Sounds of Diversity: Where Contemporary Classical Music Meets Modern Dance

What does the fusion of contemporary classical music and modern dance look like? How can the worlds of musicians and dancers be connected to create something new, innovative, and authentic? Through Sounds of Diversity!

At MOVE Ostrava, we are proud to have been invited by the Creative Center Ostrava, to collaborate and become a partner in the second edition of this international project. It brings together composers, musicians, and dancers from the four Visegrad countries, showcasing music and dance as a bridge between artistic genres, cultures, and audiences.

Sounds of Diversity has united contemporary music and modern dance into a music-movement composed program, created through close collaboration between composers, dancers, musicians, and a lighting designer. Here, music is not merely a backdrop for movement, just as dance is not simply a visualization of sound—instead, the performances foster a true dialogue between the body, sound, and space.

This year’s edition, themed around well-being, presented four world premieres by Przemysław Scheller (PL), Petra Šuško (CZ), Viktor Molnár (HU), and Matej Sloboda (SK), along with a movement concept based on instant composition. This unique approach was tailor-made for the featured compositions by Jana Ryšlavá in collaboration with director Martin Modrý.

“The dancers Jana Ryšlavá, Lucia Bielik, and Radoslav Piovarči, along with Piotr Ceglarek’s light design, served as a connecting thread throughout all the performances. They either merged seamlessly with the musical events or created contrasts and additional layers. Sometimes all the dancers responded together, while at other times, soloists took the lead, generating a unique tension between all elements. This dynamic interplay worked remarkably well, shaping the project into a truly multimedia work where each component was inseparable from the others, functioning only in synergy.” (Projekt Sounds of Diversity přinesl multisenzorický zážitek, www.operaplus.cz)

Success of the concerts in Ostrava and Katowice

This year’s edition kicked off in Ostrava and Katowice with two intense and deeply emotional evenings in early March. The premiere took place on the evening of March 5 in the Concert Hall of the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Ostrava, followed by another performance the next day at the Concert Hall of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. The atmosphere on both nights was electrifying, and the power of the present moment—where the energy of the stage and audience merged—was almost tangible.

In both cities, the audience responded with enthusiasm, openness, and a willingness to be drawn into an experimental artistic dialogue. Reviews praised not only the technical precision and artistic ingenuity but also the emotional intensity radiating from the program.

“Fans of contemporary classical music had the opportunity to experience contemporary dance, while those who came for the dance were introduced to works by modern composers. And together, they were able to spend an hour and a half in that very intense presence, where the energy shared between the stage and the audience was almost palpable.” (Tak trochu jiné wellness. Ohlédnutí za druhým ročníkem projektu Sounds of Diversity, www.ostravan.cz)

In the fall, we will continue in Žilina and Budapest.

The entire creative team is thrilled that the success of the first concerts confirms that the concept of Sounds of Diversity works – and that contemporary music and dance have the power to transcend borders and reach audiences across Europe. This is why the journey doesn’t end with the two performances, and in the fall, Sounds of Diversity will head to Žilina and Budapest, continuing this cross-genre and international collaboration.

We would like to thank everyone who has been a part of this journey – and we look forward to what comes next!

PHOTO: Kamil Hauptmann