Dance performance that is not a performance, but a world of ideas.

Imagine you come to a performance that seems to be waiting for you. It wanted to be for you. It wanted to be about you. It is possible? Is it possible in a rational world of adults in which we think there is no room for our individual ideas because we have to work together?

Yet, we have plenty  of ideas. It's our life mode. Our world from which we can draw, but which can affect us in other ways as well. Our ideas are most vivid when provoked. Well: let yourself be provoked by dancing!

You may find that your topic is encoded in the performance. And perhaps then, when you go to a sandwich bar with a friend, acquaintance or colleagues after you finish, something happens ... But ... let's not skip time.

Art is not just here to present difficult puzzles. He or she is also here so that we can understand ourselves.

Michal Nikodem is psychotherapist and relationship counsellor with 11 years of experience. He gained his life experience in the USA, India, Italy, and elsewhere. Before embarking on a therapeutic career, he built and successfully ran a restaurant and the first cooking school in the Czech Republic. In his workshops and seminars focused on personal development, he uses the techniques of hypnosis and hypnotherapy, NLP, family and systemic constellations, as well as elements from Gestalt therapy. His key activities include working with relationships and addictions. He is dedicated to accompanying clients on their journey in search of the meaning of life, profession and mission. His work and personal life are soaked in meditation and enjoying many minute everyday pleasures.. // www.vztaholog.cz

Jitka Čechová graduated from the Duncan Centre in Prague (2017). During her studies, she participated in a dance internship in New York City (Professional Certificate Studies Program José Limón Dance Foundation), several research study programmes related to contemporary dance (Belgium and the Netherlands) and had a research stay in China (CEEC Summer Dance Camp 2017) focused on classical Chinese technique, kung fu, interpretation and creation. Her author-productions include transformation (transFormace), Nymph (Nymfa), Chiaroscuro Hédonistico, DeProfundis (for the Open House Festival) and Growth (opening ceremony for MOCAP (Museum of Contemporary Art, China, Shenzhen). As dancer, she collaborated on the performances White piece (choreography: Sofia Krantz, Days of Jerusalem) and Pulsar (choreography: Michal Záhora). She is also the founder of the dance project Tanec pod Jedličkou (Jedlička Institute 2016, 2017).

Yuri Korec holds a doctorate degree (2018) from the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, where he graduated in 2018 doctoral program. He also completed the Rolfing® certified programme at the European Rolfing Association in Munich (2009–2011). At the beginning of his career, he was with the Dance Studio in Banská Bystrica and the Dajv art group in Bratislava. That launched his international career that spanned over a decade, and collaborations with independent dance ensembles Cocoondance Company in Germany, Edita Braun Company and CieLaroque / Helene Weinzierl in Austria, Ventura Dance Company in Switzerland, Stephanie Schober & Dance Company in the UK. Yuri is currently freelance choreographer. His portfolio includes, inter alia, d-BODY-m (2017), Nonsolo (Nesólo; 2018) and Habibi 2196-18 (2018), / Solo not just for a single body (Sólo nielen pre jedno telo; 2018), SNPJT.online (2020) and Sapiens Territory (2020). He is also a co-author of the internationally acclaimed dance films Day (Deň; dir. by J. Vlk, 2004), Darkroom (dir. by P. Bebjak, 2007) and Voices (dir. by P. Bebjak, 2011). Since 2015 teaches at the Department of Dance at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. He also works as a therapist in the Rolfing® method and is the first certified rolfer in Slovakia.

Daniel Raček dedicated himself, in his youth, to folklore and ballroom dancing. Since 1992 he has been focusing on contemporary dance and contact improvisation. After graduating from the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Comenius University and the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava, he first began working at the Dance Studio Theatre in Banská Bystrica and since 1999 as freelance artist at home and internationally (Czech Republic, Hungary, Norway, Greece). He is currently member of the Bratislava-based Debris Company and Late Harvest and the Karen Foss Quiet Works in Norway. In 2006 he received the Philip Morris / Ballet Flower prize for the best performance in contemporary dance. In lecturing he specialises in the principles of contemporary dance with a particular focus on inverted body positions and modern partnering. He previously also taught at a number of dance conservatories (Banská Bystrica, Ostrava, Budapest).

Václav Chalupský was born in Tábor, where, from the age of six, he studied piano under the tutelage of Eva Králová and Jana Korbelová. Aged fifteen fifteen, he started working in alternative bands and founded the Chalupski project. His compositions were first piano solos; over time they expanded into sound with string arrangements and loops of electric guitar and synthesisers. He made his debut as Chalupski in 2019 with the album Vortex. Since 2017, he has been composing for dance performances and audio-visual projects. He teaches at the Duncan Centre in Prague.

Theme, concept author, director, guide: Michal Nikodem

Music: Václav Chalupský

Choreography: Jitka Čechová, Yuri Korec

Performed by: Jitka Čechová, Daniel Raček

Artistic supervision, production: Honza Malík

With gratitude to: Tereza Krčálová, Helena & Jakub Urbani (TEP39), Berrak Yedek (Limpid studio), Jana Dolejšová, Štěpán Zahálka, Anna Línová

Running time: 90 min