On November 21, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. The International Festival of Modern Choreography (IFMC) in Vitebsk is a platform for the development of the plastic art form, said Tadeusz Struzhetsky, Deputy Minister of Culture of Belarus, at the opening ceremony of the forum today, as reported by BELTA correspondent. "The festival is a significant cultural event for Belarus. It has become a launchpad for discovering new names and a platform for the development of modern choreographic art," noted the Deputy Minister. The festival's popularity among audiences and artists is a guarantee that it will continue. Tadeusz Struzhetsky thanked the founders and organisers of the festival for the high level of its preparation. The vibrant programme and prestige have allowed IFMC to go beyond Vitebsk this year: evenings of modern choreography will be presented in Minsk (November 22 at the "Minsk" Concert Hall and November 28 at the National Academic Grand Opera and Ballet Theatre), Molodechno (November 22), Bobruisk (November 23), Grodno (November 26). In Vitebsk, the festival programme is scheduled for November 21-25. The venues for its events will be the "Vitebsk" Concert Hall and the Yakub Kolas National Academic Drama Theatre. The main event of the festival is the international competition of modern choreography. Traditionally, it is held in twoThe festival remains true to its main goal – to integrate Belarus's creative potential in the field of contemporary choreography into the global cultural space, while continuing to stimulate the development of international relations in the arts. Thousands of artists from over 40 countries have performed on the Vitebsk stage over the 25-year history of the festival, which throughout these years has contributed to strengthening Belarus's image as a modern state with highly artistic traditions and cultural values of the new century. The founders of the festival are the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, the Ministry of Culture of Belarus, the Vitebsk City Executive Committee, and the National Academic Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of the Republic of Belarus. The Vitebsk Cultural Centre acts as the organiser. -0-

BELTA