Performances 2025

Pés no Chão 2025 establishes Campo Maior as an international stage for contemporary dance

From 2 to 4 May, Campo Maior once again became a centre for contemporary dance with another edition of the international Pés no Chão festival. Presented by Município de Campo Maior in partnership with cultural association Axpress-Arte, the event brought movement, diversity and artistic exchange with a global reach to the Alentejo town.

The 2025 edition welcomed artists and workshop leaders from 14 countries, making it the festival’s most international edition to date. For three days, performances and workshops filled venues including Centro Cultural and Lagar-Museu Palácio Visconde d’Olivã, strengthening the connection between contemporary creation and local heritage.

A major new development was the festival’s first performance across the border: the opening took place in Badajoz, Spain, at Teatro López de Ayala, with “Con Los Pies En El Suelo”, directed by María Lama with assistance from Miguel Punzano. On 3 May, the Portuguese version, “Com os Pés no Chão”, was presented at Centro Cultural. Both featured dancers in professional training at CEDAM and Tejido Colectivo.

The programme also featured works by Libertad Pozo (“Deluati” and “Acariciando el Azul”), Kohei Nakatsu and Simone Cedar (“Taygete”), Ned Rose Nicolson (“This is a Contact Sport”), Anatole Gosse (“The Other Other Versions”) and Álvaro Murillo (“Flamenco Futuro [Código Abierto]”). Tradition and innovation met throughout the festival.

The learning programme encouraged direct contact between audiences and artists. Highlights included a contemporary technique workshop with Miguel Punzano, a screendance talk with filmmaker Alex Pachón and a contemporary flamenco workshop led by Álvaro Murillo. Activities were open to the public, bringing together people of different ages and levels of experience.

With this edition, Pés no Chão strengthened its position in the Iberian contemporary dance scene. Campo Maior continues to establish itself as a place for artistic creation, cultural exchange and close community relationships.