KATERINA PARRI
A profound and deap exploration of music you can see and dance you can hear
Since 2008, the International Body Music Festival has showcased traditional and contemporary body music groups that incorporate a wide range of artistic expression using the body as the only musical instrument. Body music – voice, clapping, body percussion – is the oldest music on our planet and is more relevant than ever. It is at the intersection of sound and movement that its central idea was born: music you see, dance you hear.
IBMF has become the epicenter of the art of body music through its educational, social and performance work, creating primary communities of artists, students and audiences with a dynamic presence in many parts of the world. The festival events represent the dynamic of different cultures coming together while maintaining their distinct identities, presenting international and local groups of traditional and contemporary performances.
IBMF 2024 will take place from November 4-10 in Athens, focusing on the wider area of Botanikos-Kerameikos. The festival attracts audiences from at least 15 countries around the world and offers a wide range of educational activities and seminars, while presenting concerts, performances, screenings, talks and improvisation evenings. In this year’s edition, and for the first time worldwide, IBMF comes with three innovative events: an evening of screenings of body music dance films, including the world premiere of the documentary 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘤 𝘍𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭, a concert where body musicians perform with established Greek musicians, as well as the performance of a professional inclusive body music group composed of people with or without visual or hearing impairments.
The non-profit cultural organization PLAYGROUND for the arts, in collaboration with IBMF Founder and Artistic Director Keith Terry, curates a multi-faceted program with a strong social impact, focusing on interculturalism, accessibility, world traditions and high quality artistic productions.
The festival features over 45 artists from 12 countries around the world. Indicative:
Keith Terry/US: Founder & Artistic Director of the arts organization Crosspulse and the International Body Music Festival, creator of the term body music, mentor to the world’s greatest body musicians. Guggenheim Fellow, member of the Asian Cultural Council and recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Percuaction Global Percussion Network.
Barbatuques/Brazil: The most famous body music group in the world! In their extensive career, they have crossed the stages of more than 30 countries, reaching the soundtracks of Hollywood (Rio 2) in thousands of remixes created by DJs, and the closing ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games. Their biggest hits are “Baião Destemperado” and “Baianá”, available on all streaming platforms in the world, with massive usage on channels like Instagram and TikTok. The innovative language developed by the band has contributed significantly to the spread of their body music around the world and continues to be a benchmark to this day.
KeKeÇa Body Percussion Ensemble/Turkey: Founded by Tugay Başar and Timuçin Gürer, they have been working since 2002 with performances, trainings and workshops for international and local projects for culture, art and education through body percussion and body music. The group creates and delivers performances and workshops for all ages as well as for people with disabilities and vulnerable groups.
Sandy Silva/Canada: Multi-award winning performer, choreographer, composer, producer and internationally recognized pioneer of percussive dance. After 35 years of performing and teaching around the world, she and director Marlene Millar founded the Migration Dance Film Project (MDFP), creating a series of body music dance films that have screened internationally and won numerous awards. Silva’s sound choreographies draw from global percussive dance practices and are infused with movement, voice, theater, and impeccable musicality, evoking a sense of travel and migration.
Leela Petronio/France: Daughter of legendary tap dancer Sarah Petronio, Leela is internationally recognized as a versatile performer. Through years of international touring with the STOMP company, she has developed an original approach to percussive dance that combines the formative influences of her career – tap, hip hop, body percussion – and jazz culture.
Bryan Dyer/US: A close collaborator of Bobby McFerrin, Bryan Dyer is a multi-instrumentalist, singer and producer who performs in many styles, from classical and avant-garde to rock, jazz and blues. He has performed in countries such as Japan, Switzerland, Indonesia, and Ghana alongside such notable artists as Huey Lewis and The News, Michael McDonald, and Carlos Santana.
Max Pollak/Austria: One of five New York tap dancers who will be featured on U.S. postage stamps in July 2021 to honor percussive tap dance, its 18th-century roots in the U.S. and its continuing influence on the dance world. He is recognized for his participation in prestigious international classical music venues and festivals and for his innovative work with people with visual, hearing and cognitive impairments. He was recently awarded the New York State Artist Award for his musical compositions and choreography!
IBMF 2024 Program, Athens
7 days, 60 workshops and seminars throughout the week, over 45 artists from around the world and events including performances, concerts, film screenings, talks, open mic and improvisation nights.
The Workshops
From Monday, November 4 to Sunday, November 10
PLAYGROUND for the Arts and Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens
A diverse program of body music/body percussion workshops covering a variety of topics related to the sonic dimension of the moving body, voice, music and dance education, skill development, empowerment, group building and inclusion through traditional and contemporary styles of body music from around the world.
Dates & Events
Monday 4.11
International Body Music Festival: OPENING NIGHT \ Gazarte_Kiddo
20:30
Welcome to the Greek and International Body Music Community. Come and meet us, talk about the festival program and improvise with body movements and voice as the only instrument. Body music is the oldest music on our planet and is more relevant than ever. We are waiting for you!
Tuesday 5.11.
International Body Music Festival: OPEN MIC \ Gazarte _ Ground Stage
20:30
Open stage for all who want to share their love for body music. Do you have a group or are you a solo artist? You don’t have anything to present, but you are interested in meeting up-and-coming artists of the genre? Are you in the process of creating new work and interested in trying it out? Sign up and present your work to the warm and open IBMF community!
