Presented by Aerowaves with a.ArtistiAssociati
Programme Notes
The 14th edition of Aerowaves’ Spring Forward festival is hosted by a.ArtistiAssociati and is part of the official programme of the European Capital of Culture 2025 Nova Gorica – Gorizia.
The Festival provides a platform for some of Europe’s most vibrant and promising choreographers to show their work to performing arts professionals and local audiences.
The Aerowaves 2025 line-up includes works from 17 countries and showcases an exciting and diverse selection of emerging dance makers working across Europe. Some of these shows are open to the public. Also included in the programme is Silvia Gribaudi and Andrea Rampazzo’s work, Amaterski tihotapci / Contrabbandieri dilettanti, created and performed by the Slovenian dance company EN-KNAP.
On the 23rd April there will be an additional programme: a special presentation from Springback, Aerowaves’ critical writing project, to celebrate its 10th anniversary, and a presentation of two short works – AHAI, Imaginary Landscapes by Japanese choreographer Kenta Kojiri and FLUX by Canadian Elie-Anne Ross – remounted and restaged with a group of young local dancers.
Aerowaves is Co-funded by the European Union.
Spring Forward 2025 is made possible thanks to the support of Regione Autonoma Friuli-Venezia Giulia.
Supported by: Pro Helvetia, Culture Ireland, Acción Cultural Española, EU-Japan Fest, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec & Québec Delegation in Rome, Fondazione Nuovi Mecenati, Instituto Cervantes Milán and the Spanish Embassy in Italy, PAHN – Performing Arts Hub Norway.
In collaboration with: Municipality of Gorizia, Slovene National Theatre Nova Gorica, La danse sur les routes du Québec, Yokohama Dance Collection, Kinosaki International Arts Center, PEPA – Place of European Performing Arts and Agorà – MM Contemporary Dance Company.
About a.ArtistiAssociati
Founded in 1987 in Gorizia, Artisti Associati is a cultural organisation working on a regional, national and international scale producing and presenting performing arts works, managing venues, engaging audiences and developing training projects for young people.
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Wednesday — 23 April 2025
Springback 10th Anniversary
18:00 – UGG Unione Ginnastica Goriziana
Young dancers perform works by international guest artists
19:00 & 21.00 – UGG Unione Ginnastica Goriziana
International guest artists Kenta Kojiri (Japan) and Elie-Anne Ross (Québec/Canada) worked with a group of young dancers from two local training programmes.
Thanks to the partnership with Yokohama Dance Collection and Kinosaki International Arts Centre, Aerowaves has invited Japanese choreographer Kenta Kojiri who is the associate choreographer for Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse No.1 (Yokohama Arts Foundation) since April 2024, to remake AHAI with a group of selected participants from PEPA organised by Artisti Associati.
Thanks to the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Aerowaves in collaboration with La Danse sur les routes du Québec has invited the Quebecoise choreographer Elie-Anne Ross to adapt her work FLUX for a group of young dancers of the Agorà – MM Contemporary Dance Company.
Find out more about Kenta Kojiri and Elie-Anne Ross HERE.
FLUX
FLUX is an immersion into the stream of consciousness, a space where body and speech intersect to challenge internal patterns. In just 10 days, this project will take on a new dimension, opening a dialogue between individuality and the polyphony of the group.
Elie-Anne Ross explores both the form and content of the stream of consciousness and its interaction with the body. She is particularly interested in themes of mental health and body reclamation.
In this reinterpretation of FLUX, she seeks to translate key elements of popping—its relationship to time, isolation, and the dynamic between control and surrender—into a broader choreographic language. Rather than becoming poppers, the dancers integrate principles of the style to enrich their own physicality and movement expression.
Choreography: Elie-Anne Ross
Freestyle / Improvisation : The Dancers
Music: Shash’U
Voice and text: The dancers and Elie-Anne Ross
Dancers: Giulia Boccarossa, Giovanni Karol Borriello, Paolo Giovanni Grosso, Carlotta Maucioni, Martina Procacci and Giovanni Saba.
