Urban dance takes centre stage at a festival with a French accent

The new edition of the Dansa Metropolitana festival. taking place from 1 to 17 March (there are some shows that run until 24 March), will once again be bringing movement arts to city residents with a series of free and theatre-based shows. This year, urban dance forms the backbone of a programme that shines a spotlight on French companies and artists and seeks to share knowledge of movement arts through the Artèries programme.

Taking part in the initiative are the municipalities of Badalona, Barcelona, Cornellà, El Prat, Esplugues, Granollers, L’Hospitalet, Sant Cugat, Sabadell, Santa Coloma, Terrassa and Viladecans. In the theatres and also public spaces of these towns and cities, you’ll have the chance to enjoy almost two weeks of performances from major local and international companies.

It all begins in Sabadell on Friday 1 March in Parc Catalunya (Skatepark and Plaça Argub), with an urban dance battle courtesy of the Soul Headquarters school and a performance from French company Accrorap, directed by urban dance master Kader Attou, who will be presenting Prélude, a choreography set to the music of Romain Dubois.

And this gives way to a whole host of free shows, including the French company Dyptik’s travelling show D-Construction, , which will be popping up in various municipalities over the course of the festival.

Sessions featuring a single show or double and even triple bills, free of charge, will bring us an array of shows ranging from Diego Garrido’s solo Nunca bailaré solo to Iron Skulls Co’s La perla, Núria Guiu’s Cyberxorcisme, choreographies such as Colectivo Glovo’s Alleo; references to boxing in the form of Àngel Duran’s Clinch; the stimulating shows from LaSala (Alive) and the passionate piece by Led Silhouette and Marcos Morau entitled Los perros.

Adrián Vega (Gargots), La Corcoles (H), the Eelelei company, presenting the co-production Too Much (also showing at the Soy madera festival), Marina Pravkina’s groove and Esbart Rocasagna and Quim Bigas’s the blend of tradition and modernity (Era) are just some of the shows on Dansa Metropolitana 2024’s free, open programme.

International creations such as those from Marco da Silva Ferreira, Fantasie minor (2022 creation), the double bill from Leïla Ka and Maciej Kuźmiński and, straddling Hong Kong and Barcelona, Panda Waack and their Beautiful Chaos, are part of the wide-ranging “Artèries” programme. Here you’ll have the chance to see a series of choreographies (free of charge) by professional creators showcasing their talent and, at the same time, working with students from local dance schools to perform urban dance pieces resulting from the collaboration between learners and professionals.

The festival also has a theatre-based programme (admission fee payable) which will feature shows from well-known names from the international dance scene and the best of the local scene.

Choreographers such as Joaquín Collado (Hacia un sol negro, in Barcelona), Patricia Donn and the flamenco of Ángeles y Demonios, double bills such as the one featuring Amalia Fernández (Solala) and Laila Tafur (Maja y Bastarda EP), shows for children such as those by Animal religion (Copiar; in Barcelona) and French artist Maud le Pladec (Silent Legacy, with Jr Maddripp), among others, make up a programme with moments approaching theatre (Los gestos, by Pablo Messiez) and with can’t-miss shows such as the one by Portuguese artist Piny (. G RITO). Ascent and Impermanence, two choreographies by the Sydney Dance Company (directed by the Catalan choreographer Rafael Bonachela) showing at the Mercat de les Flors, and French company Käfig’s hip-hop piece in which dancers are challenged by the forces of nature (Zéphyr), are some of the other shows on the programme of a festival with performances from Club Guy and Roni (Islands of Empathy, in Santa Coloma; Maria Pagès (Paraíso de los negros, at the TNC) and the stunning Tragédie, new edit by the Olivier Dubois Company, which is a reinterpretation of a piece created some years ago.

There are many more shows and events, including several activities that enable spectators to access the world of dance and movement barrier-free, and even enjoy it at the cinema, with both the Filmin platform and some of the theatres that are members of the Gremi de Cinemes de Catalunya screening filmed performances of some of the gems of this genre.

If you want to get your fill of movement arts, come along to Dansa Metropolitana 2024, but check out the full programme on the website first and pick the shows you really don’t want to miss.