From September 29th to October 2nd 2026, thanks to the support of Crossing the Sea, choreographer Francesca Santamaria and her collaborator Giovanni di Capua were in Slovenia to present GOOD VIBES ONLY (beta test) at the NaKnap Festival 2026 at Španski borci in Ljubljana, home of the En-Knap group.
The festival, which combines short dance works, video dance and VR choreographic projects, was a great source of inspiration. It was enriching to take part in the staging of a hybrid and experimental format, which combines live performance and video, also in light of my artistic journey, which began precisely in the field of video dance.
Furthermore, at the invitation of artistic director Iztok Kovač, GOOD VIBES ONLY (beta test), which opened the three days of programming, took on a form designed ad hoc to create a connection, a common thread, with the VR work that preceded it. A form I would dare to call “festival-specific”, since it was born from a dialogue with the specific nature of the festival.
In addition to this, staying during the days of the festival made it possible to build new relationships and consolidate others with industry professionals and colleagues invited to the festival, some of whom I had met last year during the shared experience of Teatri Riflessi in Zafferana Etnea.
They were intense days, and it was exciting, after the experience of Spring Forward 2026 in Portugal, to kick off the European tour of GOOD VIBES ONLY (beta test), which will continue in the coming months.
I thank the entire artistic and production team of En-Knap, artistic director Iztok Kovač and Crossing The Sea for this opportunity.
Francesca Santamaria
