Baltic Dance Platform

✨ IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT ✨ We are happy to announces the contemporary dance artists and performances selected to participate in the Baltic Dance Platform, which will take place on April 22–25 next year in Vilnius. 🇱🇹 A total of 76 dance projects from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia took part in the open call. The programme will feature 23 projects selected by an international jury. The following artists will represent Lithuania: 🟢 Agnietė Lisičkinaitė and Igor Shugaleev / BE COMPANY with the performance “Clap & Slap”; 🟢 Vilma Pitrinaitė / WE Compagnie – “When You’re Alone in Your Forest Always Remember You’re Not Alone”; 🟢 Lukas Karvelis / BE COMPANY – “She dreamt of being washed away to the coast”. The selected Latvian artists are: 🟣 Vladimirs Goršantovs / SIXTH with the performance “Voluntary Servitude”; 🟣 Rūta Ronja Pakalne and Laura Gorodko – “Freedom to Lose Control Together With the Many”; 🟣 The dance organisation Tuvumi / artist duo IevaKrish with the work “Oblicus”. Estonia will be represented at the event by: 🔵 Netti Nüganen with Pire Sova and KISLING – “Ash, Horizon, Riding a House”; 🔵 Nele Tiidelepp with the performance “10 Ways to Dance”. The programme will also feature twelve pitch presentations by artists from the Baltic countries. Next year, for the first time, the programme will also include open studios presentations. Read more about the selected participants above ⤴️ —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance Dance, @dejas_zurnals_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava

Next year, the Baltic Dance Platform programme will feature 12 pitch presentations by artists from the Baltic countries. 🙌 ⏰ Each project will be presented in 15 minutes, after which attending dance experts and professionals will have the opportunity to ask questions. The artists selected for the pitch presentations include: 🇱🇹 LITHUANIAN dance theatre Dansema, Greta Grinevičiūtė / MMLAB Theatre, Dovydas Strimaitis and Afra Al Dhaheri / STILL WAITING / BE COMPANY, and Šeiko Dance Company; 🇱🇻 LATVIAN artists Rūta Pūce, the collective LDM5, Andrejs Jarovojs / SIXTH / Theatre on Gertrude Street, and Ģirts Dubults; 🇪🇪 ESTONIAN artists Rūta Ronja Pakalne and Laura Kvelstein, Sveta Grigorjeva, the collective United Dancers of Zuga, and the artist duo Maria Solei Järvet and Juulius Vaiksoo. 🎉 Congratulations to the selected artists!👏 --- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance Dance, @dejas_zurnals_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava .

Next year, for the first time, the Baltic Dance Platform programme will include OPEN STUDIOS presentations. 3 dance projects selected for it by an international jury 🤗 The ARTISTS selected for the open studios presentations are: 💚 Lithuanian Liza Baliasnaja / Be Company with her newest work “Shield is a Weapon”; 🩷 Latvian Marija Saveiko with “Neither Of”; 🩵 Estonian artist team KOOSSEIS presenting their creative process “x=5”. In these up-to-one-hour presentations, held in a studio space, artists will have the opportunity to showcase a completed dance performance or present the ongoing creative process of a work to both international and Lithuanian audiences. Discussions with the attending guests will follow each presentation. Really looking forward to this! 👀 — The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @dejas_zurnals_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava .

Pitch presentations Part II ✨ 🟢 Dansema Dance Theatre (Online) (LT) 🔵 Rūta Ronja Pakalne, Laura Kvelstein (EE) 🟢 Dovydas Strimaitis and Afra Al Dhaheri / STILL WAITING / BE COMPANY (LT) 🟣Andrejs Jarovojs / SIXTH / Theatre on Gertrude Street (LV) 🔵 Maria Solei Järvet & Juulius Vaiksoo (EE) 🟣 Girts Dubults (LV) Photos by @ievajura —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @ldic_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava . Partners: Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Lithuania), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit Supported by: @vilniaus_savivaldybe , @kulturas_ministrija , Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, @estonian_culture_abroad

