Cali International Dance Biennial is a project led by the Association for the Promotion of the Arts (Proartes), created in 2013, in the city of Cali, with the aim of promoting dialogues between the various genres, generations and experiences of dance in Colombia, as well as the meeting between national and international dancers, for the thought and conception of new languages of national dance.

Cali had developed important alternatives around dance such as the programming of the Cali Art Festival and the Festival of Contemporary Dance Caliendanza, which was the scene of the best of contemporary national and Latin American dance between 2005 and 2010. Both festivals merged to create the Biennial, thinking of a more inclusive and inclusive event and contributing a contemporary vision of national and international dance, including other genres, experiences and projects, thus fostering the encounter between artists and creators of different disciplines around dance.

Since 2013, Cali International Dance Biennial has managed to bring together more than 4,250 dancers from different parts of the world in 255 activities and presentations distributed in more than 20 spaces of the city, indoor and in pubilc space, in programs accessible to all citizens bringing together in its five versions more than 224,000 attendees. These figures confirm that, in its nine years of existance, the Cali International Dance Biennial has successfully fostered the intended dialogue and earned recognition from the dance community as a central platform for the gathering and visibility of both national and international dancers and choreographers.

Since its creation, the Biennial has awarded 14 Creation Scholarships confirming its commitment to the country's creative processes in the dance sector. Important companies such as El Colegio del Cuerpo, Sankofa, Incolballet, LeoExplose, Atabaques, the Folkloric Ballet of Antioquia and Dance Concert among others, have benefited from these incentives. It is important to note that the Biennial is also committed to supporting dance research in Colombia. To date, it has awarded eight research scholarships focused on topics relevant to the sector, such as costume design in salsa dance, folk dance traditions in the department of Caldas, inclusive dance practices for people with disabilities, and the evolution of traditional dance costumes from Colombia’s eastern plains.

Companies such as: Sankai Juku (Japan), Marie Chouinard (Canada), María Pages (Spain), José Limón (United States), Israel Galván (Spain), Germaine Acogny (Senegal) and the Preljojaj Ballet (France), among others, have presented work in Cali, thanks to the Biennial and their collaboration with other local cultural actors in Colombia, thus positioning Cali as part of the international dance circuit.

Photo: Cali International Dance Biennial Archive - Edward Lora