The third event of the 2013 Festival of Ideas was a Conversation with Gigi Caciuleanu, world famous choreographer, professor and contemporary dance innovator on cultural management, identity and Diasporas and the transformative power of dance, on Tuesday, September 17 from 19:00.

An international ballet and dance personality, Mr. Caciuleanu won his first international prize in 1974 at the International Competition of Choreography of Paris – Bagnolet . Between 1974-1978, he held the position of director at the Nancy Ballet Theatre, and later on Artistic Director of the National Choreographic Centre in Rennes – France. In 1984, he was awarded the title of Chevalier in France in the Order of Arts and Letters and, in Romania, the Romania Star Chevalier Medal. After 1994, he creates the famous Gigi Căciuleanu Company in Paris.

In 2001, he is appointed Artistic Director of National Ballet in Chile where he divides the work of choreographic creation between his company from Paris, the Chilean National Ballet and National Theater of Opera and Ballet in Constanta. In 2002, he is awarded the prize Altazor Santiago, the Chilean equivalent of the Oscar, and in 2003 is named the best international choreographer of the year.

Nowdays, Mr. Gigi Căciuleanu continues to teach his specific technique and convey his original style of contemporary dance by moderating workshops and master classes in prestigious institutions such as National Superior Conservatory La Villette, l’Ecole de l’Opera de Paris, the French National Conservatories in Boulogne-Billancourt, Annecy, Chambéry and Rennes.

Other topics of conversation covered how festivals and other artistic events serve as means of bridging cultures and Romania’s way of promoting its traditions, arts and cultures. We also looked at how a country can benefit from promoting its culture and traditions, analyzing as well ways in which Bucharest and other major Romanian cities can create a cultural hub for the region.

In partnership with the George Enescu Festival and with the support of the Aspen Institute’s Ideas Festival, this event invites participants to engage in deep and meaningful discussions on the overlaps between social identity, success in the arts and culture and how these can serve as identity pillars.