“We made up our minds to launch this project, because modern dance is an extremely important form of art. Through dance you can explain what is happening in the world, what social and personal problems people face,” director of the Goethe-Institut, Johannes Ebert was quoted as saying by Kzn.Ru. “Classic dance in Russia is brilliant, but the country’s modern dance has some room for improvement.”

The project is unique, since this is the first time that Russian and European dancers have come together on the same stage.

“It’s like a big melting pot,” head of the Russia-US Co-operation Program, Etienne Claye, said. “Dance is ideal if you want to integrate different cultures.”

Organizers and participants say the project was a true challenge. Many European choreographers have come to Russia for the first time and had to adapt to living in the country, whereas dancers faced not only language barriers, but also cultural ones.

“I could not speak with the troupe about really deep things, because English is not our native language,” Belgian choreographer Karine Ponties was quoted as saying by Interfax new agency.

The festival will be opened by the shows “The Good, the Bad and You” by Danish choreographer Lotte Sigh, who was working with Kazan chamber ballet “Panther”, and the by the performance “True Style”, by Christophe Winkler, and St. Petersburg Theater’s “Ёd”.

The program of the event also includes master classes by European choreographers and a round table on prospect of modern dance in Russia.

The troupes will be showing their footwork till May 23rd in the halls of Moscow's Pyotr Fomenko's Workshop and the Fabrica Project.