The 27th CCDF concludes with the Finnish production TEMPO

The 27th Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival, presented by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture in collaboration with Rialto Theatre, concludes on Sunday 21 June with TEMPO by Kalle Nio and Fernando Melo from Finland.

This year’s edition opened with strong momentum, offering audiences powerful and striking dance experiences by leading creators from the international and Cypriot contemporary dance scenes. The performances presented so far have filled Rialto Theatre with energy, emotion, and creative dialogue, reaffirming once again the Festival’s role as a key meeting point for contemporary choreographic voices from Cyprus and abroad.

The curtain falls on the 27th edition with TEMPO, an international co-production that explores the concept of time—its sensation, acceleration, deceleration, and suspension. Through a fusion of dance, theatre, and stage illusion, the performance invites audiences to reflect on how time is experienced and how it shapes our perception of everyday life.

TEMPO marks the first collaboration between director, visual artist, and magician Kalle Nio and choreographer Fernando Melo. Based on a text by Harry Salmenniemi, the work weaves together spoken and wordless scenes in which time slows down, reverses, or appears to come to a complete standstill. The music by Samuli Kosminen functions as an integral layer of the stage composition, enhancing the constant shift between the real and the imaginary.

Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo, with a distinguished international career in leading European dance and opera companies, creates choreography that defies gravity and linear perceptions of time. On stage, Slovenian dancer and puppeteer Barbara Kanc, Italian dancer Luigi Sardone, and Swedish dancer-acrobat Winston Reynolds move within a space between dance, theatre, and acrobatics, producing images that stretch the boundaries of the possible.

Kalle Nio is regarded as one of the most significant figures of the contemporary Finnish scene, known for his unique ability to combine visual theatre, film, contemporary circus, and magic. Through his work and the company WHS, he has presented productions in more than 200 theatres across over 40 countries worldwide.

After the performance, at 21:30, audiences are invited to the Rialto Theatre’s outdoor bar for the CCDF closing party, featuring music by DJ D-Prank. A festive evening marking the conclusion of the 27th edition, bringing together audiences, artists, and collaborators for one final summer gathering before we meet again next year.

Credits:

Concept: Nio, Melo & Salmenniemi

Direction: Kalle Nio

Choreography: Fernando Melo

Text: Harry Salmenniemi

Performers: Barbara Kanc, Winston Reynolds, Luigi Sardone, Iiro Näkki

Music & Sound design: Samuli Kosminen

Costume design: Georgina Spencer

Lighting design: Johannes Hallikas

Stage manager / Rigger: Hedda Liukkala

Head of lighting: June Horton-White

Tour technician: Emilie Largier

Tour booking & Management: Yellow Everything

Photography & Trailer: Kalle Nio

Production: WHS / Kalle Nio

Co-production: Helsinki Festival, Lutkovno Gledališče Ljubljana, Slovenia

Supported by: Alfred Kordelin Foundation, Saastamoinen Foundation

Website: https://www.yelloweverything.com/tempo / https://kallenio.com/tempo 

Duration: 60'

Age restriction: 8+

The Festival program continues with the following performances, all starting at 20:30:

• 10 June | Rialto TheaterSIRENS – Ermira Goro (Greece) 

• 13 June | Rialto Theater

• 15 Ιουνίου | Nicosia Municipal Theater

ODE – Elena Antoniou (Cyprus) 

• 18 June | Rialto TheaterTHE DOG DAYS ARE OVER 2.0 – Jan Martens (Belgium) 

• 21 June | Rialto TheaterTEMPO – Kalle Nio & Fernando Melo (Finland) 

Organised by: Deputy Ministry of Culture and Rialto Theatre

In collaboration with: Limassol Municipality

Media Sponsors: Ο Φιλελεύθερος, ΡΙΚ, Vestnik Kipra, Russian Radio, Lenta, Radio Monte Carlo

Technical Partner: Eventpro

Venue Partner: Nicosia Municipal Theatre

Hospitality Sponsor: Alinea Hotel

Supported by: Εφημερίδα Λεμεσός, Check In, CITY, Limassol Today, Cyprus Butterfly, Cyprus News, Limassol Tourism Board

Information:

Ticket Price: €10 per performance.

E-tickets: https://rialto.interticket.com/programseries/ccdf27-20 Box Office: 77 77 77 45 (Monday–Friday, 10:00–15:00)

*Free admission for pupils, students, soldiers, pensioners, people with disabilities, and dance professionals.