Each year, Dansa Metropolitana brings together cities, artists, and the public through a shared project. This year, that collective heartbeat is called Àgores, a programme that will transform squares and streets into lively, open, and interactive meeting points. Dance leaves theatres behind and steps into the spaces where everyday life unfolds, inviting everyone to watch, pause, and, above all, take part in the movement.
Àgores is inspired by the original idea of the agora as a place for gathering and exchange. Through performances by professional companies, schools, and local collectives, the project maps out a shared metropolitan network in which each city brings its own personality and community. The result is an enriching, diverse experience that brings creators and audiences together, celebrating dance as an accessible and welcoming form of expression.
In Barcelona, various urban spaces will become unexpected stages, where movement will emerge in surprising ways amid the city’s everyday rhythm:
On 8 March at 12 noon, at Plaça Universitat, audiences can enjoy Soronates, by Mar Garcia and Javi Soler, with La Cora de La Caldera; followed by Double Folk, performed by students from the Barcelona Institute of the Arts.
Also in Barcelona, at the Editorial Gustavo Gili building, on 14 March at 12 noon and 5 pm, the programme will begin with INSECTA, by Pauline Berndsen Danse, followed by Argentine choreographer and performer Josefina Gorostiza’s Fervor, a project developed with students from three Barcelona dance schools.
The festival will come to a close on 22 March at 12 noon, in Parc de la Ciutadella, with a collective Àgores celebration. The event will feature lives music by the Balkan Paradise Orchestra, alongside the FREEBODIES dance company, with Laura Alcalà Freudenthal acting as master of ceremonies.
Also in Santa Coloma de Gramenet, at Plaça de la Vila, the project will bring this public space to life with activities that turn it into a vibrant hub of artistic engagement. on 15 March at 12 noon, in an event featuring six local schools, a performance of BAUNSBAK by the Elvi Balboa company, and an open class led by dancer and choreographer Maribel Moriano.
Further south, Cornellà, el Prat and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat will host new “àgores” where creators and local residents share the spotlight, demonstrating that dance can also be a way to build community.
On 15 March at 12 noon at Plaça dels Enamorats in Cornellà, the day’s events will begin with a workshop led by Canadian choreographer Pauline Gervais. Later, at Plaça de l’Església, audiences can enjoy 8 Km en Mula, by Álvaro Murillo, featuring students from three local schools who have worked with choreographer Carmen Muñoz. To round off the day, the Sacude company will perform Tierras raras.
Five days later, on 20 March at 5.30 pm, at Jardins de la Pau in El Prat de Llobregat, three local schoolswill present the work they created in collaboration with Banda Esfèrica. This company will also perform their show Granotes al cel, aigua a la terra! Rituals i danses de la pluja.
In L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Àgores is part of the Territori Dansa programme. On 21 March at 11 am, three local dance schools will take part.
The project will arrive with the same energy in the Vallès region, specifically Terrassa, Sabadell, Granollers and Sant Cugat del Vallès, where everyday thoroughfares will be transformed into spaces to linger, observe, and celebrate shared movement.
The programme will kick off on 7 March at 6 pm in Granollers, at the iconic Plaça de l’Església, with the performance ALETA, by the Marc Fernández company. Five local schools will also take part, and the event will conclude with a festive finale featuring an open class and a community dance led by Judith Sànchez and Melissa Valero.
At Plaça de Victòria dels Àngels in Sant Cugat on Saturday 14 March at 12 noon, three local dance schools will present the results of their work with choreographer Berta Martí, who will also lead an open workshop for the public, culminating in a collective dance.
Meanwhile, in Terrassa, at Plaça Vella, on 15 March at 11 am, audiences can enjoy a walkabout musical route led by the band Noel & The Jazzy Fortunes. The day will continue with an open lindy-hop class with Jaume Barderi, Mariona Carreras, and Uxue Martínez, and will close with a performance in the same style by Gerard Nebot, followed by another musical dance with The Jazzy Fortunes.
Finally, in Sabadell, on 21 March at 11 am, at Plaça de l’Argub, ten local schools and associations will present their own short pieces. The morning will also include the performance Ollos cara adentro, by the iXacompany, and the event will conclude with a workshop open to the public led by Swingcopats.
With this project, Dansa Metropolitana is strengthening its engagement with the region and providing more opportunities to experience culture first-hand.
More information and the full programme are available on the website.