August 3–11, 2026 | Festival visit no. 6
After a series of festival visits across Europe, the international journey of Atanas Maev, co-founder of Derida Dance Center, continued overseas — this time to Rio de Janeiro and the 25th edition of Dança em Trânsito.
His first visit to Brazil became an intense and inspiring week filled with performances, professional meetings, conversations, and new international connections. For twenty-five years, Dança em Trânsito has been building bridges through dance, encounters, and exchange, creating a vital space for dialogue between the Brazilian and international dance scenes.
A special focus of this year’s edition was Cena Brasil — a platform dedicated to the internationalization of Brazilian contemporary dance. The program offered international guests an inspiring insight into the diversity, depth, and richness of the Brazilian dance scene, highlighting a wide range of artistic languages, practices, and perspectives.
International connections through dance
As part of the visit, Atanas Maev also took part in International Dance Connections — a professional platform that brought together dance professionals from South Korea, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Uruguay, Bulgaria, and other countries.
The discussions focused on some of the key topics shaping contemporary dance today: artistic mobility, residency programs, co-productions, international touring, and the importance of sustainable professional networks.
Derida Dance Center’s participation in these meetings is a natural continuation of the organization’s long-term commitment to connecting the Bulgarian dance scene with international partners and creating new opportunities for exchange between artists and organizations.
The visit also opened new perspectives for future collaborations between Brazil, Bulgaria, the Balkans, and the wider international contemporary dance field.
Rio as part of the experience
Beyond the performances and professional program, Rio de Janeiro itself became an essential part of the experience — a city of striking contrasts, ocean and mountains, movement and intensity, carrying a unique energy that extends far beyond the festival itself.
We would like to express our gratitude to Giselle Tápias Santoro, Flávia Tápias, Liliane Xavier, Annabel Bligny, Manuela Brito, and the entire Dança em Trânsito team for their invitation, care, generosity, and warm hospitality.
We returned home with many new connections, fresh ideas, and a strong curiosity to continue building bridges between our scenes.
Obrigado, Brazil!
