The Polish Dance Theatre / Polski Teatr Tańca is the oldest dance theatre in Poland, operating continuously since 1973. It is a professional, autonomous company, and since its founding in 1973 it has evolved from a ballet theatre form to a contemporary dance theatre genre. Seeking new means of expression, it crosses stylistic and genre boundaries, exploring theatrical spaces that are new to theatre and basing the creative process on improvisation. The world format of Polish Dance Theatre’s achievements is co-created by internationally acclaimed choreographers such as Anna Sokolov, Birgit Cullberg, Mats Ek, Karine Saporta, Jo Strømgren and Ohad Naharin.

While maintaining institutional continuity, the Polish Dance Theatre is transforming under the influence of visions created by successive directors: Conrad Drzewiecki, Mirosław Różalski, Ewa Wycichowska, Iwona Pasińska, who has been heading the Polish Dance Theatre since 1 September 2016. Under the direction of the choreographer, movement dramatist, theatre expert and long-time first soloist of PTT, the Polish Dance Theater aims to dehermetize dance theatre. The theatre works intensively with playwrights and theatre directors, and creates choreographed film projects and movement-inspired releases. It carries out theatre and television premières, numerous initiatives to activate audiences, such as projects open to all interested parties conducted by artists of the Polish Dance Theatre, performances in the city space or the multimedia competition “1 Page, 1 View,  180 Seconds”.

It is the organizer of two festivals – the International Festival of Dance Theatres “Limits of Nature – Limits of Culture” (since 2021) and the International Festival “1 Page, 1 View, 180 Seconds” (since 2019), participates in EU projects involving the best dance scenes from all over Europe (CLASH! When Classic And Contemporary Dance Collide And New Forms Emerge, 2018-2020 and UP2DANCE – development of professional profiles towards contemporary dance, 2019-2021). Protecting the world’s unique cultural heritage – the Polish art of dance and the Polish Dance Theatre – in 2017 the theatre obtained funds for the project “Adaptation of buildings located in Poznań at Taczaka Street (including renovation of the tenement house) for cultural purposes of the Polish Dance Theatre with equipment” from the Wielkopolska Regional Operational Program 2014+. Thus, it gained its own headquarters and conditions for further development.

Since its inception, the Polish Dance Theatre has performed on stages around the world, from London to Shanghai. In 2017, the company made his longest-ever tour in Asia, including six productions in Chinese theatre centres: Harbin Opera House, Tianjin Opera House and Poly Theatre in Shenzhen.

It has received many awards for his interdisciplinary work: 3 awards during the 46th edition of the Opole Theatrical Confrontations / Final of the 7th Competition for the Staging of Old Works of Literature “Classics Alive” (Opole, 2021), the Golden Yorick Award – the Main Prize in the competition for the best Polish staging of the dramatic works of William Shakespeare and works inspired by the works of William Shakespeare during the 26th edition of the Opole Theatrical Confrontations. Shakespeare Festival (Gdansk, 2022) and numerous awards for choreographic film projects: Best of Fest – Arts Triangle – Dance Film Festival in Dallas (USA, 2018), 1st Prize Mexico City Videodance Festival (Mexico, 2018), Lynch Award for Best Original Film at Austin Arthouse Film Festival (USA, 2019), Zebra Award at Beijing Fringe Festival 2020 International Theatre Festival for Best Foreign Film (China, 2020), Jury Award for Best Film at the Imajitari – International Dance Film Festival in Jakarta (Indonesia, 2021), First Prize for Best International Dance Film Short at the FASS Forward Festival in Quebec (Canada, 2021), Jury Award for Best choreography as part of the 3rd edition of the ZED Festival Internationale Videodanza in Bologna, Italy, 2021), the Grand Prize of the RIFF International Festival: R.E.D in Eina (Norway, 2022), best director award for Iwona Pasińska and honorable mention in the Best Dance Film category at the XII Encuentro Para Cinéfagos (Festival de CineArte en la Frontera – (Venezuela, 2022). The publications of the Polish Dance Theatre have received, among others, the Gold Medal in the European Design Awards (2021), the Bronze Medal in the “Best Book Design from all over the World” (2022), were among the 50 best designed in the world in the list of “50 books”, prepared by The Professional Association for Design and Design Observer (2019). The choreographic film project “Ta Mara” was part of the exhibition at the EXPO 2020 World Exhibition in Dubai. The Polish Dance Theatre also received the Wprost Eagle Award in the “local government” category of the Wielkopolska Region for its effective use of European funds and application of innovative techniques (2022).

