NEW THEATRE INSTITUTE OF LATVIA

contemporary performing arts in Latvia and abroad

Baltic Dance Platform takes place in Riga this year from 9 to 11 February and is an important international event jointly curated by the three Baltic States, presenting the latest contemporary dance performances and artists from the Baltic region.

Baltic Dance Platform is organised by the Estonian Independent Dance Stage “Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava” (STL), the Latvian Dance Information Centre and the Lithuanian Dance Information Centre, alternating between Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, and aims to promote Baltic contemporary dance, foster local and international connections and create new opportunities for artists and dance professionals in the region alternately.

This year the platform brings together more than 100 guests – dance professionals (curators, producers, critics) not only from Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, but also from 23 other countries. In total, almost 100 Baltic stage artists are involved in the Platform.

The platform programme includes works by 3 Latvian artists and artists’ associations: ‘Untitled Movement Lecture’ by Līga Ūbele, ‘FrostBite’ by Jette Lonne Hermanis and Anna Ansone, as well as ‘Vērpete’ by Krišjānis Sants and Ēriks Ēriksons, produced by LJTI in 2015 and premiered at the Homo Novus festival.

Although most of the events in the Baltic Dance Platform’s official programme are open to registered guests only and are already fully booked, a number of performances in H2O 6 will also be open to the general public:

9 February at 17.00 contemporary dance performance “A Duet” by Lithuanian artist Dovydas Strimaitis

10 February at 19.00 “Yet Another Day in Paradise” by Lithuanian artist Lukas Karvelis

11 February at 18.00  Grėtė Šmitaitė’s performance “Cracks” and at 19.00, as well as the contemporary dance performance “Cowbody / Oh Wow, It’s You!” by Estonian artists Hanna Kritten Tangsoo and Sigrid Savi.

These and other contemporary dance performances and artist presentations included in the Baltic Dance Platform programme were selected by an international jury – Julia Asperska (Poland), Pedro Barreiro (Portugal), Johanna Ikola (Finland), Bush Hartshorn (UK) and Gergely Talló (Hungary) – from 77 applications submitted by artists living in the Baltic States. Overall, the jury highlighted the diversity of the Baltic contemporary dance scene, noting that the submitted works are both conceptually and technically strong, and at the same time reflect the importance of dance, which transcends the boundaries of the stage by creating a dialogue on socially relevant topics.

In addition to the official Baltic Dance Platform programme in Riga – an Extra Programme has been created by the local choreographers on 8th and 12th of February.

The full Baltic Dance Platform programme can be found here: balticdance.org/programme-2024/ 

Tickets to performances: www.bilesuparadize.lv

Baltic Dance Platform is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia, Baltic Culture Fund, State Culture Capital Fund, Nordic and Baltic Mobility Programme “Culture” (Nordic Culture Point).

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