No matter if you are going alone, with your partner or a group of friends, the international festival for contemporary dance and performance “SPRINGDANCE 2011” in Utrecht has something to offer. 

Range of possible outlooks
"This 27th edition of SPRINGDANCE tracks the idea of physical mobility over a number of possible outlooks, at a variety of different speeds and on a range of different scales," says Bettina Masuch, Artistic Director SPRINGDANCE 2011. The different speed and scales are very well incorporated in the festival and visitors have the chance not only to enjoy performances, but also to find a date.

During the festival, from the opening show and party on April 14 till the closing party on April 23, contemporary dance and performance will be presented through more than 40 activities; several indoor and outdoor performances, workshops and lectures, giving a chance to meet established performers, young talents, Dutch dance makers and internationals.

Range of performances
The festival will start with the première show "Sideways Rain" by choreographer Guilherme Botelho (Brazil / Switzerland).

“A mesmerising group piece for 15 top dancers who will be crawling across the stage, walking, running, falling, stopping and starting again like dynamos. Drawn by an invisible force that keeps tugging at them to go further, towards a place that always seems to slip away from them,” according to the organisers.

The opening show presents what the festival is all about - it is not about the dance in its most classical meaning, but about "a number of possible outlooks" that allow visitors to experience dance from a different perspective.

Just like "Sideways Rain,” other festival performances have their Dutch premiere during the festival too: Olga de Soto's lecture-performance "Une Introduction" about (part of) dance history, Julie Nioches' dream performance "Nos Solitudes," Japanese "Contact Gonzo" boundaries between reality and fiction (also on the streets) and American dance dramaturge Susan L. Foster's lectures about the theory of the hired body among many.

 Photo by Jean-Yves Genoud

Range of choices
Moreover, for those who wish to go to the festival, but do not want to do it alone, there is an opportunity to join the online community SPRINGDANCE STAGE and arrange a theatre date with another fellow dance lover.

Special ticket deals are available both for those who plan to see just one performance and those who want to visit the festival every evening. One performance tickets costs 10-20 euros (depending on where it takes place), but package deals for two performances in one night are available from 20-30 euros.

Details
› Dates: April 14-24
› Venues: Utrecht - Stadsschouwburg, Theater Kikker, Huis a/d Werf, Akademietheater, Central Museum and on the Neude square
› Full programme can be found here.
› For tickets go here.

Photo by Caroline Ablain