Kalamata International Dance Festival

“It is a great honour, as well as a great responsibility to assume the position of Artistic Director of the Kalamata International Dance Festival continuing the important work of my distinguished predecessors, Vicky Marangopoulou, Katerina Kassioumi and Linda Kapetanea. I would like to thank the Municipality of Kalamata for the trust shown in me and also to thank all the people who believed in this institution all these years, building its dynamic path. Regarding the programmation of the Festival, and specifically in the part of performances and side events composing the main body of the Festival, I believe it is important to include the diversity that characterizes contemporary art today. Thus, in addition to artistic works that speak exclusively through dance, forming the core of a dance festival, I would like to explore works that broaden the art of choreography by opening the dialogue with other arts, different media, scientific fields, artistic practices and other forms of expression. At the same time, the Festival can and should function as a supportive starting point for the development and promotion of emerging artists. I also expect to develop more links with the city, its landscape, its history and above all its people and the collectivities that live here.

For this purpose, I would like to include in the annual program the commissioning of projects that actively involve the various communities of the city, while my vision is to expand the institution towards a more actively involved body in artistic creation throughout the year. My objective is for Kalamata to become the first integrated Dance Centre in Greece, which we lack so much. A Centre that will host artists, offering them a substantial basis for creation, research, presentation of works and experimentation on different practices and methods. A Centre that will encourage the exchange of ideas and knowledge, the dialogue, the encounter and collaboration of artists, as well as the development of their international paths. To achieve all of the above, I will seek collaborations with cultural bodies and networks inside and outside of Greece, strengthening the extroversion and evolution of the institution. Despite the difficulties due to taking over in the middle of the year, we have started intensive and dedicated teamwork aiming to present the best possible 31st Kalamata International Dance Festival.”

Tzeni Argyriou