After five editions focused largely on the circus and related arts, HOP! Villena broadens its horizon for this year. The festival now centers more on performing arts, with a program that highlights dance and urban movement. A dozen performances will run from August 23 to 27, presented by professional companies from the Valencian Community, Catalonia, Madrid, and the Basque Country. All events unfold in open urban spaces, weaving between the fairground stage, the bullring pyramid, and the Chapi Theater plaza, and access remains free and open to the public.
Highlights include the sixth edition’s new elements, such as a hip hop competition that will attract more than twenty dancers. The collaboration with Let’s Grow, an association dedicated to hip-hop and urban art, strengthens the festival’s ties to the street-dance community. The program also features a residency at the Villena House of Culture, known as KAKV, where artists Federika Sansano, Alice Roy, and Esther Mondejar from Monovar developed new works. The residency is part of Dance Impulse, supported by Dansa València and the Valencian Cultural Institute, which has pioneered festival programming across six towns in the Valencian Community and is a key force in Alicante’s Villena scene.
The festival will also host the first hip-hop competition titled “Batalla all style.”
Directors note a deliberate balance between disciplines. Joseph Ayelo, director of KAKV and curator of the festival, explains that the program presents five dance performances and five circus or circus-theater works, in addition to the competition. This approach reflects a conscious effort to harmonize urban dance with traditional performing arts while maintaining a robust interdisciplinary flavor.
Earlier announcements from the Lucas Escobedo Company previewed festival street performances as an introductory program. On Tuesday at 7:00 PM, the Basque clown Maite Guevara takes the stage with What a nice day!, followed by a 22:00 show by Circus G that blends acrobatics, humor, and physical theater to conclude the evening with a dynamic touch.
Wednesday opens with a hip-hop showcase at the fairground featuring jam sessions and dance battles set to diverse DJ styles, inviting both adult and youth participation. The event marks the festival’s third year of returning to HOP for late-evening performances, including a visit by Screw the clown with Gold Press, a show that emphasizes spectacle and luminous artistry.
Thursday presents a trio in Plaza del Teatro Chapi as part of the Dance Circuit on Stage 2022, a project promoted by the Ministry of Culture and Inaem. It brings Amaia Elizaran representing Outsidedance, a piece born from trials and the idea of freedom; the Alicante company Brown exploring interpersonal dynamics; and Ertza Basque artist Asier Zabaleta, delivering a movement montage recognized with the MAX 2018 award for best street show. The event is described as an encounter of human stories expressed through dance and theater.
Another highlight is Planeta Trampoli presenting “Back to the Classics,” a trampoline-focused performance piece described as an information-rich, playful exploration of movement. The Trampoli show blends bounce, humor, rhythm, and a touch of romance on the trampoline.
The festival closes on Saturday with an evening of city dance and final performances by David Wind, recognized for his rapid, improvisational style and live musical collaborations. The closing night is a celebration of the festival’s energy and the city’s cultural vitality.