The representative dance festival of South Korea, the 'Cheonan Heungtaryeong Dance Festival 2025,' where you can experience dances from all over the world in one place, will be held from the 24th to the 28th at Cheonan Sports Complex and throughout the city of Cheonan. Now in its 21st year, this festival is transforming from a spectator-based event into an 'interactive festival' where visitors can directly participate and enjoy, with the slogan 'All that Dance in Cheonan.'

Starting with the opening ceremony on the 24th, a variety of performances will take place, including the National Dance Competition, International Dance Competition, Street Dance Parade, Cheonan International Dance Championship (CIDC), and the National Dance Sports Championship. The National Dance Competition, where dancers and artists gather, will be held in three categories: General, Youth, and Heungtaryeong. The International Dance Competition will feature 24 teams from 23 countries across 5 continents, including Argentina, Bulgaria, Botswana, and Tahiti, showcasing their traditional and modern dance performances.

The Cheonan International Dance Championship (CIDC), which had 16 teams from 7 countries participate last year, will have 16 teams from 16 countries this year, marking its largest scale ever. In addition to the existing open session and world finals, new programs like the Continental Clash, Breaking World Finals, and Continental Preliminaries have been added, raising expectations.

Expanded Interactive Programs for Citizens to Enjoy 

The highlight of the festival, the Street Dance Parade, will feature over 2,000 performers from 37 teams from various countries, creating a dazzling spectacle in the heart of the city and providing an experience where the audience and dancers become one.

To enhance expertise, the Korea Dance Awards competition and the National Dance Sports Championship have been newly introduced. Programs for citizen participation have also been expanded, including 'Learn to Dance' where you can learn street dance, traditional dance, and K-pop dance; the 'Cheonan Retro Party' which recreates the stage of the 2000s; and the K-EDM performance 'DANCEFLEX: EDM Heung Night' with an influencer DJ.

Of particular note is the newly established 'Pump It Up World Championship,' based on the popular dance rhythm game that was a sensation in the 1990s.

In addition, various side events are planned, such as the Korea International Dance Competition, National University Dance Competition, Random Play Dance, a children's career experience zone, and photo zones.

Adopting Eco-friendly Drone Show, Stepping Up as a Global Cultural City 

To transition to an eco-friendly festival, an eco-friendly drone light show featuring over 1,000 drones will light up the night sky instead of fireworks at the opening and closing ceremonies.

Ahn Dong-soon, CEO of the Cheonan Cultural Foundation, stated, "This festival will be a stage where citizens are not just spectators but are at the heart of the festival, enjoying and creating it together. We hope this will be a valuable opportunity to expand dance exchanges both domestically and internationally, revitalize the local economy, and promote Cheonan as a global cultural city."  

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