New artistic director Paolo Mangiola is proud to announce the Malta national dance company’s schedule for December 2017 and May 2018

ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble has a special mission for the 2017/2018 season under Paolo Mangiola: to establish itself as a leading dance company on the European and international art scene and to promote the culture of contemporary dance in Malta.

Its first appointment was held at the Mediterranean Conference Centre on December 16th and 17th, where ŻfinMalta made a guest appearance in the MCC Dance Showcase event – presenting a new choreographic piece by Paolo Mangiola entitled Dances for Eight music by Thomas Adès and Maurice Ravel. This was a celebration of dance in all its wonderful forms.

In the new year, ŻfinMalta will take centre stage during the opening ceremony for Valletta 2018 European Capital of Culture on January 20. To mark this special occasion, the ensemble will present Qalbna, a new creation by director and choreographer Paolo Mangiola with 12 dancers featuring an impressive scenographic structure and spectacular video projections in St George’s Square.

In February, ŻfinMalta will stage a new production of Carmen, with choreography by Jose Agudo (Associate Artist of ŻMDE) and music by Bernhard Schimpelsberger. This will be contemporary reinterpretation of Carmen, the charming and rebellious cigar maker who is the protagonist in Prosper Mérimée’s novella and in the famous opera by Georges Bizet.

Agudo’s production is a soul-searching reflection on the desire for, and price of, freedom, and the need to conform while at the same time affirming one’s own individuality. Throughout, it represents the struggle between life, love and destiny.

This exciting production of Carmen will be staged at the Catholic Institute Theatre, Floriana, on February 16 and 17 (with a preview on the15th) before embarking on a national tour in different locations in Malta and Gozo.

ŻfinMalta’s powerful start to the season promises to enthrall audiences and provide new impetus for the dance scene in Malta by making the art accessible to members of the public from all walks of life.

Be sure not to miss out on our upcoming events!

• January 20, 2018 – Qalbna, Inauguration of Valletta 2018, Malta
• February 15, 2018 – Carmen, Preview at the Catholic Institute Theatre, Floriana, Malta
• February 16, 2018 – Carmen, Premiere at the Catholic Institute Theatre, Floriana, Malta
• February 17, 2018 – Carmen, Catholic Institute Theatre, Floriana, Malta
• April 13, 2018 – Carmen, St. Agatha’s Auditorium, Rabat, Malta
• April 14, 2018 – Carmen, St. Agatha’s Auditorium, Rabat, Malta
• April 21, 2018 – Carmen, Teatru Pandora, Zejtun, Malta
• April 22, 2018 – Carmen, Teatru Pandora, Zejtun, Malta
• April 30, 2018 – Carmen, Teatru Astra, Victoria, Gozo
• May 1, 2018 – Carmen, Teatru Astra, Victoria, Gozo