ABU International Dance Festival

The ABU International Dance Festival is a cross-border dance event connected with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), bringing performers from member countries together on a shared stage.

The festival has featured both traditional and contemporary dance, combining cultural presentation with television and broadcast production.

• January — the inaugural edition was staged in Hyderabad.
• March — a second documented edition was held in New Delhi.

Cultural exchange — The festival uses dance as a way for participating broadcasters and performers to present distinctive cultural traditions to audiences from other countries.

Traditional and contemporary expression — Its documented format places established dance traditions alongside newer choreography, allowing different approaches to performance to share the same programme.

Broadcast collaboration — The event also reflects ABU's role in connecting broadcasters across the Asia-Pacific region through shared cultural programming.

2017 — The first ABU International Dance Festival was organized in Hyderabad by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, Prasar Bharati and the Government of Telangana. The programme included dance groups representing countries across the Asia-Pacific region.

2019 — A second documented edition was held in New Delhi in association with Prasar Bharati, with the event presented as an international dance production for participating broadcasters.

Performers — Dance groups represent participating countries and present choreographed works rooted in traditional or contemporary practice.

Organizers — ABU and host broadcasters coordinate the programme, production, staging and broadcast arrangements.

Audiences — Visitors watch the performances as a live cultural programme, while television audiences can experience the festival through participating broadcast networks.

Participating groups arrive with prepared choreographies and cultural presentations. Performances are staged in a programme that can include traditional dances alongside contemporary works, followed by judging or presentation elements where the competitive format applies. The performances are also produced for television or other broadcast distribution, extending the event beyond the host venue.

India — The documented editions were hosted in Hyderabad and New Delhi, with Indian broadcasters playing a central role in production and presentation.

Asia-Pacific participants — Groups have represented traditions from countries including Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Maldives, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Uzbekistan and other participating nations.

Different dance traditions — The programme can range from classical and folk forms to contemporary choreography, reflecting the varied performance cultures represented by participating broadcasters.

• Traditional dance presentation
• Contemporary dance performance
• National representation
• Cross-cultural performance exchange
• Stage and television production
• Broadcast distribution

Dance costume — Traditional clothing and accessories help communicate the identity and visual language of each dance form.

Ghungroo — Small ankle bells are used in several South Asian dance traditions to emphasize rhythmic footwork.

Performance stage — The shared stage represents the festival's role in bringing different dance traditions into one programme.

Broadcast camera — Television production is an important part of the festival's connection with the Asia-Pacific broadcasting community.

• The festival is organized in connection with the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union and participating broadcasters.
• The inaugural edition was hosted in Hyderabad, India.
• The documented inaugural programme included performers from more than ten countries.
• The festival has presented both traditional and contemporary dance.
• The documented competitive format allowed participating countries to present a contemporary dance alongside a traditional presentation.
• Performances have been produced for television distribution as well as live audiences.