Now in its 55th year, Billingham International Folklore Festival was established in 1965 and every year hosts the best in the world of folklore dance and song. Over the years, the festival has hosted over 15,000 performers from more than 90 countries with around 8-10 groups and 400 performers yearly. The festival runs over a number of venues and this year the venues taking part include Billingham Town Centre, John Whitehead Park and Seven Bingo Hall alongside ARC in Stockton and Middlesbrough Town Hall Crypt.
This year, Billingham has the pleasure of welcoming outstanding dance companies from around the world including Grupo Folklorico from Brazil, Shenzen art and culture association from China, Folk Ensemble from Slovakia and many more.
Not only will the artists be performing for the audience’s delight but there will also be an incredible opportunity for young dancers, from beginners to advanced, to have their own first-hand experience of the different dance styles presented at the festival. The International Youth Dance Workshops will be taught by native experts and will be based on the traditional cultures of a variety of nations. This year, these will be held in SEVEN Entertainment Hall (above ASDA) in Billingham Town Centre.
The festival organisers have also just announced that there will be a number of special performances taking place. These include ‘1001 Dreams’, dedicated to the 70th birthday anniversary of John Curry, ‘Ice Dancer’, delving into some of his key works to discover the meaning behind the stories, and ‘Irish & Indian Dreams’, an incredibly exciting fusion of Irish dance and Classical North Indian Kathak telling stories of love, loss and hope. These events will be held at Middlesbrough Town Hall Crypt.
ARC in Stockton will have the delight of bringing their audience the outstanding ‘World Dance Gala’ featuring breathtaking performances from over 300 dancers and musicians from Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Columbia, South Korea, Georgia, China, Slovakia and the UK. This now famous Gala night will entertain the audience with a fantastically beautiful array of incredible costumes and mesmerising choreography.
Whilst many of the festival events are free, there is a small charge for a few of the events and it would be wise to book soon to avoid disappointment.
Festival concert and workshop tickets can be bought online at billinghamfestival.co.uk/store.
