Press releases

The special award was established in the run-up to the IMFC anniversary edition. Sergei Bezrukov came to Vitebsk to present Anna Matison’s movie After You’re Gone, in which he played a choreographer.

Diana Yurchenko’s studio theater of modern choreography regularly takes part in the festival. This year’s IMFC edition drew together 20 Belarusian teams from Vitebsk, Gomel, Grodno, Minsk, and Mogilev. They were introduced at the opening concert (the Belarusian national modern choreography contest is held every other year, taking turns with the international event).

Vladimir Terentyev, Chairman of the Vitebsk Oblast Council of Deputies, pointed to the IMFC’s importance for Belarus’ cultural life in his opening speech. “This event hosts famous choreographers and big-name teams. The festival has been keeping a high profile for many years. It has numerous fans,” Vladimir Terentyev underlined.

Two generations of choreographers and artists have been born since the first IFMC edition 30 years ago, said choreographer Radu Poklitaru, Honored Artist of Ukraine, People’s Artist of Moldova, the chairman of the IFMC international jury. “They were brought up here, on this stage. Artists and choreographers competed with each other, made progress, and mastered the art thanks to the festival,” he noted.

The choreographer added that he envies the artists taking part in the contest. “These guys are at the very beginning of their path. The participation in the Vitebsk festival has already put a sort of a trademark on their works. Now they can safely walk the way of contemporary dance. I want to say on behalf of the jury: we want to be captured. We want you to capture us with your talent,” Radu Poklitaru emphasized.

The evening part of the opening concert featured Sergei Smirnov’s Eccentric Ballet, a four-time winner of Russia’s national theater award The Golden Mask, with a dance show Songs of the Last Grass.