Wednesday 6.11
Music in Motion – 360° Experience \ THEATRE THESEION
20:30
A multi-sensory experience of dance you hear and music you see, featuring the first professional inclusive body music group made up of people with and without visual or hearing impairments. Performers: Yannis Psallidakos, Nanti Gogoulou, Natasha Martin, Yota Peklaris, Vassia Zorbali, Olga Dalekou, Christos Koutsovassilis, Lior Shoov, Sandy Silva, Humanophones, KeKeÇa.
Thursday 7.11
Body Music on Film \The National Gallery of Greece
19:30
For the first time in the festival’s history, an evening dedicated to body music films, including the world premiere of the documentary Through the Body: The Story of the International Body Music Festival. This will be followed by an open discussion with the filmmaker(s), with interpretation in Greek Sign Language.
Friday 8.11
Body Music in Dialogue \ Gazarte _ Roof Stage
20:30
Acclaimed Greek musicians perform with IBMF 2024 body musicians on the beautiful roof of Gazarte, overlooking the Acropolis! Max Pollak, Yoel Soto, Anna Llombart, Leela Petronio, Bryan Dyer, Evie Ladin, Keith Terry, Sandy Silva, Remi Leclerc, Ozgu Bulut, Federica Loredan, Simone Mongelli, Yiannis Papageorgiou, Martha Mavroidi, Harris Lambrakis, Fotis Siotas, Irini Alisa, Thalia Ioannidou, Mc Yinka, etc.
Saturday 9.11
The Social Benefits of Body Music \ Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens
13:30
Public discussion in collaboration with Nevronas FESTival on the use of body music in therapeutic methods through art and its impact on inclusion, empowerment and mental health.
“Music you can see – Dance you can hear” \ Gazarte _ Main Stage
20:30
The most famous international groups and body music artists together with traditional Greek singing groups in a celebration of artistic expression with the body as the only musical instrument. Body music is the oldest music on our planet and is more relevant than ever! Barbatuques, Kekeça, Théâtre À Tempo, Body Music Show by Keith Terry, Max Pollak, Bodyterranean, Polyphonic Shape of Epirus by Vangelis Kotsos, Rodia Traditional Music Choir, etc.
Sunday 10.11
Body Music for All: A Family Show \ Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens _ Miltiadis Evert Amphitheater
12:00
Body Music for all: a family show features renowned artists and groups from all over the world – Brazil, Canada, the Canary Islands, Turkey and Greece – who bring us back to the universal elements found in all cultures: rhythm, music, dance and community. Using the human body as a vehicle, they offer a performance for young and old alike, with humor, clown elements, rhythmic games, audience participation and choral singing! Performers include Théâtre À Tempo, Barbatuques, Jep Melendez, Choir Polyphonica, KeKeÇa Body Percussion Ensemble, Gökçe ‘CheChe’ Gürçay.
About IBMF
Crosspulse, a nonprofit organization, began the tradition of the International Body Music Festival (IBMF) in 2008, creating a seven-day celebration featuring renowned artists from around the world. The festival is repeated every two years in San Francisco, and in the intervening year is co-produced with IBMF artists/members in other countries around the world, creating a truly global institution. Over the years, and due to the popularity of the festival, other forms such as smaller festivals/miniFests, online festivals, and 24-hour radio marathons have been created. Over the past 15 years, Crosspulse has organized IBMF in different parts of the world on all 4 continents and has hosted over 110 artists from all over the world representing the international body music community.
About PLAYGROUND for the arts
PLAYGROUND for the arts is the center of an international community of artists, students and public interested in performing arts, with an emphasis on rhythm studies and research. Their mission is to create bridges between disciplines and build an educational environment of collaboration, cross-training and inclusivity. Since 2009 they have been designing and implementing educational programs for adults and children, people with or without disabilities, professionals and amateurs, organizing festivals, performances, concerts and open jams. Their activities have developed a network of internationally acclaimed artists and educators, award-winning pioneers in their fields, with whom they collaborate regularly and often have the pleasure to host in our center in Athens.
PLAYGROUND began its collaboration with IBMF in 2011. Since then, artistic director Keith Terry visits Athens for workshops, shows and festival on a regular basis and most recently on an annual basis. Founding members along with artists of PLAYGROUND have taken part in the International Body Music Festival that Terry curates in different parts of the world (San Francisco, Bali, Ghana, Italy, France) and have collaborated with him on multiple artistic projects (International Day of Body Music, Body Music Show, the CHIBOW project, and more). In 2017 and 2019, PLAYGROUND hosted two IBMF Minifests for the greek audience full of workshops, concerts and outreach programmes.
Playground team: Yiota Peklari | Natasha Martin | Thanos Daskalopoulos
About Crosspulse
Founded in 1979 by Artistic Director Keith Terry, the non-profit cultural organization Crosspulse is dedicated to the creation, performance and recording of rhythm-based, intercultural music and dance. All of the organization’s programs and ensembles involve the vital role that rhythm plays in performing arts throughout the world, and explore how this commonality of rhythm connects us in unexpected ways. Artists focus on the global artform of Body Music – exploring the sonic possibilities of the instrument we all share.
Artistic Director Keith Terry is known internationally as a pioneer in the artform of Body Music, and through the IBMF, the Body Tjak Projects, and other projects in Crosspulse’s 45-year history, has instigated an international community that looks to the organization as a recognized conduit of this work.
He was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2008.
Crosspulse Team: Keith Terry | Evie Ladin | Andrew Reissiger | Cathrine Veikos |Cecilia Engelhart