AHAI, Imaginary Landscapes
‘AHAI’ means the harmony between time, space, the body, and the relationship between them. It also carries the meaning of ma (間), the space or interval, and the resonance that emerges from it. Through this work, the dancers will try to capture perceptions of the self from within as well as without, and they will also dive into the theme of coexistence through physical expression. AHAI is based on tatsukiamano’s new music.
Choreography: Kenta Kojiri
Music: tatsukiamano with voices by the dancers
Dancers: Angelica Margherita, Simona Puglisi, Tjasa Bucik, Pamela Ranzenigo, Lisa Bergamasco, Michela Massolo and Gloria Nardo.
PEPA – Place of European Performing Arts is a course aimed at young artists who have already completed training as dancers, actors, or performers, and who are interested in making transdisciplinary work.
Agorà Coaching Project is a biennial training project for young dancers aged 16-22 years to bridge their dance education with professional experience.
This additional programme of the festival is partly organised in collaboration with La danse sur les routes du Québec (La DSR), Yokohama Dance Collection, Kinosaki International Arts Center (KIAC), PEPA – Place of European Performing Arts and Agorà – MM Contemporary Dance Company.
Thursday — 24 April 2025
Friday — 25 April 2025
Breakfast/Meet the Québec Delegation
10:00 – Kulturni Center Lojze Bratuž
The Québec Government Office in Rome will offer a networking breakfast. Aerowaves collaborates with La danse sur les routes du Québec to build partnerships between Québec and Europe in the contemporary dance field. This initiative has been made possible through the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Talk
11.00 – Kulturni Center Lojze Bratuž
Talk with artists Charlie Prince, Finola Cronin and Aristide Rontini facilitated by Emily May, & short presentation of Startup Forum, Artists Encounter and Podcast Academy participants.
Running alongside the festival
Artist Development
The artists presenting their work at Spring Forward have been taking part in online workshops to prepare for the event. Experienced producer and manager Anikó Racz, Artistic Director of SÍN Arts Centre in Budapest, leads the artists through a journey to help them maximise their opportunities and take a pragmatic approach to working internationally.
In addition, each artist performing in the festival programme is matched up with an Aerowaves partner who acts as their buddy. Their role is to help orientate the artist, introduce them to guests and be a friendly face amongst the busy atmosphere of the event. Buddies may approach you to introduce artists, so be prepared to engage!
The Buddy System is coordinated by Markéta Perroud.
Springback Academy
Each year during the festival, 10 aspiring dance writers, selected through an open call, are mentored by professional journalists in the art of quality dance criticism. Writers from the Academy go on to write for our online publication.
Under Oonagh Duckworth’s direction, our 2025 writers will be mentored by lead critics including Emily May (Springback Academy graduate, currently contributor to the Financial Times), Sanjoy Roy (The Guardian, editor of Springback Magazine), Kelly Apter (The Scotsman) and Laura Cappelle (New York Times). Springback Academy has been running since 2014.
2025 writers: Dmitrijus Andrušanecas (Lithuania), Greta Bourke (Ireland), Marta Buggio (Bulgaria/Italy), Laura Jasmane (LV), Zala Julija Kavčič (Slovenia), Kärt Koppel (Estonia), Maria Chiara de Nobili (Germany/Italy), Amit Noy (France), Nicola Mitropoulou (Cyprus) and Sidney Yeo (Spain/Netherlands).
aerowaves.org/meet-the-springback-2025-class
springbackmagazine.com
Startup Forum
For the fourth consecutive year, a group of emerging dance presenters will be guided through the festival by Aerowaves Partners, addressing current programming issues. Following Spring Forward, support will be offered to three of them to plan and present projects involving Aerowaves artists when they return home.
Aerowaves board member and former director of Dance Umbrella, Betsy Gregory, leads the initiative, alongside Francesca Manica (Romaeuropa, Rome), Frosso Trousa (DAN.C.CE Unitiva and Arc for Dance festival, Athens), Ingrida Gerbutavičiūtė (Tanzhaus nrw, Düsseldorf) and Roberto Casarotto (Aerowaves Co-Director).
