Zagreb Dance Center in May: Premieres, festival program and contemporary dance dialogue for the youngest audience

This May, the Zagreb Dance Center brings a rich and diverse program connecting innovative authors, renowned festivals and current social topics. From original premieres by domestic choreographers, to international guest appearances as part of the 42nd Dance Week Festival, to engaged queer performances – every day at the ZPC opens up space for new dance reflections and experiences. Whether you are a fan of experimental movement or someone just entering the world of contemporary dance, the May repertoire brings performances that will not disappoint.

At the start of the month, on 2 May, from 2:00 to 8:00 p.m., if you’re staying in Zagreb during the May Day extended weekend and looking for a quiet corner to take a break, the Zagreb Dance Center invites you to Pauza – Reading Room, a unique walk-in program at the ZPC dedicated to diverse literature on art and theory. Visitors will have the opportunity to browse and read through a variety of publications such as Kretanja, Frakcija, Up&underground and Treća, as well as books by publishers MaMa, HDKKT, Leykam International, Academy of Dramatic Art, Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, BLOK and the Domino Association, and everyone is welcome.

The month of May continues with two reprise performances of the acclaimed show MONUMENTS, produced by the DE FACTO theatre group, under the creative direction of Zagreb composer Nikola Krgović (pseudonym N/OBE) and choreographed and written by Saša Božić, on 5 and 6 May. It is an interdisciplinary performance for five young dancers combining contemporary dance and experimental club music through artistic exploration of history and cultural heritage.

The piece URSA MINOR, created by Adriana Josipović, Katarina Arbanas Romero and Zrinka Lukčec, will premiere on 10 May. The show deals with the elementary question of where we are. Where are we in relation to trees, rivers, caves, houses, and other pulsating bodies? We want to know how distant we are and what is our relationship with our thoughts, feelings, dreams, and with ourselves. We want to know where we are in relation to the unknown, the hidden, as well as the mysterious and the possible. Where are we with regard to the knowledge, experiences and wisdom of our ancestors which, although suppressed and obscured by the dominant paradigm, exist within us and around us. Ursa Minor asks all of these and many other questions, using numerous performative means, focusing on the performer as the conduit for channelling and “translation”.

The 42nd Dance Week Festival visits the Zagreb Dance Center from 13 to 17 May, bringing together renowned dance artists and companies from around the world showcasing unique dance performances that push the boundaries of contemporary dance.

As part of the Queer Zagreb season, from 22 to 24 May and again from 28 to 29 May, the Zagreb Dance Center will host numerous interesting performances with a penchant for questioning the aesthetic and social norms of transitional society in various artistic fields, combining identity activism with artistic expression that resists dominant practices.

The month’s program closes on 27 and 28 May, with Nikolina Komljenović’s children’s dance show WHICH PLANET ARE YOU?, which brings elements of contemporary circus and a powerful audio-visual atmosphere using somatic movement, improvisation, suggestive lighting, ambient sounds and immersive scenography. As the performers and the audience travel through such a space, the performance encourages inclusivity and equality among children, and deals with the basic emotions of fear, anger, happiness, sadness and love that we encounter in life.

Throughout May, the Zagreb Dance Center continues its traditional morning trainings and workshops intended for professional dance artists. During this spring month, the workshop will be led by Tobby Kassel, while Silvija Musić and Katarina Barešić will lead the morning trainings. The Zagreb Dance Center’s morning trainings and workshops enable the exchange of knowledge, development of technical skills, and the exploration of new dance methods under the guidance of experienced pedagogues, choreographers, and dance artists.

More information about the program and ticketing is available on the official website of the Zagreb Dance Center.