Derida Dance Center is an organization that operates in the field of contemporary dance, whose main areas of work include:
Our performing venue, “Derida Stage”; 
Training and educational programs in contemporary dance and ballet;
International collaborations and events;
An Artist Residency Program;
Social events and open classes in dance.
Derida Dance Center is located in the center of Sofia. It resides in a building once used as a chocolate factory.
Derida Dance Center has been recognized as an active partner internationally for its involvement in projects and collaborations in Europe, the U.S., Israel, and Asia. These international activities make Derida Dance Center an expert in the development and support of contemporary dance, developing special reports, identifying the sector’s trends and needs worldwide, and researching tools for support and subsidization at a macro level.
Derida is a Presenting Partner for “Aerowaves- Dance Across Europe”. As such, its role is to present emerging artists from Europe to Bulgarian audiences.
Today, the platform has 47 Partners, Presenting Partners and Presenters in 35 different European countries. Derida Dance Center is honored to be an organizer of the Spring Forward Festival 2018, from 23-25 March in Sofia, Bulgaria. The platform will present the TOP 20 European performances selected out of 637 applications.
A very big advantage of this year’s festival by Aerowaves is its partnership with two other regional platforms:
- From March 21 to 23, a Bulgarian Dance Showcase will take place in Sofia that will host presenters from all over the world to see the best of the Bulgarian dance stage.
- From March 26 to 28, SPOTLIGHT: USA – A Platform of American Dance in Bulgaria will take place in Plovdiv, organized by American Dance Abroad in partnership with ONE Dance Week.
The program at Derida is very diverse. In terms of supporting choreographers, we are looking for talents from all over the world to invite them for three to four week-long residencies, to produce and teach in Sofia. Every year we have one or two companies (or choreographers) from the U.S. Next year, in collaboration with GPS/Global Practice Sharing, operated by Movement Research NYC, and in partnership with American Dance Abroad, we will host four choreographers: Sidra Bell, Rebecca Margolick, Chad Michael Hall and Shamel Pitts. Additionally, we present the artists as part of the program of Derida Stage or in collaboration with local partners.
We are open to meeting artists as much as possible and that is why our team travels a lot. We would like to encourage choreographers to get in touch and apply for our Residency Program. This January I was in NYC for 10 days for the annual meeting of GPS and met many new partners.
In June, I will return to the U.S. for American Dance Recon, organized by American Dance Abroad, and hope to discover a lot of new territories, and to get familiar with more and more American dance.
American Dance Abroad 