take place between October 8 and 31 and will be held for the first time in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, after consolidating for 25 years in Maspalomas. The selected works will compete during those days to win the three prizes awarded by the jury in the solo contest, the three in the choreographic contest, as well as the award for Best Performer and other important recognitions granted by the International Festival of Contemporary Dance of the Canary Islands.
The Festival Selection Committee led by Natalia Medina has chosen the works from among the 310 applications submitted by dancers and choreographers from 35 countries around the world who have wanted to participate in this meeting that will bring together highly talented professionals and which has the support of the Culture area of the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Solo contest
In the solo contest, nine pieces by young choreographers and dancers from Mexico, France, South Korea, Cuba, Germany and Spain who will defend the works will be debated: While the felid sleeps (Danya González / Mexico), Eat a symbole (Alexandre Fandard / France), Flower heart (Yang Byung Hyun / South Korea), Continuum (Niosbel González / Cuba), Self-Portrait (Filipa Amorim, Miguel Resende / Germany), Legaxy XX (Breeanne Saxton / Germany), Eyes not to see (Cora Panizza / Spain), Time X (Eduardo Vallejo / Spain), Fall, fall, fall (Richard Mascherin / Spain).
Choreographic contest
On the other hand, the nine choreographies selected to participate in the choreographic contest come from Taiwan, Israel, South Korea, Italy and Spain. A choice that brings together pieces like Divergence (Chien-Chih Chang / Taiwan), Bodysuit # 1 (Roni Chadash / Israel), Talk about death (Nanhee Yook / South Korea), Concerto for mandolin and string in c major by vivaldi (Gil Kerer / Israel), TRIPOFOBIA (Pablo Girolami / Italy), Delicious overdose (Cristian Cucco, Alice Beatrice Carrino / Italy), Agànis (Giovanni Gava / Italy), When we are (Carla Cervantes, Sandra Egido / Spain), INA.O (Daniel Morales, Paloma Hurtado / Spain).
Both competitions make MASDANZA the only Festival in Spain that has two official sections in competition. After having passed the quarter of a century, this year the initiative will open its headquarters in the capital of Gran Canaria to celebrate its 26th edition. The main dance event on the islands will be held again in a face-to-face format. To comply with the protocols and hygienic-sanitary measures established due to the Covid-19 pandemic and guarantee the safety of the participants and the public during the development of the Festival, the activities will be carried out outdoors, as well as it will be carried out the taking of temperature of the assistants who will have to wear the mask in a compulsory way. Likewise, the organization will ensure the maintenance of social distance and will be in charge of the installation of disinfectant gel points for hand hygiene.
In this sense, the City Council of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria appreciates the support of the National Institute of Performing Arts and Music (INAEM) of the Ministry of Culture and Sports, as well as the Government of the Canary Islands, the Gran Canaria Tourist Board dependent on the Island Council and Spanish Cultural Action through the PICE program for the realization of MASDANZA.
