The annual international dance festival Ballo Pubblico – International Festival of Contemporary Dance in Urban Spaces takes place in Poggibonsi, Tuscany, spreading throughout the city's public spaces. The festival brings together dance groups from around the world and offers a diverse program of performances, workshops, and cultural exchange. The festival was born from the need to define new spaces and ways of encounter and interaction between audiences and contemporary dance, between dance and urban space. This summer the festival celebrates its 15th anniversary and is known for its ability to unite different cultures and promote contemporary dance expression.
Ballo Pubblico is organized by the ADARTE contemporary dance group (Siena) in collaboration with Fondazione Elsa – Teatro Politeama. The festival is part of the Fenice Festival of Nine Arts festival group. The festival's official sponsors are the Monte dei Paschi di Siena Foundation, Vernice Progetti Culturali, and the City of Poggibonsi.
Maria Nurmela will perform her solo "As you like it" at the Ballo Pubblico festival on June 20, 2025 at 7 pm. "As you like it" premiered at Turku City Theatre's Sopukka stage on January 30, 2025, as part of the Western Dance Regional Center's 20th anniversary year program. The work received an excellent reception and all three of its performances sold out well in advance. The solo work As You Like It is a tribute to the history of dance and memories. The work plays with symbols, objects, and memories, creating a multi-layered and personal interpretation of the meaning of dance. The performance title refers to William Shakespeare's play of the same name, and it explores identity, roles, and choices. The work reveals how memories are preserved in our bodies through movement. The solo also emphasizes the theme of freedom of choice – there is always the possibility to interpret and experience life in one's own way. She will adapt her work for Ballo Pubblico to the public space, the city's central square.es.