15th International Contemporary Dance Festival “Dance Days Chania” | July 21 – August 2, 2025

The 15th edition of Dance Days Chania – celebratory, bold, ever-moving – hosts works that “dance” the stories of their creators. Visually striking or minimal, romantic or subversive, presented with honesty and clarity, these performances are invited to engage with the city — in theaters, cultural venues, public squares, and neighborhoods.

As part of a society that pulses, protests, and yet grows increasingly conservative, the festival continues to uphold freedom of expression as a vital element in the evolution of places and people.
In a world at risk of being absorbed by forgetfulness, Dance Days insists — through dance and its artistic choices – on keeping bodily memory alive. With collectivity and participation as its antidote, and through the power of physicality, the festival invests in artistic diversity and invites audiences to engage in flexibility, awakening, and critical thought.

The 15th International Contemporary Dance Festival Dance Days Chania will take place from July 21 to August 2, 2025, with a rich and multifaceted program:

• 17 performances at the “Mikis Theodorakis” theater
• 4 site-specific performances in public spaces and cultural venues [free admission]
• 12 seminars
• 5 workshops as part of the “Meet the Choreographers” section
• 2 projects under “Emerging Artists and Public Space” — site-specific, in-progress creations by Greek artists [free admission]
• One transnational residency in collaboration with Colectivo Priekopnik Vevericka (Slovakia) [free admission]
• Two-day Video Dance tribute featuring screenings and a discussion with guest filmmaker [free admission]
• Exhibition and performances from the educational program “My Body Speaks,” in collaboration with the Chania Primary Education Directorate [free admission]
• Presentation of two works in collaboration with the U(R)TOPIAS Choreographic Academy (2023 Eleusis Cultural Capital of Europe) [free admission]
• Photography exhibition by Giorgos Anastasakis with archival material from the festival (2014–2024) [free admission]

From its founding to today, Dance Days Chania has been both an artistic and social proposition. In its 15th anniversary edition, it brings to the fore global concerns, social issues, and the complex web of human relationships through choreographic proposals.
The art of the body — as a universal language — engages not only with the dance world, but with communities, locals, visitors, and all those interested. It fosters encounters and dialogue, offering a space for exchange, reflection, and creation.

The festival provides tools for original work and research, supports the development and full presentation of choreographic ideas, and hosts performances by internationally recognized artists, nurturing new collaborations and strengthening existing ones.
The 15th Dance Days Chania invests in human connection and the power of expression.

The 2025 performances are grouped under five thematic umbrellas:

• “Women” in contemporary artistic creation
• Dance Days Chania as a cultural crossroads
• Mental health through the art of physicality
• The notion of time and the senses in today’s world
• Emerging choreographers (support & space for new voices)

Educational program

A core element of Dance Days Chania is its educational program, which welcomes students from Greece and abroad, amateur and professional dancers from all over the world, as well as anyone with an interest in dance. As every year, the festival hosts seminars by experienced professionals in improvisation techniques, expressive movement practices, multimedia, and more.

Through the “Meet the Choreographers” section, guest artists lead post-performance masterclasses, offering deeper insight into their creative approaches.
Registration for all seminars and workshops is ongoing!

Video Dance

Video Dance — a hybrid art form that merges cinema and contemporary dance — has been part of Dance Days Chania since 2013. This year’s two-day tribute will showcase 34 selected works at the Center of Mediterranean Architecture and the iP12 arthouse [free admission].
The program will include a discussion with guest filmmaker Fenia Kotsopoulou, on July 24.

Photography Exhibition

As part of the festival’s anniversary celebrations, a dance photography exhibition by Giorgos Anastasakis will present selected moments from the 2014–2024 editions of Dance Days Chania.
Hosted at SOUTH Space for Photography from July 18 to August 2, the exhibition will be free and open to the public — showcasing not only the festival’s rich visual archive, but also honoring the work of international artists.

“My Body Speaks” – Educational Program

The third edition of the educational program “My Body Speaks” is co-organized with the Chania Primary Education Directorate and the Municipality of Chania.
Running since October 2024, it includes monthly experiential workshops for educators and school teachers throughout the region, under the guidance of Sophia Faliérou.
Artworks and performances created by the participants will be presented in the Mikis Theodorakis Theater foyer from July 25 to August 2, showcasing children’s creations and performances by the teachers.

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Dance Days Chania has been organized since 2011 through the voluntary work of the Syn-Kinisi Expressive Dance Association.
The 15th edition is co-organized by the Region of Crete – Regional Unit of Chania and the Municipality of Chania.
The “Emerging Artists and Public Space” section is supported by the Ioannis F. Costopoulos Foundation, and additional financial support comes from Flux Laboratory and the Embassy of Austria in Athens.

Festival partners include:
– Chania Primary Education Directorate
– Onassis Foundation (Stegi)
– School of Architecture – Technical University of Crete
– Universität für Weiterbildung Krems
– Ephorate of Antiquities of Chania
– Chania Port Authority
– U(R)TOPIAS Choreographic Academy
– Chania Secondary Education School Committee
– Chania National Sports Center

The festival has been awarded the EFFE Label by the European Festivals Association (EFA) for the periods 2017–2018, 2019–2021, 2022–2023 & 2024–2025.