Biennale Danza 2023 closes with 11,800 spectators

Saturday July 29^th is the closing day of the third edition of Biennale Danza directed by Wayne McGregor. On the stage of the Teatro Malibran, the Tao Dance Theater, winner of the Silver Lion, will again enchant the audience with two more “episodes” in their Numerical Series: 13 and 14.

Biennale Danza has counted 11,800 spectators (+ 26% compared to last year) over the span of two weeks of performances that brought to Venice over 150 artists from around the world for 24 events with 19 premieres, 7 of which were World premieres, 3 European and 9 Italian. The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Simone Forti, whose pioneering work brought richer and more far-reaching echoes to dance and contemporary art. Along with the Italian-American choreographer and artist (to whom Rai 5 television is dedicating a documentary), prestigious names such as Carlos Acosta, Pontus Lidberg, Rachid Ouramdane, Oona Doherty, Lucy Guerin, among others, and the young dancers and choreographers of Biennale College, the true “lifeblood” of the festival in the words of the director Wayne McGregor.

In addition to the major Italian media, this year the festival has been extensively covered by the foreign press including, among others, The New York Times, e-fluxus, Observer.com (United States); Le Monde, Le Figaro, l’Humanité, Les Echos (France); Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Tagesspiegel, Deutschlandradio (Germany); The Observer, The Times, Frieze  (Great Britain); Publico, Coreia (Portugal); Dagens Nyheter, Danstindningen (Sweden); Dance Australia and Xinhua Agency (Australia and China). 

Though the curtain is coming down on Biennale Danza 2023, work on the future edition has already begun. Starting Saturday July 29^th through Tuesday September 12^th, the third Italian call and the second International call for the creation of two new choreographic works are online on the website of La Biennale di Venezia (www.labiennale.org).

The Italian call

The international call

Biennale Danza continues its long-term programme that allocates resources to the choreographic creation of the new generations and after Diego Tortelli, Luna Cenere, Andrea Peña, winners of the preceding calls, it renews its invitation to national and international artists and dance companies under the age of 35 to present original and previously unseen choreographic works. With total freedom as to form – from solos to compositions for ensemble – the projects submitted on or before September 12^th, which respond to the requirements of the call, will be reviewed for selection by Wayne McGregor, the artistic Director of the Dance Department.

The two selected projects will premiere at the 18^th International Festival of Contemporary Dance and will be supported by La Biennale di Venezia with a production grant of up to a maximum of 30,000 euro, which may be used autonomously or in collaboration with other production partners to produce the choreographic project. In addition to the production grant, La Biennale di Venezia will cover all the costs for staging the debut of the work in Venice – from the artists’ fees to travel and lodging expenses and production specifications.

The results of the selection process will be announced on October 10^th. For detailed information on the calls, please visit www.labiennale.org or email to: bando-danza@labiennale.org.

We would like to thank the Ministry for the Cultural Heritage and Activities for its significant contribution and the Regione del Veneto for the support it provides for the programmes of the Dance Department of La Biennale di Venezia.

Since 2021, the luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta supports the activities of the Dance Department as the main sponsor.

Media partner for the Dance Departments is Rai. On its information channels and on Rai cultura – channel Rai 5 and Radio3 in particular – it was reported and will be presented to the public the highlights of the festival.