Second edition of Brussels Summer Wonders festival all about dance

The second edition of the Brussels festival Summer Wonders will focus on dance. The Bourse building in the heart of Brussels will be the hub of the festival, named Zomerpret in Dutch and Plaisirs d'Été in French.

With dance as the central theme, organiser Brussels Major Events wants to "transcend language barriers" because "dance knows no borders". Brussels is furthermore considered "a global capital of contemporary dance", it says.

Performances will take place at various locations in the city, including Place de la Bourse, Les Brigittines, La Monnaie, Bozar and Kaaitheater.

For three weeks, the Bourse will act as a meeting point with a fixed programme. In addition, a different neighbourhood will be put in the spotlight each week with a more varied programme. In the first week, that will be Square Jacques Brel, then Mont des Arts and Place de la Chapelle.

Dance battles

On Mondays and Tuesdays, dancers of a Belgian dance federation climb the stage at the Bourse. On Tuesdays, Detours Cyphers will also take place on the same stage, with dancers competing against each other. On Thursdays, Brussels Major Events will hold dance classes at the Bourse, while World Dancing initiation sessions are planned on Saturdays. On Saturdays and Sundays, there will be dance jams.

"This year, the city of Brussels is moving to the rhythm of dance and getting ready to get Brussels residents and tourists moving to various sounds," said Delphine Houba, Brussels councillor responsible for culture and tourism.

Summer Wonders is the summer version of the Winter Wonders festival and runs from 26 July to 18 August. The city of Brussels has allocated a budget of 350,000 euros for the event.

​_{Brussels councillors Delphine Houba and Fabien Maingain at the presentation of the festival Summer Wonders © BELGA PHOTO TIMON RAMBOER}