48th Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance
11th-18th August 2012
www.billinghamfestival.co.uk
48th Billingham International Folklore Festival of World Dance will again celebrate the diversity of cultures from across the world, bringing together over 300 performers from Canada, Chile, Colombia, Guadeloupe, Indonesia, North Cyprus, Romania, Russia, with the five leading UK dance companies in a kaleidoscope of World dance. Ranging from beautiful dances of Pacific Islands to vibrant and explosive rhythms of Colombia, from mesmerizing, energetic and graceful dances of Kalmykia (Russia) to breath-taking hip-hop from Guadeloupe and contemporary African dancers
Last year, thanks for the grant from the National Lottery through Arts Council England our festival entered a new era and introduced contemporary dance alongside the traditional dances.
This year we have launched the biggest festival programme than ever. The Festival concerts will take place at the specially constructed Arena in Billingham Town Centre, Forum Theatre, Billingham, Middlesbrough Theatre and Arc Arts Centre, Stockton, with special events scheduled at Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Arts and Dance City, Newcastle.
Outside the main concert programme there will be street performances, dance and music workshops and Uncle BIFF Children’s Club. We will also run a special programme of story-telling events in local Libraries and at Daisy Chain.
One of our biggest aims this year was to extend the involvement of the local community, which included contemporary African dance residency with local schools, performance of Billingham Fracture Theatre at the Festival and continuation of World Cultural Ambassadors Project which was a great success last year.
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