AURA is the only one municipal theatre of contemporary dance in Lithuania and one of a very few companies of contemporary dance in Lithuania that shows the skills of the professional dance. Artistic director Birute Letukaite and the dancers of the company dedicate themselves to modern dance and its traditions, which are tightly associated with such outstanding figures as pioneers of expressive dance in Lithuania Danute Nasvytyte and her follower was a student of Kira Daujotaite in the Dance Company “Sonata”. Birute Letukaite spent ten years in the company where she learned the skills of expressive dance.
1980 – B. Letukaite established a company of modern dance.
1982 – The first steps to the I-th open to the public concert in Kaunas, which is AURA birth date
1989 – The first time the International Dance festival was organized. In 2011. the festival was renamed the AURA Dance Festival. The festival born in Kaunas has become the town‘s meaningful tradition that encourages popularity of modern dance and enriches cultural life of Lithuania. Introducing the newest trends in modern dance and inviting to accept challenges this festival is educating the audiences and develops the understanding of modern dance. By inviting more and more established masters of dance from different foreign countries, the festival strengthens the image of Lithuania abroad and it develops intercultural exchanges. More information is available at www.dancefestival.lt.
1995 – The municipality officially acknowledged AURA Dance Theatre.
AURA took part in various international events, represented Lithuania’s modern dance in 27 foreign countries (Austria, Great Britain, Greece, Canada, France, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Germany etc.), performed at more than 162 festivals.
AURA has about 50 city, national and international awards, also received excellent feedback from both domestic and foreign press. In 2006 Birute Letukaite was awarded the Golden Stage Cross for the choreography of performance “Aseptic Zone or Lithuanian Songs” and in 2008 she become a government cultural and artistic prize winner.
September 27-30, 2012
AURA’22 is a festival of the contemporary dance where the outstanding foreign choreographers’ and group works are introduced. They join new art forms, techniques and traditions in their performances.
In 1989 the choreographer and the leader of the dance theatre AURA Birute Letukaite organized the first dance festival which has become the tradition and the event representing Kaunas. The dance festival has already introduced such famous people and groups as Johannes Wieland, Compagnie Drift, Yossi Berg ir Oded Graf dance theatre, Virpi Pakhinen, Companie Thor and many others.
This year dance groups from Norway, Netherlands, France and Israel are coming to the dance festival AURA’22.
More information on www.dancefestival.lt