18th Festival of Choreographic Miniatures starts on Friday

BELGRADE - The 18th Festival of Choreographic Miniatures starting at the National Theater in Belgrade on Friday marks its 'coming of age' with a competition lineup of 10 choreographers from Serbia and 11 from around the world.

The entrants, selected by the Artistic Council from a total of 69 choreographers from 28 countries who applied this year, will be given an opportunity to perform their short pieces for the first time at an international choreography competition.

The council is chaired by the festival's Artistic Director, choreographer and pedagogue Vladimir Logunov, and also includes ballet artists Isidora Stanisic and Tatjana Popovic.

The first festival of choreographic miniatures was held in Belgrade in 1997 and provided a unique opportunity for numerous young choreographers to promote their work in live performances before an audience.

Over the past 18 years, the creative atmosphere of the festival organized by the Association of Ballet Artists of Serbia (UBUS), the only competition of its kind in the region, has been gathering artists from around the world.

The festival jury this year includes Fabio Simoes, choreographer (Portugal), Tomaz Rode, ballet artist and Chairman of the Association of Ballet Artists of Slovenia (Slovenia), Isidora Stanisic, choreographer and pedagogue (Serbia), Boris Caksiran, choreographer and costume designer (Serbia) and Olga Olcan Miljevic, soloist of the Ballet Company of the National Theater, Belgrade (Serbia).

The festival's side events will include panel discussions and lectures on dance and ballet reviews and an educational dance workshop.

Photo Tanjug, N. Jovanovic