IMPERMENANCE by 420PEOPLE

Premiere: June 24th, 2024

Location: Amphitheater, Viminacium, Serbia

CREDITS:

Choreography: Sylva Šafková

Performers: 420PEOPLE: Eliška Jirsová, Michaela Kadlčíková, Tomáš Pražák, Filip Staněk, Michal Toman + Plesni Klub Bolero

Music: ReComposed by Carl Craig a Moritz von Oswald, Bolero, Maurice Ravel

Costume and set design: Sylva Šafková

Lighting design: Martin Špetlík

Duration: 40 min

The performance was created as part of the project Dancing Histor(y)ies, Binding Communities and Heritage Through Dance: project id: 101099222 and with the support of the Ministry of Cultural Czech Republic and in cooperation with Studio Maiselovka Prague.

The choreography draws inspiration from the ancient site of Viminacium. Central to the thematic exploration is the concept of impermanence and the fleeting nature of human existence.

Through movement, staging, and symbolism, the choreography evokes the passage of time and the cyclical nature of life. What we consider to be extremely important to us is peripheral in the perspective of a few generations. Even mighty empires are but one episode in human evolution, and the entire history of humanity is but a crumb in the history of our earth and universe. In some ways this is a very liberating thought – nothing is as important as it looks up close, and the end of something is always the beginning of something new.

Thanks to collaboration between the local dance group Plesni Klub Bolero from Požeravec and a professional dance ensemble 420PEOPLE from Prague, the choreography transcends boundaries, both geographic and artistic. By incorporating the expertise and precision of a professional dance troupe, the performance achieves a heightened level of technical proficiency and artistic expression. Simultaneously, the participation of Plesni Klub Bolero infuses the performance with authenticity and community connection. The local dancers bring a unique perspective rooted in their cultural heritage, enriching the choreography with their personal experiences and collective identity.

Sylva Šafková began her dance studies in 1994 at the Conservatory in Brno and later transferred to the Prague Dance Conservatory. From 2000 to 2002, she continued her studies at the École-atelier Rudra Béjart in Lausanne. She performed as the dancer soloist with the Prague Chamber Ballet of the Prague State Opera in 2004-2005, and later as a demi-soloist with the National Theatre Ballet in Prague until 2013. In 2009, she graduated from the Prague Academy of Performing Arts with a degree in choreography. She participated in several internships in Israel – Vertigo Dance Company and Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. Since 2015, she has been working with the Dance Company Nanine Linning / Theater Heidelberg, where she held the position of rehearsal director and assistant choreographer in 2016-2017. Currently, she closely collaborates with the contemporary dance company 420PEOPLE, where she has choreographed INspiraCe, Why Things Go Wrong, and HeArt of Noise.

Photo: Annemone Taake