The performance of Sesc SP in the dance area is guided by three axes of action: the diffusion and circulation of national and international works and artists, the promotion of language creation and the development of experiments; And the promotion of activities that contribute to the reflection and construction of knowledge about the area, in view of the commitment to the formation of the public and the educational character of the artistic action. In order to provide the public with multiplicity of experiences, plurality of symbolic representations and diversity of thought in dance, the institution promotes extensive and regular dance activities in all its units, on an extensive and regular basis.

In order to strengthen and consolidate the action in language, Sesc SP has been performing since 1998 the Sesc Dance Biennial, a festival recognized as one of the main initiatives for the diffusion and promotion of contemporary dance in Brazil and in the world. Since its last edition, the Sesc Dance Biennial has been held in the city of Campinas (SP), after eight editions in the city of Santos (from 1998 to 2013). In 2017, Sesc Campinas holds another edition of the festival, from September 14 to 24, with the support of the Campinas City Hall, the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) and other public and private partners in the city.

The festival aims to present to the public a diversified panorama of artistic production in dance, selected by a careful curation of production and the aesthetic and political issues that move the language in contemporary times, with a program that includes national and international shows in scenic spaces Closed and in the street, besides interventions, performances, exhibitions, installations and varied formative actions.

The event was born with the concern of expanding the limits of artistic expression and has sought, over the years, the closer relations with its host city, with other languages, and between work and public, having reached projection and recognition both in the National and international scenario.

The summoning of scenic and formative works of the 2017 Sesc Dance Biennial took place between 06 and 24 April 2017 and received 799 entries from 32 different countries. Of these, 658 entries were from artists / national works; And 141 of international artists / works.

For this edition, two dance artists were invited to compose the Curatorship Committee, along with the Sesc SP team: Wagner Schwartz, guest curator for the selection of the scenic works, and Cláudia Müller, invited to compose the Commission in the curation of educational actions .

Scenic action programming, already under development and in the pre-production phase, foresees about forty-five activities, including performances, interventions, performances, installations and exhibitions, including national and international works, from established or new creators, with a production Consistent and relevant to language. These works were selected by the curator commission, taking into consideration the aesthetic and political potentialities of these works and their ability to trigger reflections and developments for the formative and educational actions of the Biennial.

Among the program of performances, performances and interventions, more than forty works are proposed, seven of them international and some thirty-four national. Of this program, 23 works were included in the call for the festival, and 18 are invited works, due to their relevance in the Biennial’s programming. As for the novelty of the works, we will have 8 national premieres (shows already released, but never presented in Brazil) and 3 absolute premieres.

In addition to the artistic presentations, the Biennial program will also involve training activities such as discussion tables, laboratories and creative and research residencies; Workshops and workshops, as well as actions to activate spaces such as the Library and the ETA (Space of Technology and Arts) of Sesc Campinas.

Considering the success and growth history of the Festival, this edition is born with the challenge of maintaining the quality of the programming of previous editions, contributing significantly to the formation of new audiences in the city of Campinas and region, and to strengthen relations with creators, producers And spectators, that is, with the local dance agents.