DANCE IN NOVEMBER 2000 Dance in November, the dance festival held once every two years in the Helsinki capital area, takes place in an exceptional form this year. It incorporates another, international contemporary dance festival, which dominates the programme. Trans Danse Europe 2000 is a travelling festival organised by the seven European Cities of Culture and the festivals and dance companies representing them. The festival arrives in Helsinki via Avignon, Bergen, Prague, Bologna and Brussels, and later ends up in Reykjavik. The aim of Trans Danse Europe 2000 Festival is to help further the most interesting trends and phenomena in European contemporary dance by putting the works of the various choreographers and companies from the Cities of Culture into extensive circulation. Europe is in the process of rapid economic and administrative integration. The festival gives us a chance to compare the developments in the field of dance and art. We can see for ourselves whether the convergence is as rapid there, or whether the dance works still retain traces of the background and the climate in and into which they were created. The practices in the field of dance seem to be undergoing similar development and change as those in the other fields of social activity. As the production culture in the "old" centres for dance becomes stronger and tighter, or extends towards the exotic East, the fringe areas seek to co-operate with each other. The distance between Athens and Helsinki may prove mentally shorter than the distance between Athens and Brussels. This is why the Mediterranean has been chosen as the other, complementary theme of Dance in November. The diverse and varied festival programme is dominated by strong female choreographers and dancers. Another unifying quality can be found in the forms of expression employed in the works. Whether small-scale solo pieces or group choreographies, they are, for the most part, concerned with blurring and crossing the boundaries between dance, theatre, performance art and other performing and visual arts. Dance in November 2000 numbers the most performances of any contemporary dance festival held in Finland so far. The performances take place at Zodiak in the Cable Factory, Stoa in Itäkeskus, Louhisali in Espoo, Helsinki City Theatre's Studio Elsa and Kiasma Theatre between October 25 and November 1, 2000. CONTACT INFORMATION Theatre Center Finland Meritullinkatu 33 FIN-00170 Helsinki Finland teatterikeskus@teatterikeskus.fi Tiina Kokko, puhelin +358 9 394 0319 Trans Danse Europe 2000 -producer Helsinki City Theatre VENUES Helsingin Kaupunginteatteri, Ensi linja 2. Stoa, Itä-Helsingin kulttuurikeskus, Turunlinnantie 1. Zodiak, Kaapelitehdas, Tallberginkatu 1. Louhi-sali, Espoon kulttuurikeskus, Tapiolan kulttuuriaukio. Kiasma, Mannerheiminaukio 2. TICKETS Lippurex +358 9 169 3241 or +358 9 394 022 and the box office of the venues.