10th Dance Platform

The Dance Platform succeeds in revealing the richness of creativity, imagination and determination of the choreographers, as well as the hard work and skills of the dancers all of which enable Cyprus Dance to succeed and prosper. It opens, at the same time, a window of opportunity for both creators and dancers to overcome linguistic and geographical boundaries and thus to become ambassadors in the International Cultural scene.

The Dance Platform contributes tremendously to the progress of Dance in our country, by exposing works by our artists and various dance groups in the domain of contemporary dance, which, although a relatively new art form, has gained many fans over the nine years of the Platform's existence.

The 10th Dance Platform is dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the republic of Cyprus.

Organizers: The Ministry of Education and Culture and Rialto Theatre

Dance Platform

The Ministry of Education and Culture had the initiative to introduce and establish "Dance Platform - Dance Encounters" as an institution since 2001.

The Platform contributes tremendously to the advancement of Dance in our country by exposing works by our artist and different dance groups in the domaine of contemporary dance. It reveals the richness of creativity, imagination and determination of the choreographers as well as the hard work and skills of the dancers all of which enable Cyprus Dance to succeed and prosper. It opens, at the same time, a window of opportunity for both creators and dancers to overcome linguistic and geographical boundaries and thus to become ambassadors in the International Cultural scene.

"Dance Encounters" are hosted and co-organised by the Rialto Theatre.

The first event was organised in March 2001 under the name "Dance Encounters", and saw the participation of the following groups: Amphidromo Chorotheatro, Chorotheatro Omada Pente, Chorotheatro Arianna Economou and Chorokinisi Choreftiki Omada.

1st Prize: Chorotheatro Arianna Economou for Deep-Rise... from Dusk till Dawn
2nd Prize: Chorotheatro Omada Pente for Daily Small Deaths

It was renamed "Platform of Creative Dance" in March 2002 and the following groups participated in the second event: Synthesis Dance Group, Chorotheatro Omada Pente, Amphidromo Chorotheatro and Chorotheatro Arianna Economou.

1st Prize: Chorotheatro Arianna Economou for In Dark Times
2nd Prize: Chorothearo Omada Pente for Fouro tou Erota

The third event under the name "Platform-Dance Encounters" took place in March 2003 with the participation of the following five groups: Echo Arts, Synthesis Dance Group, Pelma Group and Chorotheatro Omada Pente.

1st Prize: Omada Pelma for Evergreen
2nd Prize: Amphidromo Chorotheatro for Lifetime

The fourth "Platform" took place in March 2004 with the participation of the following groups: Echo Arts, Synthesis Dance Group, Chorotheatro Omada Pente, Cultural Group Morfi, Amfidromo Chorotehatro, Soma, Solipsism, En Drasi and InterAct.

1st Prize: Solipsism for Politeness to Save Face
1st Prize: En Drasi for Squaring the Circle
2nd Prize: InterAct for Babble on

At the fifth Platform the following thirteen groups took part: Carolina Constantinou (Parakentro), Streetbeats, Echo Arts, Soma, Selas Dance Company, Synthesis
Dance Company, Pelma, Omada En drasi, Christodoulos Panayiotou (Polina Thrasyvoulidou Contemporary Dance Company), Dance Theatre InterAct, Amfidromo Chorotehatro, Alex Michael (Epilogi), Alexandra Waierstall & Co.
1st Prize: Dance Theatre InterAct for An Angel on my Table
2nd Prize: Alexandra Waierstall & Co. for Shifts in Trace
Special recommendation: Pelma for Eye to I
Special recommendation: Synthesis Dance Company for Empty Room

The sixth "Dance Platform" took place in March 2006 with the participation of fourtneen grups. Kyma, Streebeats, Echo Artds, Omada Soma, Pelma, Omada Horou Synthesis, En Drasi, Chorotheatro Omada 5, Amphidrono Chorotheatro, Jenunesses Musicales (Alexandros Michael), Noema Dance Works, InterAct, Solipsim, Selas Dance Company. As from this year, the Platform stopped being a competition.

In 2007, the 7th Dance Platform included eight participations with the groups "En Drasi", "Chorotheatro Omada Pente", InterAct, Noema Dance Works, Jeneusses Musicales, Pelma,Soma, Echo Arts.

As of this year, an effort to enrich the Platform was initiated with the organisation of parallel events such as photo exhibitions and projections of dance performances. Dance Platform was also supported by the Municipality of Limassol.

In 2008, the following groups participated at the Dance Platform:
Interact, Jeunesses Musicales (Alexander Michael), Aelion Dance Co. En Drasi, Echo Arts, Amfidromo Chorotheatro, Epilogi (Elena Antoniou), Chrotheatro Omada Pende, Noema Dance Works, Soma, Enhoro

The effort to help this event grow and further develop continued at 2008. For the first time, the event "Dance Throughout the Year" presented alongside the Dance Platform, at Dance House Lemesos whish participate actively since last year to the platform organisation. Another parallel event was the exhibition of photographs, drawings and video Light Line
by Christos Avraamides and Horst Weierstall at ARTSTUDIO 55.

In 2009, the following groups participated at the Dance Platform:
Jeunesses Musicales, Chrotheatro Omada Pende, Aelion Dance Co., Soma, Solipsism, Noema Dance Works, One/Off, Echo Arts, Interact, Amfidromo Chorotheatro, pelma.lia haraki, Sinthesis

The parallel events continued and this year in cooperation with the Dance House Lemesos and incluted:
Talking Dance, a theoretical framework to the Cyprus Dance platform.
Within this framework, took place two lectures by Europe's leading dramaturge Guy Cools (Belgium) and artist Kitt Johnson (Denmark) and a round table discussion.