5th Bollywood & Multicultural Dance Festival

Photo: ELINEPA’s musical representative Costas Kalaitzis addresses the opening of the festival.

The unique “Bollywood and Multicultural Dance Festival” became – once again – a great cultural event during the summer period in Athens. The Festival lasted from the 7th till the 9th of July 2017 and took place at the historical “Dora Stratou” Theatre, in the center of Athens, with a view of the green hill of Filopappou.

The Festival is under the aegis of the International Dance Council (CID – UNESCO) and it is organized by the Artistic Studio Oriental Expression and the Hellenic-Indian Society for Culture and Development.

Greece has always been at the crossroads between the East and the West, where diverse cultures came together and have been formed throughout the years. From India and the Middle East to North Africa and the Mediterranean Basin, great civilizations came in close contact exchanging various characteristics, mainly related to the culture and art. The Festival aims to highlight these particular features with the emphasis on the Art of Dance and Music, and to provide the opportunity for those interested to discover the magic and the beauty of this peaceful coexistence of nations – beyond geographical boundaries – in the modern world we live.

Dancers, musicians, singers and artists from Greece and abroad took part in this Festival. Among them – the founder of the 1st Bollywood Academy in Greece, teacher, choreographer and performer Anna Dimitratou; Indian teacher, dancer and choreographer Dr Tina Tambe; Prasanti Jena with roots in the traditional Indian (Odissi) and modern Bollywood dance; Anna Kuharenko, Sumon Rudra, Finnish dancer and teacher Daniel Paul, Kleoniki Karachaliou, Elizabeth Daukourou, Calypso, Maria Traka, Irene Georgiou and others.

Besides, 13 workshops were held, as well as presentations, shows, and lots of other activities. Specifically, the participants had the opportunity to attend the workshops of Classical Indian Dances (Bharata Natyam, Kathak), Bollywood dances (traditional and modern), dances from Rajasthan, North-west India (Khalbelia), Middle East Dances, Tribal Fusion, Greek Dances etc, given by teachers of the artistic world.

More information about the festival, contest, seminars and tickets can be found at www.bollywoodfestival.gr