The contemporary dance festival Tzan Tzan Fest is set to celebrate its eleventh edition from 17 to 25 October, showcasing a diverse programme that combines local and national performances, training, reflection, and innovative creation formats. Events will take place at the Barrundia sports centre and the Baratza venue in Vitoria-Gasteiz, featuring performances, an intensive dance workshop, an open discussion, and wine tastings linked to the showcased pieces.
The festival is organised by the Baratza venue with support from the Álava Provincial Council, the Basque Government, the Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council, and Fundación Vital, alongside collaboration from the Barrundia City Council.
Workshop and performances
As a precursor to the main events, the Baratza will host the intensive workshop titled Joy is not a metaphor on 17 and 18 October, led by choreographer Ana Pi from NA MATA LAB. Participants will engage in rhythm, presence, tension, and listening exercises to explore joy as a tool for creating new movements and imaginations, inspired by Pi's work Atomic Joy (2025) and her research into peripheral dances and movement traditions of the African transatlantic diaspora. Priority for the workshop will be given to individuals from the African diaspora, and registration includes a ticket for one of the festival's performances.
On 23 October at 20:00, the Barrundia sports centre will host the first three performances of the festival. The evening will commence with Trembling Frequencies, the debut solo by Helena Wilhelmsson, which navigates a poetic and mysterious universe to explore fragility, rage, and beauty through a voice seeking to be heard. This will be followed by Pack-Back, presented by Marilisa Gallichio and Alessia Sinato, which uses a backpack as a metaphor for the experiences, memories, and burdens that accompany individuals. The performers will discover how sharing the weight of life allows for openness to the unknown. The evening will conclude with Velaquich Amorch! by the Colectivo D’elas, which combines live music with urban dance and contemporary creation to address hyperconnectivity, the speed of social media, and the need to stay constantly updated.
Further activities
The programme will continue on 24 October at Baratza, starting at 18:00 with a free open discussion titled Performing arts and ways of doing, inviting the public to engage in conversation about timing, research processes, and the construction of a performance piece, referencing the show that will be performed that afternoon. Participation requires registration via info@salabaratza.com.
At 20:00, Myriam Pérez Cazabón will present 40. Bidegurutzea, a creation that reflects on pivotal moments, traversing thoughts, actions, and landscapes in solitude. The piece raises questions about decisions, changes in direction, and the necessity of reviewing one's path to confront what lies ahead. Following the performance, there will be a guided wine tasting featuring selections from Bodegas Cándido Besa, with Esti Besa explaining the relationship between the wine and the artistic proposal.
On 25 October at 19:00, Baratza will host the final performances of this edition. Olatz de Andrés will present Bodies that surrender to what is about to disappear, a 25-minute piece exploring cyclical repetition as a means of transformation through synchronised movements that evolve progressively, creating a constantly changing choreographic landscape. This will be followed by Alba de Miguel's Cracks, which investigates identity, origins, roots, and the consequences of experiences and decisions that shape us. The programme will conclude with a screening of a dance video piece, previewing a session dedicated to this format that Baratza will organise in December. The day will also feature another guided wine tasting from Bodegas Cándido Besa, with Esti Besa presenting various selections and explaining her choices in relation to the artistic proposals.
Tickets for the performances are available at salabaratza.com, priced at €10 in advance plus management fees, and €12 at the door. An advance pass for the entire programme can be purchased for €18 plus management fees.
Opportunities for artists
As part of the festival, Baratza has launched the KAMIKAZE call for proposals, inviting individuals or groups to create a short dance piece based on an established decalog within a limited timeframe. The results will be showcased in the next edition of the festival. Additionally, a call for applications has been opened for an artistic residency aimed at a contemporary dance or new performance language project in the development or pre-production phase. Proposals that highlight innovation, research, and diverse performance experiences, as well as those addressing gender and diversity issues or incorporating the use of Basque, will be particularly valued. Applications can be submitted until 25 October, with the residency scheduled to take place from 21 December 2026 to 22 February 2027.
