MASDANZA is an international contemporary dance festival, an important event which is celebrated every year in Maspalomas and in Las Palmas at the end of October and the beginning of November.
This festival was created in 1996 by its current director, Natalia Medina.
The initiative was very welcomed among all the cultural institutions on the island, as there was not anything like this before on any of the 7 canary islands.
‘Concejalía de Cultura del Ayuntamiento de San Bartolomé de Tirajana’ which is the cultural department for the town hall in San Bartolomé de Tirajana gave this project special support. MASDANZA has acquired a good level of importance thought out its years which is what a festival with these characteristics deserves.
The first year the festival was celebrated it was a regional event, by the sixth edition it was known internationally and a large number of international dance experts were participating. In the beginning the spectators that went to the dance shows were only professional people who shared a love for dance.
However, over the years this festival has started to attract all different kinds of visitors, who have been able to experience the expression of art through dance, which was originally only offered to a small minority.
Masdanza 2014
In the year 2014 the festival took place on the 22nd of October until the 8th of November with a large selection of activities:
- Break-Dance Competition
- Dance Marathon
- Invited Dance Clubs
- Masdanza Showcase
- Exhibitions
- Open Dance Spaces
- Conferences, Dance Workshops and Dance Courses
There is also an official contest with two categories:
- Solo Category
- Choreography Category
The event was so popular that in the last edition it had received more than 200 applications from 35 different countries who wished to take part. The organisation have only chosen twelve, in order to decide who would be selected, creativity, innovation and quality were leading factors.
In the solo category we had the pleasure of seeing: Esquisse from Japan, A Creux Des Poings y Pmg from France, Strascichi from Italy, Grandmother from Holland and Entre Sombras which is a choreography from the Spaniard Fabián Thomé.
In the Choreography category, the six chosen pieces of choreography are: Au Plus Près Du Monde from France, Ossidiana from Italy, Senza Saper Ne Leggere Ni Scrivere also from Italy, Between us from Israel, Fake Disinterest from South Korea and Caballitos de Anís from Spain.
The international festival of dance in the canaries, was in Maspalomas between the dates of 22nd to the 25th of October, then afterwards it moved to the capital of the island, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and then to Lanzarote and finally Tenerife.
The two official contests were performed at the Centro Cultural de Maspalomas on the 23rd and 24th of October, the following day on the 25th there was an award ceremony for the winners of each category.
Masdanza is without a doubt an event of international stature on the island, Gran Canaria is converted for a few days, and the world leaders in dance set example for our Canarian community.
Masdanza 2015 will be celebrated between 17th of October and the 14th of November
Quick Overview
- Name of Event: Masdanza
- Location: Maspalomas
- Date: October/November
- Hour: Day and Night
- Event Type: Dance Contest
- Duration: 2 Weeks
- Official Page: MASDANZA MASPALOMAS
- Facebook Page: MASDANZA en Facebook
- Programa 2015 de Masdanza
Author: Juan Perdomo
Translation: Amanda Belmonte
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My name is Amanda Belmonte and I am a web/graphic designer and photographer. I have lived in the Canary Islands for almost 15 years. Although I have lived in Lanzarote for most of that time, Gran Canaria has always been my dream Island to live on, yet it has taken me 13 years to get here.
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