2018 Edition

Numerous performances given in Krakow’s famous historical locations and featuring renowned dancing masters, as well as the Public Ball which will turn the Main Square into world’s largest ballroom – these are the main attractions of the 19^th ‘Cracovia Danza’ Court Dance Festival. This year’s edition (scheduled for 22–29 July) will be taking place in the jubilee 100^th year of Poland’s restored independence and therefore, it has been titled War and Peace.

The Festival’s artistic programme will include dance styles and choreographies refering to war and the military. It will feature dance presentations of battles, tournaments, marches, parades, duels, as well as choreographic illustrations of fighting with various types of weaponry, in various epochs and styles. For the first time in the Festival’s history, our Audience will see a unique anthology of war dances of diverse cultures and historical periods, presented in astonishing, elaborate costumes.

The unquestionable star of this year’s edition is Rakesh Sai Babu, master of the Indian martial dance Chhau, who will be visiting Poland for the first time. We are also proud to announce another new addition to our illustrious group of artists – Pierre-Francois Dollé, founder of the famous Fantaisies Baroques ensemble. Furthermore, world-renowned dancers, including Alaknanda Bose (India), Barbara Segal (United Kingdom), Marie-Claire Bär Le Corre (France) and Ana Yepes (Spain) will be returning to our stages.

The Festival’s climactic events will take place during the finale weekend (28 and 29 July), as our artists appear in two spectacular shows on the Main Square. On Saturday, the Cracovia Danza Ballet will perform Chess – a show inspired by the narrative poem by Jan Kochanowski, presenting a game of chess as a battle between two armies. The dancers, clad in in extraordinary costumes, will transform into the chess pieces and re-enact this exciting conflict, masterfully described by the famous poet. We will see authentic 16^th-century choreographies in Italian and French styles, as well as elaborate court attire from the Renaissance. Next evening, on Sunday, Mars des Nations will introduce the Audience to the mythological god of war, who is present in many cultures, though his names and fighting techniques might differ from country to country. We will witness wars lead by ever elegant France of Louis XIV, glorious Spain in her Golden Age, wondrous India of the ‘Mahabharata’ and finally the encounter of the Polish and Turkish armies during the Relief of Vienna in 1683. Four of the Festival’s guest dancing masters, coming from corresponding backgrounds, joined their forces to create the choreography.

During the finale, Krakow’s Old Town district will be populated with parading knights, jugglers and courtiers in costumes from various time periods. Meanwhile, the Main Square, the Barbican and the courtyards of Collegium Maius and Bishop Erazm Ciołek Palace will come alive with dance presentations created specifically for these historical locations. Some of the most eye-catching shows will be Breve Regnum and Harmonia Mundi, interpreting the history of the Jagiellonian University, as well as Bassa Danza with Madonnas which refers to the exhibits from the permanent galleries in the Bishop Erazm Ciołek Palace (a branch of the National Museum in Krakow). Another main attraction in the Festival programme is the Public Ball in the Main Square, scheduled for Saturday, after the evening show.

Prior to the finale weekend, starting from 22 July, the schedule includes a wide variety of workshops and evening presentations of international dance ensembles – every day at 7 p.m. in the Erazm Ciołek Palace courtyard. Workshop participants will also display their newly acquired skills during the finale weekend, on the Main Square stage.

Free admittance to all Festival events (except for the workshops).