The international inter-university festival "Take a Step Forward" was held in Vitebsk

The International Inter-University Festival of Modern Dance "Take a Step Forward" brought together representatives from over 20 universities from Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan in Vitebsk.

This vibrant and energetic festival is an excellent example of how an idea from a student, specifically from the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine, can grow into such a large-scale forum with the participation of foreign dance groups over six years. In fact, the author of the festival's idea, and now head of the special projects implementation department of the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus, Artem Ignatenko, could not have imagined it would turn out this way back then. However, the support from the university's rector was crucial for this growth, and later, the Federation of Trade Unions of Belarus and the Belarusian Republican Youth Union helped the festival become more professional.

The current forum has grown in terms of participants and their geographical reach – students from L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University arrived for the first time. It is generally pleasing that the stage has united traditionally close countries. The jury was serious – renowned choreographers, headed by People's Artist of Belarus, artistic director of the ballet of the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus, Yuri Troyan. And for the first time, one-act ballets and dance battles were watched not only by the audience in the Yakub Kolas Theatre hall but also by viewers of the "Vitebsk" TV channel.

– The festival is the sixth, but it is unusual.

President Alexander Lukashenko has declared the current year the Year of Culture in Belarus. "We would like to make at least a small contribution to the development of Belarusian national culture with our festival," noted the chairman of the organizing committee, rector of the Academy of Veterinary Medicine Anton Yatusevich.

Incidentally, the agricultural university, where it all began, received about 50 greetings from different countries. Among them, from the Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Belarus Leonid Zayats, who noted that in the Year of Culture, the festival is a vivid confirmation that creativity can unite young people from different countries, future specialists in various fields.

During the festival, dance groups will present show-dance, krump, jazz-funk, hip-hop, modern, jazz-modern, and contemporary styles on stage, as well as one-act ballets on the theme "Geometry of Feelings". In their free time from choreographic battles, guests of Vitebsk will get acquainted with the city, communicate in an informal setting, share experiences, and gain valuable knowledge from renowned teachers during master classes.

Olga Maslovskaya. Photo

Антона Степанищева. «Витебские вести».