The leading contemporary-dance encounter in Greece, Kalamata Interna- tional Dance Festival is taking place for the 24th consecutive year from 13 to 22 July 2018, under a new artistic director, Linda Kapetanea. Twenty international artists – ten of whom perform for the rst time in Greece – major Greek performers, dance masters, a world premiere, mul- tidisciplinary dance performances – from contemporary circus to street dance – and an intensive workshops programme comprise the identity of this year’s Festival, which turns the focus to Kalamata for ten days between 13–22 July.

Artists from France, the U.S.A., Spain, Belgium, Mo- zambique, Switzerland, Slovakia, Italy, Israel, Sweden, and Ireland are per- forming in Kalamata this summer, including Olivier De Sagazan, who is performing for the rst time in Greece, Josef Nadj, who in addition to his performance also has a photo exhibition, the pioneer Wim Vandekeybus with Ultima Vez, Svalbard Company, Marquese Scott and Poppin John, also in their rst appearance in Greece, and Compañia Sharon Fridman – the grand Festival opener.

This year, Mayor of Kalamata Panagiotis E. Nikas, Faris Public-Bene t Company’s International Dance Centre, which organises the Festival, and Artistic Director Linda Kapetanea are proposing a rich and varied pro- gram comprising 28 events featuring 11 international dance companies – 7 of which perform for the rst time in Greece – 3 Greek contemporary dance companies, 8 outdoor dance performances, 4 workshops, a mas- terclass, a photo exhibition, and a music concert.

Linda Kapetanea’s main objective in designing this year’s programme was to create a Festival that is open to the international community, to all age groups, to the arts, and to collaboration with other organisations – a Festival dedicated to education and research, supportive αof and gener- ous to artists, a festival that is morally and philosophically inspiring for the public.

Recognising dance as a basic human need, Linda Kapetanea designed this year’s programme as a celebration of the human body and its untapped, unlimited potential. This year’s edition is dedicated to multifaceted artists and masters, and to great performers who explore and expand the limits of human possibilities. We hope to prompt KDF’s visitors to re ect on their true potential, inspired by the examples set by dancers, acrobats, visual artists, musicians, and poets, who constantly defy the limitations of the human body and movement – and existence.

The Artistic Director’s seeks to establish a dialogue between dance and all the arts, promoting re ection and engagement with the human body and movement at all levels – the practical, philosophical, artistic, and ed- ucational. Re ecting this concept, the programme embraces everything from sculpture and contemporary circus to painting and street dance, in multidisciplinary projects.

Moreover, working to involve the local community, this year’s festival ex- tends all year round, with activities and infrastructure to provide resi- dencies, artist exchanges, workshops, lectures, screenings, concerts, so that the ten summer festival days may be the culmination of an intensive winter-long process. Finally, the new visual identity of the 24th Kalamata International Dance Festival (24KDF), signed by graphic designer Mike Rafail, re ects the pro- gramme concept and conveys the value of dance as a form of language. The logo letters – the Festival’s acronym – are empowered just like the human body: They can move and change colour and form all while their meaning remains clearly in focus.

The 24th International Kalamata Dance Festival features: - 14 productions at the Dance Megaron (7 at the Main Stage and 7 at the Studio) - 8 outdoor dance performances at Kalamata’s Main Square a t 19:00 daily (free admission) - Inhancutilitatem – a photography exhibition by Josef Nadj at the Dance Megaron lobby (free admission) - A workshops programme featuring 2 professional dance workshops, a masterclass, a workshop for children, and a workshop for people with disabilities

Out of the 14 performances in the main program, staged at the Dance Megaron, 11 are by international dance companies – 7 of which in rst appearance in Greece – and 3 by Greek companies: Konstantina Efthi- miadou’s In Case of Loss ( a co-production with the Kalamata Festival – world premiere), Anonymo by Jenny Argyriou (a co-production with Onassis Cultural Centre), and The Art of Dying by Christina Gouzeli and Paul Blackman (a co-production with Athens & Epidaurus Festival).