In the 2023/2024 artistic season, the theatre will celebrate 50 years of operation. On 12 September 2023, the 50th anniversary of its founding, the Polish Dance Theatre was awarded the Gold Medal for “Meritorious Service to Culture Gloria Artis” by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.

SHORT BIOS OF MEMBERS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT

Graduate of the Academy of Physical Education in Poznań, specializing in Dance in Physical Culture. A multiple medalist at the Polish, European, and World Championships. In 2013, he took 3rd place and received a special award in the 4th edition of the TV show  “Got to Dance “. He worked at the Musical Theatre in Poznań, performing in all the musicals in their repertoire, as well as in the production “Oparcie” at the Konin Dance Theatre. Currently he collaborates with various theaters in Poland, including the Polish Theatre in Poznań, Scena Robocza and Scena na Piętrze in Poznań, and the Jaracza Theatre in Olsztyn. Since September 1, 2022, he has been a member of the Polish Dance Theatre ensemble.

Graduate of the Olga Slawska-Lipczynska Ballet School in Poznan. Born in London, raised in Poznan. After graduating, she went to the Jose Limón Dance Foundation in New York to continue her studies with Alan Danielson, Jim May and Roxane D’Orleans Juste. During her studies in New York, she worked with companies such as Sublime Dance Company, Albano Ballet Company and Tina Croll + Company, with whom she performed as part of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival’s Inside/Out Performance Series. Since September 1, 2015, she has been with the Polish Dance Theater company.

Dancer, choreographer, graduate of Chung-Ang University in South Korea. During his studies, he participated in operas, films and other Liberation Day events. After graduation, he participated in Performances Samtan, Play Fight and other improvised dance festivals in Seoul. He was a member of Project No. Dance Company. In 2016, he was awarded second prize at the International Dance Festival TANZOLYMP in Berlin. In 2016, he received the grand prize at the International Dance Federation competition in South Korea. On July 31, 2022, he joined the Polish Dance Theater Company.

Graduate of the Olga Slawska-Lipczynska Ballet School in Poznan. Born in London, raised in Poznan. After graduating, she went to the Jose Limón Dance Foundation in New York to continue her studies with Alan Danielson, Jim May and Roxane D’Orleans Juste. During her studies in New York, she worked with companies such as Sublime Dance Company, Albano Ballet Company and Tina Croll + Company, with whom she performed as part of Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival’s Inside/Out Performance Series. Since September 1, 2015, she has been with the Polish Dance Theater company.

e-mail: m.mikolajczak@ptt-poznan.pl

e-mail: p.jaksim@ptt-poznan.pl

Dancer, choreographer, producer.

Education:

• Bachelor degree of dance at Codarts, University of the Arts, Rotterdam, 2012
• Master degree of choreography and dance theory at Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Varsaw, 2017
• Postgraduated Studies of menagement at Merito, Higher School of Banking, Poznań, 2023

Professional Experiance:

• Dancer at Polish Dance Theater since 2012
• Artistic Director of Caro Dance Theater in the season 2015/2016
• Initiator and coordinator of educational workshops “Project ” since 2021
• Producer of Art Weekend Poznań since 2021
• Assistant choreographer of Aleksandra Dziurosz, Artur Bieńkowski, Marta Ziółek, Iwona Pasińska
• Choreographer for dance and music festivals and drama theaters.