“When we dance or experience incredible dance performances, our body’s inner sensations are provoked into states of change as chemical reactions inside us transform our perceptions in real time. We breathe faster, our eyes dart, our heart rate increases and our chest tightens; or we quieten, relax back, eyes wide, the hairs on our skin standing tall. The connections between our brain, body, mind and the world reshape and, sometimes, when we are lucky, metamorphosise. We can feel elated, challenged, energised, infuriated, surprised, adrenalised, transported or, quite simply, we sit there with tears streaming down our faces. This is the power of dance. The greater one’s new affinity with the artwork, the more radical the altered states as we are moved from the prosaic to the profound. Dance changing, then, our very state of being.” Wayne McGregor

From July 14th to 29th, Altered States, the 15th edition of the International Festival of Contemporary Dance of the Venice Biennale, will showcase seven world premieres, three European premieres, and nine Italian premieres. The festival features renowned artists from the world of dance as well as emerging innovative voices. Among the highlights is the European inauguration of the Simone Forti exhibition, which pays tribute to the illustrious six-decade career of the recipient of the 2023 Golden Lion award.

Cover: MÁM, Michael Keegan-Dolan © Matt Grace – Biennale Danza 2023 – Courtesy La Biennale di Venezia