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

Cultural Manager, Project manager of Dancing Histor(y)ies project in Polish Dance Theatre. Founder and President of the Nieboskłon (Sky Horizon) Foundation.

A graduate of the Faculty of Management at the University of Lodz, for over 23 years collaborating with public sector cultural institutions and non-governmental organizations. From 2003 cooperates with the Polish Dance Theatre, working on a different managing positions, coordinator of the International Dance Theatre Festival in Poznań and co-organized of the International Contemporary Dance Workshops. Globally, he implements cultural projects with the participation of cultural partners of the highest artistic standing, and locally, he is involved in social activities promoting culture and social activation.

He has created and implemented projects from national and international funds and programs throughout Europe, as well as in China, Japan, the USA, Brazil, and Israel. Andrzej runs an interdisciplinary, educational projects for children and youth  – Masters of Life. He combines experience of the work in an international environment, collaboration with cultural institutions with a passion for creating valuable social and cultural projects.

dhptt@ptt-poznan.pl

Dancer, choreographer. Vanessa Gajda is a dancer and performer, currently a student at the Department of Dance at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. A graduate of St. Brother Albert High School with a dance and theatre profile in Krakow. She has participated in numerous Art Color Ballet projects under the direction of Agnieszka Glińska. She has danced in performances by Przestrzeń Sztuki Katowice, such as “Autentyki” choreographed by Bartłomiej Mieszczak and “Ze snu wyłowię złoty płaszcz (Imponderabilia z podwórka)” by Łukasz Zgórka. She has collaborated with choreographers such as Aleksander Kopański, Agata Jędrzejczak, Krystian Łysoń and Ryszard Kalinowski. She specializes in physical dance, floorwork and improvisation. In her dance explorations, she focuses on exploring the themes of sensuality and authenticity in dance.

Dancer, choreographer. Graduate of the faculty of Dance (dance theater actor) of the Department of Dance at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. Graduate of the AWF in Cracow. His research work and boneXposed performance created on its basis were presented in 2024 at such festivals as DO Festival in Gdansk, Zukunft Tanzt in Frankfurt am Main, [Sic!]Saute in Warsaw. He explored the somatic approach by co-creating the 116 images that nasa wants to show aliens (Art Spaces Katowice 2023). His solo root(re)integration, was qualified for the finals of the 3…2…1…Dance! competition at the Krakow Dance Festival 2023. He collaborated with Krakow Dance Theater as a dancer and pedagogue (2023-24). He performed in performances: Tender – chor. Anna Nowak (2024), Be Water My Friend – chor. Wen Xudong (2024), Treatise – chor. Milana Tomasik (2024), To Dance Malevich – dir. Filip Jaskiewicz, chor. Julia Lewandowska (2023), Modern Baroque – chor. Monika Witkowska (2023), Translations – chor. Eryk Makohon (2023), Matrix – chor. Michał Przybyła (2023), Beaver Machines – chor. Bartłomiej Mieszczak (2023), Acis&Galatea – dir. Aleksandra Dziurosz, chor. Janusz Skubaczkowski (2022).

Dancer, choreographer. Graduate of the Ballet Studio of the Cracow Opera. She began her artistic work during her education, creating original choreographic compositions. During her education she performed in the repertoire of the Cracow Opera. As a dancer, she participated in the creation of the performance Cinderella, choreographed by Anne Jung and Ermanno Sbezzo, as part of the Sicilian Danzart Festival 2023. She participated in the prestigious GagaLab 2024 workshops with Ohad Naharin (Orsolina28). In 2024, she participated in the 6×2 Dance Platform program (Montecatini, Italy) with artistic directors of European theaters: Staatstheater Kassel, Staatstheater Augsburg, Komoco, Opera Graz and MiR Dance Company. At the invitation of director Thorsten Teubl, she completed an internship at Staatstheater Kassel. As a director and choreographer, she realized her first film project [ f r a m i n g ] in 2023. It won the Grand Prix in the “1 page, 1 look, 180 seconds” competition organized by the Polish Dance Theatre.

Dancer, choreographer. Born in Krosno, Poland, 2000. In 2024 she graduated at SEAD – Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance in Austria. Katarzyna accomplished performing art programme at PERA Girne American University in Cyprus. Besides school education she was participating in many workshops such as GagaLab led by Ohad Naharin himself and Batsheva dancers (Orsolina28), Summer Intensive (Portugal), Cracov Dance Festival (Poland) and many more. Katarzyna was active in an art field also as organiser of contemporary art festival ‘‘Nomadic Roots’’ in Salzburg Austria and as main leader in Erasmus+ project ‘‘Dance Art of Freedom’’ cooparated with Ukrainian dancers. In 2024 she joined Europenian Project ‘‘Meeting Point’’, including dance residency with dancers from Greece, Denmark, Ukraine and Poland. Recent work of Katarzyna involve collaborations with companies such as Maciej Kuzminski Dance Company, B’cause Dance Company (Poland), Ivgi&Greben Dance Company (Netherlands).

Katarzyna has choreographic experience as she created own works such as ‘‘My migrations’’ presented at Central Dance Stage (Warsaw,PL), ‘‘Swimming flesh in my liquid bones’’ which has its premiere at Solo Dance Contest (Gdańsk,PL) and ‘‘Trapedy’’ premiered at Josef Eckhart Theatre (Salzburg,AT)

As a dancer she has collaborated with artist such as Romeo Catellucci (Festspiele Salzburg), Olivier Dubois , Israel Aloni (IL Dance), Bostjan Antonic (Rosas), Manuel Ronda, Elena Fokina, Livia Balazova, Zebastian Mendez Marin (Ultima Vez), Nicolas Vladyslav (Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui) at Josef Eckhart Theatre (Salzburg).