Get Ready for the Dance Extravaganza: Pedra Dura Festival Kicks Off This Thursday!

Pedra Dura Festival Begins This Thursday

The third edition of the Pedra Dura - Dance Festival of the Algarve kicks off this Thursday, promising an exciting array of events and performances. 37 national and international proposals will arrive in Lagos, featuring shows, concerts, exhibitions, films, masterclasses, and DJ nights, extending the essence of dance from the stage to the dance floors.

Festival Highlights

The festival's program starts in schools with the performance "Coreografia em sala de aula" by João dos Santos Martins. Following that, the festival will revolve around the Centro Cultural de Lagos, showcasing the performance "L’après-midi d’un foehn - Version 1" by La Compagnie Non Nova – Phia Ménard. The same day will also feature the film "Darktraces: on ghosts and spectral dances" by Jo Castro & João Catarino and the installation "Cisnografia: a reescrita do cisne" by Luiz Antunes, along with an exhibition from the CenDDA - Centro de Documentação de Dança do Algarve.

Over the next two weeks, the festival will host a variety of performances. Highlights include Vera Mantero's "chãocéu" with Henrique Furtado Vieira and João Bento, the national premiere of the concert "Greta Oto" by Les Papillons d'éternité (Matthieu Ehrlacher & Tânia Carvalho), and Brazilian choreographer Volmir Cordeiro presenting "Rua" with Washington Timbó and "Outrar".

Artistic Residencies

A new feature this year is the focus on artistic residencies, aimed at fostering lasting connections between artists and the community. From Brazil, Andrei Bessa and Izabel Nejur will share their creative processes within the Queer Art Lab, promoting artistic diversity and innovative collaborative proposals reflecting the LGBTQIA+ community's plurality. From Italy, Matteo Sedda will develop the hypnotic experience "Fuck me blind" and interpret "neverstopscrollingbaby" by Vitamina. Additionally, Beatriz Marques Dias and Alexandre Moniz will spend 15 days at the Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos to explore "Universo no céu da boca".

More Exciting Performances

Other notable performances include Márcia Lança presenting her solo "Cavala", and Palcos Instáveis Segunda Casa featuring performances by Maria R. Soares & Antonio Marotta and Margarida Constantino. Fábio (Krayze) Januário will revisit Angola's civil war history through the lens of kuduro in "Musseque".

Returning to Pedra Dura are Ana Borralho & João Galante, who will present "O centro do mundo", and Silvana Ivaldi, showcasing "Icona" based on Dante's Divina Comédia. The first week will close with a DJ set by Von-Cente, bringing sophisticated sounds.

Visual and Musical Experiences

For film enthusiasts, the festival will screen "Obcecada com a Luz", a documentary about dancer Loïe Fuller, and "Crying Cycle 1", the premiere of the first chapter of a video-dance trilogy by Daniel Matos & João Catarino. Children will enjoy the video-dance showcase "Little Shadow".

In the music realm, Violeta Azevedo will perform with an electronic orchestra in "Canção para Caranguejes", while Lana Gasparotti will lead a sound installation and live act titled "L Í Q U I D A" at the Taberna do Guerreiro. The festival will conclude with a performance by the urban legend DJ Marfox at the Armazém Regimental de Lagos.

Explore More

For detailed information about the program, which includes a jam session by Rina Marques, a F.E.R.A. - Feira de edições by Apneia Colectiva, the launch of the newspaper "Coreia 11# x Sâlmon", masterclasses by various artists, proposals from the Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos, and podcasts featuring conversations with artists led by Tiago Mansilha, visit the festival's website: www.festivalpedradura.com.

Pedra Dura is directed artistically by Daniel Matos and Joana Flor Duarte, co-produced by Cama – Associação Cultural and the Municipality of Lagos, with support from the Portuguese Republic / General Directorate of Arts.