Fini Dance Festival: Wheels of Arts 2030

ACD-Partnerschaften für Globale Nachhaltigkeitsziele: Fini Dance Festival in Villapiana/Italy

Report on the visit of the Fini Dance Festival in Villapiana 2018 from ACD-president Tatjana Christelbauer:

Civilian actors in motion, enjoying art with greater purpose at the Antonio Fini Dance Festival in Villapiana, Calabria/Italy with the motto:

Civilian actors in motion for Sustainable Development Goals SDGs!

This year, I have been invited as a guest of honor to join the Fini Dance Festival and to announce the ACD-Ambassador Award for Antonio Fini within the festival ceremony in Altomonte, Calabria/IT. 
The Fini Festival has been initiated in 2010 by Antonio Fini, my colleague from Martha Graham Contemporary Dance School in NYC.
The ambitious endeavor of Antonio Fini brought students and professional dancers and teachers from the European countries, the US, Japan, to spend summer holidays in his homeplace located on the picturesque coast in Villapiana, Calabria /It. 
Enjoying the sea, summer spirits, healthy fruits, domestic culinary, and nature around, the students (starting from elementary level, participating with their parents) had the opportunity to enjoy their holidays, to learn, and also to show their progress on the final Gala events.
This summer, the final Gala event took part in a neighborhood, in the ancient theatre at the ancient hill town Altomonte. Antonio Fini has widened the local cooperation and has established partnerships not only for the purpose of art but also for tourism and cultural exchange. 
I had the opportunity to take part as one of the jury members and enjoy the variety of professionally composed and performed artistic expressions. 
The event was fulfilled with impressive energy, vitality, and joyful experiences shared by dancers, their teachers, organizers, and audiences who came to join the Festival ceremony from various regions and countries.
The program was composed of performances led by children, youth, and adult professionals. In a variety of dance styles, creations of youngsters, Antonio Fini performed with the Michel Mao Dance Company as a principal dancer. 
The local press has announced and reflected on the Festival as one of the most attractive international meetings in the region.

During the ceremony in Altomonte, I have received an Award of Honour for engagement in the field of dance arts for Peace, for my engagement and advocacy for dance arts in the field of cultural Diplomacy.
Within the three days visit to Villapiana (July 20th-23rd 2018), I had the opportunity to meet students from Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, the USA, Albania, Slovenia, ... and to work with them in two-hour composition classes on modern dance syllabus, phonetic exercises, and movement translations. Best impressions and responses have been shared and documented in short videos, by foto images and written letters.

ACD-Agency for Cultural Diplomacy Ambassador for dance tours CD Antonio Fini has built a remarkable and sustainable intercultural and international bridge through dance arts and has supported local and regional tourism through arts education, local, regional and international partnerships.
Our cooperation will continue within the next years by educational exchange and support of activities through intercultural and multilingual Art education.
We have set the priorities for active engagement in support of the realization of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, especially focussing on SDG5 and SDG16 (gender equality, peace, and human rights), through quality education SDG4.7, SDG3
by providing inclusive, intercultural, and multilingual educational opportunities through dance arts for children, adults, teachers, seniors;
by providing creative language courses and
by enchanting the interfaith dialogue through dance arts aiming to support European social integration.

Furthermore, our team will actively contribute to the improvement of health and regional development (SDG3+SDG15) through cooperation (SDG 17.17)with local companies and corporations, providing our participants and audiences with holistic art practices, local products, professional consultancy as well as by improving mobility through interregional excursions.
We look forward to our further cooperation and to welcoming new partners, participants, and supporters with gratitude to all who have contributed to our development and progress!

Grazie a tutti  e saluti!

More about Fini Dance Award from Italian article 

Vienna, July 24th, 2018
Tatjana Christelbauer