Bari: “This is Me” brings dance to the service of peace and dialogue between peoples.

It took place yesterday morning, in the council chamber of the City Hall, the presentation of “This is me – Peace and dialogue between the peoples of the Mediterranean”, the dance show scheduled for Sunday 24 November at the AncheCinema, which aims to raise awareness among young artists on the themes of Peace and dialogue. The press conference was attended by Councilor for Culture Paola Romano and Mario Beschi, president of APS ASD Never Give Up Bari, which organizes the event.

They will bring the event to life, with free participation, approximately 200 young dancers from the Puglia and Basilicata regions. The Gala will be preceded by a day of lessons curated by international dancers and choreographers who will dance alongside the young talents who are finalists of the 28th edition of the Baridanza 2024 Festival. The courses will be held at the Attitude dance school in Noicattaro and at the Unika performance academy in Bari.

"What we have presented today is an important initiative, which brings together different ages, and different peoples and territories united by the beauty of dance and song, and which is part of a broader strategy that we are building on dance in Bari – stated Paola Romano -. Today, in fact, in our city dance is experiencing a moment of great ferment, between historical realities and emerging realities, capable of giving life to high-quality productions in the territory and also of creating important bridges with national and international realities, as this initiative demonstrates. We are working together with all these realities - which also stand out for their great ability to collaborate and create synergies between them - to increasingly support their commitment, starting from the spaces and programming, in such a way as to encourage the growth of their increasingly central role in the Mediterranean: a sea that, as the history of our city and its historic vocation for openness demonstrate, we intend as a space of peace and encounter".

"The Mediterranean is experiencing a very particular moment in its history: I am referring to many conflict scenarios, but also to the issue of migration, which sees this sea to which we are all linked often being the scene of tragedies that follow one another with a heavy toll in terms of human lives. – continued Mario Beschi -. This initiative, therefore, wants to send a message of dialogue and peace, contributing, in its own small way, to do its part, thanks to the collaboration with the institutions and also thanks to the participation of an authoritative voice such as that of the Archbishop of the Diocese of Bari-Bitonto, Monsignor Giuseppe Satriano, whom we deeply thank. We will have a great participation, thanks to the participation of many dance schools and associations, and we are happy to have built a program that also features national and international guests who will give a very high quality contribution to the event".

Sunday 24th November Anchecinema Theatre Bari

FIRST SHOW

16pm: Public entrance

16.15pm: Show Start (Mini Junior all disciplines)

18 pm: Award ceremony for participating schools and message of Peace from the Archbishop of the Diocese of Bari-Bitonto, Mons. Giuseppe Satriano

SECOND SHOW

18.00 pm: Public exchange

18.30 pm: Message of Peace from Archbishop Mons. Giuseppe Satriano and start of the show (Junior / Senior all disciplines)

21 pm: Award ceremony for participating schools

21.15pm: End

Guests will perform in both shows:

· Amilcar Gonzalez and Virginia Tomarchio (Ballet Kiel Germany)

· Stefi Xhalj (New Classical Ballet of Reggio Emilia)

· The Parma Ballet (Choreography by Francesco Gammino)

Dance associations and schools:

The Molfetta Dance Laboratory (BA), Energy Dance Castri of Lecce (LE), Art Ballet Studio Mola of Bari (BA), Danzart Modugno Bari, Ballet Center Bari, Attitude Noicattaro (BA), Giselle Palo del Colle School (BA), Metamorfosi Potenza, Unika Bari Performance Academy, Styles with Laterza Style (TA), Arci Studio Danza Bari, Nibe Polignano Academy (BA), The Monopoli Ballet (BA), Oltredanza Fasano (BR), Teatrodanza Barletta (BAT), Fuoriscena Rutigliano (BA), Glisses Bari, Dance Academy Monopoli (BA), Basement Studio Adelfia (BA), Tropicalismo Dance Bitritto (BA).

Singing schools and cultural associations:

AC Crisalide Gravina di Puglia (BA), Sing and Dream Bari, Hdemia Bisceglie (BA) At the Bosco Sonoro Cassano Murge (BA), AC Music and Art Bari.

Info and Contacts:

Organizational Secretariat NEVER GIVE UP APS ASD Bari:

Phone: 324 569 0918

Email: info@nevergiveup.academy

Attitude Dance School in Noicattaro (BA): tel. 334 7662511

Unika Performance Academy of Bari: tel. 373 7279690.

The profiles of the guests of the show:

The Balletto di Parma was born from the strong desire to offer young dancers a bridge to the professional world. The main mission of the Parma Ballet is to prepare its talented young dancers to face professional careers in the most prestigious companies in the world. The company serves as a conduit to transform students into professional dancers of high caliber and versatility.

Amilcar Moret Gonzalez: (Pas de deux with Virginia Tomarchio winner of the program Amici di Maria de Filippi); Born in Havana in 1977, he studied at the National Ballet School of Cuba. He has danced as a principal dancer on numerous European stages such as the Bavarian State Ballet, Les Ballettes De Monte-Carlo, the Zurich Ballet and The Hamburg Ballet. He has also danced principal roles in Brazil, the United States and Mexico in works such as Coppélia, La fille mal gardée, The Nutcracker and Le Corsaire. His awards and recognitions include the gold medal at the Concours International de la danse in Paris in 1996 and the bronze medal at the Helsinki International Ballet & Choreography Competition in 1995. Since 2009 he has worked as a professional dancer and classical dance teacher on the television program Amici di Maria De Filippi. In 2016 he was a freelance principal dancer and danced alongside Rossella Brescia in the works Carmen and Cassandra by Luciano Cannito. He is currently a principal dancer at Theater Kiel and a guest principal dancer at the Hamburg Ballet.

Stefi Xhlaj (Albania – Nuovo Balletto Classico Company of Reggio Emilia). Graduated as a professional dancer at the Choreographic School of Albania in 2020) since 2022 she has been part of the High Training and Choreographic Laboratory for dancers, Nuovo Balletto Classico. She has participated in numerous shows and performances such as Classic and Contemporary Choreographies (Recitals of Choreographic School of Albania, 2013-2019), La Sylphide, Giselle, Swan Lake (The National Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Albania, 2019-2020), Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Dancebook, Four Seasons in Different Seasons, Pure Sensations, Una Carmen, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, L'arte di Marinel Stefanescu (Nuovo Balletto Classico, Italy 2021-2024), Swan Lake and The Nutcracker (Nuovo Balletto Classico in collaboration with Grand Classic Ballet Traditional Winter Tour, Germany 2022-2023).