Created in 1985 by the City of Cannes, the Festival de danse Cannes Côte d’Azur is undoubtedly one of the major international dance festivals. The creation of this Festival is part of a historic relationship between the City of Cannes and the world of Dance, thanks in particular to the dynamic created by the opening of the Centre de Danse International Rosella Hightower in 1961. 

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In 2015, the Festival artistic director Brigitte Lefèvre asked Éric Oberdorff, founding partner of Studiotrade, to curate a platform to showcase the vitality of independent European dance to festival audiences. Since then, in partnership with the Culture Department of the City of Cannes, Éric has been developing this platform to highlight the creative work of choreographic artists presented by Studiotrade network's partners, who place the body in movement at the heart of their concerns.