Celebrating 20 years of enriching the world dance scene with some of the most unique artists, MAAT|Cairo Contemporary Dance Centre (MAAT|CCDC) will hold an art festival on 7 December.

For two weeks, and under the name “20 Years Maat”, the festival brings all sorts of dance art, including dance performances, special dance classes, live music events, screenings, and talks, to celebrate dance with as much passionate people as possible.

The platform was launched by Egyptian artist and UNESCO Dance Council member Karima Mansour.

The CCDC is the very first independent contemporary dance company in Egypt. For 20 years, the company produced more than 20 performances that travelled the world under the direction of Karima Mansour. They also participated in more than 20 collaborations in theatre and cinema and produced more than 25 performances by young Egyptian and foreign choreographers.    

MAAT also provides the chance for passionate dancers to learn through a number of free classes, attracting people from different backgrounds and from all ages. The festival will also host a discussion about the current contemporary dance scene in Egypt with a number of “professionals from all parts of the larger dance community who will lay out and explore important topics related to the field,” according to a statement published by Maat.

On one of the nights of the celebration, the company will host a performance by the dance school’s talented alumni. The performers are a number of underprivileged children who were fostered by a number of foundations and were taught how to express themselves through the arts and dancing.

“In recent years, MAAT|CCDC opened its doors to children and teens from different underprivileged backgrounds in order to share artistic experiences with them within a safe environment. This helps them to   develop their individual creativity by engaging in group activities that expand their personalities and increase their self-esteem,” the school said in a statement.