-Cheonan City takes root as a hub city of dance festivals all over the world!

Cheonan City got two hares at one, that is on the one hand to attract tourists from home & abroad and on the other hand to boost regional economy by hosting its 2018 Cheonan World Dance Festival, taking its root as a hub city of dance festivals all over the world.

Actually, Cheonan World Dance Festival was nominated as one of 4 recipients in terms of the FIDAF(The Federation of International Dance Festivals) Best Festival 2017 alongside with International MAATAF Culture & Arts Festival from Israel, International Bueyuekcemece Culture & Arts Festival from Turkey, and last but not least International CARPATI Culture & Arts Festival from Romania during the 2018 International General Congress of FIDAF which was held at the Sheraton Walkerhill Seoul on Sep. 13th evening.

To share such fever of the Cheonan World Dance Festival 2018, Honorable Cheonan City mayor Koo Bon-young & Cheonan Culture & Arts Foundation invited the Seoul Diplomatic Corps. to the opening day famtour on its 1st opening day(Sep. 12th) as well as FIDAF Korean Night Gala Dinner on its 2nd day(Sep. 13th) respectively.

First off, the famtour programs of the 1st day were consisted of the visits of the Independence Hall of Korea, located in Cheonan & Beautiful Garden Hwasoomok arboretum in the morning and the visits of Gakwonsa temple in Cheonan & Rigak gallery in the afternoon before going to the festival venue so that visiting diplomatic community can contribute to a boom-up of tourists visit to Cheonan city.

After the afternoon tour of several festival venues, visiting diplomatic community attended the welcome reception for them as well as delegates members of FIDAF from abroad, and last but not least their countries' dance teams members.

Welcoming sincerely visiting diplomatic community once again following their successful famtour to Cheonan World Dance Festival 2017 last year, Honorable mayor Koo Bon-young from Cheonan City expected that they would play a publicity Amb.'s role so that Cheonan World Dance Festival can be publicized all over the world.

Honorary president Mr. Hasan Akgun from Turkey who serves as Bueyuekcemece city mayor, said that love is for each other, but peace is for the entire world, adding in that regard, Cheonan World Dance Festival & FIDAF are doing a great job as it brings peace and nurtures culture to cement friendship among its member countries.

In the followed official opening ceremony, colorful performances from a total of 16 participating countries all over the world were unfolded as part of its pre-opening event while over 15,000 citizens & invited guests were on hand to enjoy colorful fashion shows & their peculiar performances from diverse countries from Europe, Africa, Central & South American region and Asia.

Praising citizens' dedication for the success of the Cheonan World Dance Festival including many volunteers, former Speaker Chung Se-gyun from the National Assembly pointed out that not only Cheonan, but also the Republic of Korea need fun(with Chinese word 'Heung'(興).

Korean Night Gala dinner on the next day(Sep. 13th) served as a good venue to share frinedships & exchange between diplomats & participating dance teams in the theater hall, Sheraton Walker Hill.

In the general congress of FIDAF, held in the afternoon at the Cosmos Hall before the Korean Night Gala dinner, agenda items included partial revision of the membership qualifications, partical revision of the regulations on general congress participation, partical revision of the executive committee, partial revision of the regional committee etc, to name just a few.

In the Korean Night Gala dinner which was at the theater hall after the general congress while FIDAF invited Excellencies & senior diplomats, Best master award which shined the Republic of Korea, was bestowed upon Mrs. Yook Wan-soon, the grand mother of Korean modern dance who introduced modern dance and solidified practical methologogy for the first time in Korea where modern dance was no where to be found before.

Cheonan mayor Koo Bon-young said in dance no words are needed and it contains human inherent rosonances by his welcome message while honorary president Mr. Hasan Akgun from Turkey valued highly in that Cheonan World Dance Festival contributed greatly to the peace & friendship of the world.

As FIDAF Activity country 2017, Nazan Karagozoglu from Turkey, Maria Szupiluk from Poland, Regis Bastian from Brazil, Dragana Mirkovich from Serbia and last but not least Mohamed Noor Rosli from Malaysia were nominated.

The following is a return congratulatory speech by H.E. Peteris Vaivars, Latvia Amb. to the Republic of Korea during the Korean Night Gala dinner.-Ed.

H.E. Peteris Vaivars, Latvia Amb’s Congratulatory Remarks during the Korean Night Gala Dinner to mark the 2018 Cheonan World Dance Festival(18:00 pm, Sep. 13th, Thursday, Seoul Sheraton Walkerhill Hotel, Seoul)

Honorable Mayor Koo Bon-young of Cheonan City,

Honorable president Ahn Dae-jin of the Cheonan Cultural Center Foundation and its dedicated staffs.

Honorary President Sung Moo-yong & Hasan Akgun from Turkey

First of all, on behalf of the attending diplomatic community I as Latvia Amb. to the Republic of Korea would like to express our sincere appreciation for inviting us to this Gala Korean Night Dinner this evening.

It is remarkable that the Federation of International Dance Festivals (FIDAF) which began with 30 member countries has grown to have 70 members in just 2 years. As a host of international dance festivals, it has successfully worked and communicated with global dance communities nurturing friendship in various dance events.

We would like to pay attention to the fact that the most significant achievement of FIDAF is that it has become a bridge of dance festivals happening across the globe.

Dance brings people together. For that, I believe FIDAF is doing a great job as it brings peace and nurtures culture and in that regard Latvia dance team Marupiesi VPDK comprised of its 30 dancers also will be able to carry out its mission successfully during their Cheonan Korea performances.

I would also like to underling the Song and Dance Festival which takes place in Latvia every 5 years and is listed as UNESCO Intangible World Heritage. This year the festival was attended by almost 50 000 participants among which around 20 000 were dancers from all over Latvia and even few countries from overseas.

I wish you all have experience to see it live as this is the amazing performance.This year we celebrate 100th Anniversary of our country and I invite all of you to visit Latvia for your vacation, business or culture experience.

We ambassadors & diplomats believe that FIDAF will continue its role as a bridge of global dance events and serve as a venue where arts and culture are flourished.

Thank you.

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