Baltic Dance Platform invited artists and guests to two artist talks featuring the artists of the performances, moderated by dance professionals. 🔵 Artist Talk on April 24 was moderated by Anastasio Koukoutas & Liza Baliasnaja. Participants: Laura Gorodko (LV), Rūta Ronja Pakalne (LV), Lukas Karvelis (LT), Vilma Pitrinaitė (LT), Vladimirs Goršantovs (LV). 🔵 Artist Talk on April 25 was moderated by by Emily May & Rūta Pūce. Participants: Agnietė Lisičkinaitė (LT), Igor Shugaleev (BY), Krišjānis Sants (LV), Rūta Puce (LV), Nele Tiidelepp (EE). Thank you to everyone who joined the talks! 📸 @ievajura --- Baltic Dance Network aims to create a safe space for Baltic contemporary dance artists to connect and analyse their shared past, explore Baltic dance identity, as well as understand each Baltic country's context and uniqueness. The project has received the support from the @nordiskkulturkontakt Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture (Long-term Network). The Network consists of six approved partners: @lithuanian_dance (the leader of the project), Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Contemporary Dance Association, Lithuania), @ldic_dance.lv (Estonia), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit #nordiskkulturkontakt

Netti Nüganen with Pire Sova & KISLING (EE) —ASH, HORIZON, RIDING A HOUSE at Baltic Dance Platform 🩵 🎥 @ievajura —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @ldic_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava . Partners: Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Lithuania), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit Supported by: @vilniaus_savivaldybe , @kulturas_ministrija , Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, @estonian_culture_abroad

💜 Latvian artist duo @ieva.krish / Tuvumi presented their work OBLICUS. “Oblicus” is a contemporary love story — a metaphysical duet intertwining intimacy, vulnerability, and creative aspiration. It portrays two individuals negotiating the tensions between closeness and distance, exploring the desire to become one while still holding on to their own identities. 📸 @ievajura Tuvumi & IevaKrish has received mobility funding from the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Culture to present "Oblicus" in Baltic Dance Platform. —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @ldic_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava . Partners: Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Lithuania), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit Supported by: @vilniaus_savivaldybe , @kulturas_ministrija , Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, @estonian_culture_abroad

🟢 Open studio presentation SHIELD IS A WEAPON by Liza Baliasnaja / BE COMPANY (LT). In this piece, choreographer and performer Liza Baliasnaja continues her ongoing exploration of how emotions such as fear and disgust shape our political imagination. This time, the focus is on the symbol of the shield, which offers protection while simultaneously indicating impending conflict. Find more information here: balticdance.org 📸 @ievajura —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @ldic_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava . Partners: Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Lithuania), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit Supported by: @vilniaus_savivaldybe , @kulturas_ministrija , Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, @estonian_culture_abroad

SHE DREAMT OF BEING WASHED AWAY TO THE COAST by Lithuanian choreographer @karvelislukas / @be_kompanijos performed by @domi.maa 💚 Video by @ievajura —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @ldic_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava . Partners: Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Lithuania), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit Supported by: @vilniaus_savivaldybe , @kulturas_ministrija , Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, @estonian_culture_abroad

Estonian artist Nele Tiidelepp presented a piece called 10 WAYS TO DANCE. 🩵 📸 Ieva Jūra. —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @ldic_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava . Partners: Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Lithuania), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit Supported by: @vilniaus_savivaldybe , @kulturas_ministrija , Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, @estonian_culture_abroad

Lithuanian choreographer Lukas Karvelis / BE COMPANY presented his work SHE DREAMT OF BEING WASHED AWAY TO THE COAST, performed by the dancer Dominyka Markevičiūtė. 💚 📸 @ievajura —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @ldic_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava . Partners: Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Lithuania), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit Supported by: @vilniaus_savivaldybe , @kulturas_ministrija , Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, @estonian_culture_abroad

💚 Agnietė Lisičkinaitė’s (LT) and Igor Shugaleev’s (BY) work CLAP&SLAP was one of the most anticipated pieces of the Baltic Dance Platform, as the duo has been selected for Aerowaves Twenty26. Politically engaged during the Belarusian revolution in 2020, Igor took part in protests in Belarus, while Agnietė joined demonstrations in front of the Belarusian embassy in Vilnius. Igor was forced to leave his homeland; Agnietė made the decision not to collaborate with Russian-speaking artists. 🫂 Meeting on the same stage today, the two artists attempt a dialogue that seems impossible outside of art: a dialogue between fear and the necessity of action, between collective and personal responsibility, between personal tragedy and geopolitical catastrophe. 📸 @ievajura —- The organisers of the Baltic Dance Platform: @lithuanian_dance , @ldic_dance.lv , @soltumatutantsulava . Partners: Šiuolaikinio šokio asociacija (Lithuania), @horasoc_lv (Latvia), @tantsuliit Supported by: @vilniaus_savivaldybe , @kulturas_ministrija , Valsts kultūrkapitāla fonds, @estonian_culture_abroad