There will be 42 participating dance companies, including 12 international groups from nine countries.
This was announced in a recent press conference in the NCCA in Intramuros, Manila.
The dancers will come from Indonesia, India (two groups), Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia (three groups), England, Brazil, South Korea and China.
There will be a total of 1,500 dancers and an expected audience of 25,000.
The theme is “Cultural Connectivity through Dance.” Activities include performances, workshops, master classes and a cultural tour of Isabela.
There will also be outreach performances in Cauayan City and the towns of Roxas and Echague.
The festival seeks to promote greater awareness of, and appreciation for, dance; discuss global concerns on dance; and uplift the art in the country through exchanges, exposure and education.
Speakers during the press conference were Marichu Tellano, NCCA deputy executive director; Shirley Halili-Cruz, Dance Xchange founder and head of NCCA’s National Committee on Dance; Mayor Jonathan Calderon; Vice Governor Antonio Albano (representing Governor Faustino Dy); and Nilo Agustin, cultural consultant of the province.
There were pas de deux performances by members of the Bayanihan and Halili-Cruz School of Ballet.
“Folk dances have been incorporated into the street dances [in festivals],” noted Agustin. “Our goal is for Isabela to be the Performing Arts Capital in the North.” —CONTRIBUTED