2025 participants: Vár B. Árting (Faroe Islands), Jiaxin Chen (The Netherlands), Joaquín Collado Parreño (Spain), Kristyn Fontanella (Ireland), Mariia Kondratieva (Ukraine), Ana Lorger (Slovenia), Yewande YoYo Odunubi (UK) and Valerio Verzin (Italy).
aerowaves.org/meet-the-startup-forum-presenters-at-spring-forward-2025
aerowaves.org/activities/startup-forum
Artists Encounter
This programme is aimed at local dance makers interested in developing and/or expanding their connections with international artists and presenters. The professional workshop is led by Anikó Rácz, artistic director of SÍN Arts Centre Hungary, with the collaboration of Markéta Perroud, a dance professional and an expert in European projects.
2025 participants: Giulia Bean (Italy – Friuli Venezia Giulia), Vittoria Caneva (Italy – Veneto), Matteo Carvone (Italy – Friuli Venezia Giulia), Patricija Crnkovič (Slovenia), Pia Mačerol (Slovenia), Isabel Paladin (Italy – Veneto), Piero Ramella (Italy – Friuli Venezia Giulia/Veneto), Andrea Rizzo (Italy – Friuli Venezia Giulia), Jan Rozman (Slovenia) and Elena Sgarbossa (Italy – Veneto).
aerowaves.org/activities/artists-encounter
The Podcast Academy
The Podcast Academy is a new Aerowaves initiative designed to explore, enjoy and master a valuable tool for dance and performance promotion. The Aerowaves Podcast Academy is offering them the chance to be mentored in the fundamentals of podcasting in the action-packed environment of the annual Spring Forward festival. The Podcast Academy mentor Dany Mitzman is a broadcast journalist with over 25 years of experience making features for the BBC and Deutsche Welle Radio
Participants: Mariia Korobko (Germany/Ukraine), Loréna Sajous (France), Anastasia Grigore (Italy), Rachel Sheil (Ireland) and Rosie Reith (The Netherlands).
Spring Forward 2025
Festival Credits
Aerowaves
Co-Directors: Elisabetta Bisaro & Roberto Casarotto
Executive Director: Anna Arthur
Communications Manager: Clàudia Brufau Bonet
Video and Photography for Social Media: Rita Lira & Anna Kushnirenko
Springback Academy Director: Oonagh Duckworth
Springback Magazine Editor: Sanjoy Roy
Startup Forum Director: Betsy Gregory
Podcast Producer and Podcast Academy mentor: Dany Mitzman
Artist Development: Anikó Racz and Markéta Perroud
Moving Borders coordinator: Morgan Steele
Graphic design: Pedro Hugo
Trailer: Luca Truffarelli
a.ArtistiAssociati
Artistic Director: Walter Mramor
Executive Director: Tatiana Castellan
Programme Director: Sara Pastorcich
Technical Director: Giancarlo Schilter
Organisation: Maria Luisa Forastiere, Chiara Cardinali, Gabriella De Santis, Roberta Grendene, Barbara Lui, Camilla Tuzzi, Graziella Visintin
Press office: Martina Apollonio
Social Media: Marta Coretti
Photography: Ruben Vuaran
Technical staff: Alberto Antonel, Ivan Bortolus, Stefano Bragagnolo, Leonardo Brotto, Eva Bruno, Luca Cittadoni, Matteo Clemente, Raffaele D’Alesio, Alberto De Felice, Enrico Del Favero, Adolfo Fent, Piero Furlan, Roberto Grassi, Carlo Gris, Mario Job, Enrico Mansutti, Dennis Mazzolin, Paolo Nadaia, Luca Parise, Antonio Pastore, Federico Pittino, Enrico Piva, Cristina Pristavec, Calogero Gabriele Puleo, Marco Rogante, Mattia Romanut, Fabrizio Tausani, Giacomo Ungari, Angela Vanone