Shakespearia

Ophelia’s complex, Lady Macbeth’s effect, Juliet’s tragedy. Shakespearean female characters are often attributed with madness and instability. The popularity of female madness extends far beyond Shakespeare’s work and becomes an experience eagerly analysed by subsequent authors. Through this performance, we try to imagine the context of the experience of the ‘mad’ female characters. Madness becomes a fascinating image, in which we also often seek emancipatory strategies. These protagonists often act alone. What if we made some displacements and, through that movement, they could meet in one space? Shakespearia is a dance collage of alternative ideas about the female protagonists in Shakespeare’s tragedies and their coexistence. Dancers from Krakow Dance Theatre create movement-based interpretations of the disorganised thoughts of Ophelia, Lady Macbeth and Juliet, exploring unknown areas of the literary characters and ourselves. The starting point in the creation of the performance was objects which, together with visuals and the bodies of the performers, build the architecture of the space: the stage space and the imaginary space. When thinking about Ophelia, Lady Macbeth and Juliet, are we able to identify the architecture of their rooms? What if we actually visited Juliet in Verona? What if the protagonists really wanted to go visit Lady Macbeth? In what interiors would she host them? On what furniture? In addition to the architecture of places, we are interested in body architecture. Can psychological disintegration be presented in the form of decomposition of body fragments? Would Juliet’s hand have saved Lady Macbeth from madness? Can defragmentation of the bodies of these three protagonists take place on stage as an emancipatory project? The performance of Krakow Dance Theatre will be presented on the stage of Teatr Groteska as part of institutional cooperation and guest relocation.

Krakow Dance Theatre has been in operation since 2008. It is one of the most active dance theatres in Poland. Tens of events showcasing and promoting contemporary dance and performing arts have been brought to life by Krakow Dance Theatre. Over the years, the Theatre has developed three basic pillars of its activity: art, education and dance showcases. Krakow Dance Theatre has produced around 40 on-stage and street performances. It would be difficult to clearly define the aesthetics of the Theatre. Due to the architectural background of its creator, critics often emphasise the plasticity of the performances built through the use of light and the architecture of the body and movement. Krakow Dance Theatre regularly participates in key artistic events and festivals in Poland and abroad. In recent years, Eryk Makohon has created performances alongside Idan Cohen, Ayrin Ersoz, Milan Tomášik, to name a few. As part of its ongoing educational activities, the Theatre runs Adept Groups. Currently, there are around 130 dancers training and developing their talents at the Theatre. International workshops are regularly organised with teachers from all over the world. Krakow Dance Theatre collaborates with multiple Polish and international institutions. Together with the Cricoteka - Tadeusz Kantor Museum, it organises the Rollercoaster dance showcase. It is also one of the six partners in the European Beyond Front@: Bridging Periphery programme, supporting the development of contemporary dance in Central and Eastern Europe and Sweden. Together with organizations from ten European countries, Krakow Dance Theater has initiated the BODIES project, which focuses on developing and testing discrimination-free models and practices in creative fields.