The first dança em foco event was held in 2003 and had French productions as its theme. The event presented video-making history and the choreographic production Portraits Dansés by choreographer Philippe Jamet and video maker Philippe Démard, a workshop given by the two creators concerning the possibilities of the scenic use of video, with a commented screening of videos and a discussion group debating contemporary dance and its relationship to virtual images.

It had SESC Rio de Janeiro’s sponsorship, and the support of the French Alliance and of the French Consulate General.

In 2004, dança em foco presented two shows of the Austrian company Cie. Willi Dorner - treeseconds and no credit; two workshops, one with video maker and choreographer Tamara Cubas, of Uruguay, and the other, with choreographer Willi Dorner, of Austria; and a discussion panel with the participation of renowned Brazilian and international professionals – such as: Sônia Sobral and Nayse Lopes, creators of www.idanca.net, Nelson Enohata (videomaker) and Tamara Cubas. In addition, the event coupled itself for the first time with the Festival Internacional de Videodanza del Uruguay (International Video dance Festival of Uruguay) and the Festival Internacional de Video-Danza de Buenos Aires (International Video-Dance Festival of Buenos Aires), including Brazil in a network of exhibitions of Latin-American, European, North American and Canadian productions.

In its second year, the event counted on Espaço SESC's sponsorship, and the support of the following entities: the Austrian Consulate, the Cie. Willi Dorner company, Cultural Itaú, Art Light, the International Videodance Festival of Uruguay, the International Video-Dance Festival of Buenos Aires, CEASM - Centro de Estudos e Ações Solidárias da Maré (Maré Center for Studies and Solidarity Action) and PEM - Programa de Educação pelo Movimento – (Program of Education through Movement).

The third dança em foco event, from December 5 to 11, 2005, established an international videodance exhibition platform, which featured French and Latin-American productions. The agenda consisted of: workshops with Zaven Paré (France) and Silvina Szperling (Argentina), lectures with Patrick Bensard, director of Cinématèque de la Danse de Paris, a discussion group with the theme Videodance: production and circulation, and presentation of the International Videodance Exhibition.

In 2005, dança em foco counted on SESC Rio de Janeiro’s sponsorship; the affiliation of Mercosul Videodance Circuit, International Videodance Festival of Uruguay, the International Video-Dance Festival of Buenos Aires; and the support of the French Consulate, Psicodesign and ZIT.

Since 2006, dança em foco has acquired Oi Futuro as a new sponsor. Coupled with this institution, which is so deeply concerned with the interplay between art and technology, the festival founded itself on new bases, and expanded and diversified its public of spectators and participants.

In 2006, an important initiative was the publication of the book Dança e Tecnologia – Volume I (Dance and Technology – Volume I). It is the first book published in Brazil that discusses art produced via the video/dance interface. Its trilingual format expands its international scope, especially throughout Latin America.

In 2007 the program has included the MIV – Mostra Internacional de Videodança (International Videodance Exhibition), with its almost 500 hours of diversified broadcasting gathering 229 works from Brazil and abroad; the release of the book Videodança, second volume from the dança em foco / Videodança series; a discussion  panel, lectures, workshops and mini courses with renowned Brazilian and international experts from dance,  film/video and contemporary arts: Alex Reuben (UK), Daniel Miracle (Spain), Alexandre Veras and Andrea Bardawill (Ceará/Brasil), Marcus Moraes, Ivana Bentes and Fernando Cocchiarale (Rio de Janeiro) and the participation of Silvina Szperling (Argentina) and Tamara Cubas (Uruguay) at  São Paulo’s edition that took place for the second consecutive year at SESC Vila Mariana simultaneously to the carioca edition.

Complementing its actions for 2007 dança em foco released a call for the production of one minute longer works conceived specifically to cell phones, aimed to offer an actual platform to divulgate videodance. The result was presented during the MIV.

In parallel to that, dança em foco housed the meeting of the II Latin American Videodance Forum with Brazilian guests and the directors of festivals from Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Associating itself since 2004 with International Videodance Festival of Uruguay, the International Video-Dance Festival of Buenos Aires, which form the Mercosul Videodance Circuitnetwork, dança em foco released, in 2005, its first DVD collection of Brazilian, Argentinean and Uruguayan videodance productions. The collection has already become an international reference for Latin-American productions, receiving invitations for exhibition in festivals and cultural centers in various parts of the world, such as Bolivia, Venezuela, Cuba, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and the United States. The 2007 edition marks the release of the second collection containing recent productions from three Mercosul Videodance Circuitnetwork member-countries.

Since its creation, dança em foco has had the support of some important sponsors: AFAA, Arts Council (England), British Council, Centre George Pompidou (France), the French Consulate, Dance East (England), International Videodance Festival of Uruguay, the International Video-Dance Festival of Buenos Aires and Instituto Cervantes. Above all, it persists due to the support of SESC Rio de Janeiro, an institution to which the appearance of dança em foco is credited – the festival has occupied Espaço SESC in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, ever since its first year, in 2003.

The dança em foco project is a creation and production of the following professionals: choreographer Paulo Caldas, director of Staccato Dança Contemporânea (Staccato Contemporary Dance); researcher and art director Leonel Brum, founder of the Dança Brasil (Dance Brazil) and Dança Criança (Dance for Children) festivals; cultural producer Regina Levy; and administrator and international producer Eduardo Bonito, director of Panorama de Dança (Dance Panorama).