The third Camagua Folk Dance Festival will open its windows to the world in Camagüey, from December 16 to 18 to appreciate groups from 26 controles virtually, and 16 Cuban couples in-person.

By continents, two will represent Oceania, seven America, five Asia, four Africa and eight Europe; all identified by the International Council of Organizers of Folklore and Traditional Art Festivals (CIOFF).

For the press conference, held this Tuesday at the Santa Cecilia Convention Center, Mr. Alejandro Camacho González, world president of CIOFF, an official Unesco collaborating NGO, sent congratulations from Mexico to the Camagua Folk Dance Festival.

This year incorporates as a novelty the first National Festival of Dance Couples, which will involve dancers from different regions, from the National Folkloric Ensemble, the company of Rosario Cárdenas, the Spanish Ballet of Cuba, Tropicana, the Folkloric Ballet of the East and Danza Libre from Guantánamo.

"We want to make a broader range of the vision of shows," said Fernando Medrano Vireya, first vice president of CIOFF in Cuba and creator of the festival that will have as a preamble presentations from the 14th in art schools, theaters and the municipalities of Guáimaro, Jimaguayú and Florida.

The Folkloric Ballet, the Camagüey's Contemporary Ballet, the host company Camagua, the Rumbatá group and the Maravilla de Florida orchestra will participate in galas at the Avellaneda and Principal theaters, and El Gallo park.

The official opening will be on the 16th at nine in the morning at the Santa Cecilia Convention Center, where the theoretical event dedicated to Rogelio Martínez Furé will be held.

Among the personalities will be Santiago Alfonso and Johannes García, both National Dance Prize winners, as well as researchers, critics and methodologists of the demonstration throughout the country.

Medrano Vireya added that the virtual galas scheduled to start at nine o'clock at night will be broadcast on the spaces of the Camagua Folk Dance Festival and on Facebook and YouTube, as well as on the Clave Channel of Cuban Television.

Translated by Linet Acuña Quilez