Sapiens Territory is a performance for seven dancers which came out of a long-term international collaborative research.

Where does the body end and the behavioral patterns begin into which we try to fit our bodies day after day? Is it at all possible to distinguish between them or have they grown into a single inseparable entity after all those years, a little like a broken leg into plaster? In this piece, Yuri Korec explores the violence we inflict on ourselves to mask who we really are. But also the violence that protects us from ourselves and our surroundings, scrutinizing us almost all the time. He subjects it to a thorough repeated re-examination with a group of dancers. It will become clear very soon that, more than being shaped by the frameworks, we are shaped by how we define ourselves towards them. Sapiens Territory notices moments when the body suddenly betrays us in contact with them, dismisses obedience, does not cooperate. It will be only then, if we can be ourselves at all.

Closing discussion and dialogue about the artworks with the members of Dramaturgical Board, dance critics and artists facilitated by a dramaturg Yasen Vasilev.

International networking event with brunch which includes pitching sessions, informal discussions and presentations.

Arrival around midnight.

A curated audio guide through Slovak contemporary dancescape making the bus journey more pleasant. A talk between two friends, Jaro and Maja, a dancer constantly leaving but never truly gone from Slovakia and a naturalized dance dramaturg and activist, who despite her burning out for Slovak dance fosters her foreigner’s eyes. Navigating around the experience of a dance career stretched between East, Middle and West of Slovakia and further away, talking about how it was, which promises have crumbled and what seems promising in the future. 

Meeting spot: A4 – Space for Contemporary Culture

Guided by the artists and hosted by the city forests of Bratislava just 15 mins away from the main venue. 

Take a deeper breath, stretch your legs and thoughts slightly further. 

Networking meeting and discussion about the touring possibilities of dance pieces across the regions of Slovakia, closer cooperation and possible partnerships between dance creators and venues as well as independent centres across Slovakia. It will consist of short and longer pitching sessions as well as a moderated discussion on current challenges in programming contemporary dance works.

Hosted by Maja Hriešik (Telocvičňa, Plast) and Michal Klembara (Antena Network)