Bounce back from the absolute bottom

Dance Collective has been significantly shaping the character of the Slovak contemporary dance scene for several seasons. In this context, its members approached their activities with energy and a desire for complexity – from creating their own works, through workshops, to organizing a summer festival in Námestovo with the same name, which has gradually established itself as one of the anticipated events of the summer festival season. In June, they presented their latest premiere at the Arena Theatre V.

One of the trends that, even in challenging times, shifts the perspective of contemporary dance to a somewhat more positive outlook is the creation of the cycle Dance in the Arena, a new dramaturgical line of the Arena Theatre in Bratislava, which provides space for presenting works of contemporary dance. The premiere performance V was another event within this emerging line under the direction of choreographer Andrej Petrovič as dramaturg, and it also marked the culmination of the Bratislava edition of the Dance Collective festival, which was held for the first time in the capital city.

The title of the work V may contain several hidden connotations, from a symbol of freedom to a reference to the number of solos that make up the performance. It features five solos by performers, each diverse in movement and expressive in style, in which the quintet transforms their often complex initial situation into a new state.

Andrej Štepita, as a solo dancer, already made an impression in the international ensemble Farma v jaskyni with the performance Czech Hero, where he immediately started with energy and precision, playing out a scene with a cane. The same applies to his solo within V. He uses explosive energetic elements with physical expression. He dynamically works with his body and its possibilities to suppress energy as a conscious repression of emotions that cannot be contained. At the end, he gradually moves to a microphone, which he turns to the audience. In this, we can also find the need not only to speak but to speak loudly.

The purely theatrical, more precisely operatic approach in her performance in the form of a sketch is developed by Miriam Budzáková. She tries for several minutes to free herself from the grip of a rope caught in a door, so she can step onto the stage where an opera aria is played. She incorporates typical elements of film comedy, such as mimics, escalation of action, or a humorous punchline.

The word plays an important role in the solo by Matúš Szeghö, who, using the example of a wedding, comments on his relationship with himself. He considers the alliance or partnership not with another person, but with himself, to be equally important as his relationship with others. He employs a fusion of contemporary and classical dance, which he often emphasizes with gestures that are often comic or ironic, bringing them to a level of detachment and humor.

Silvia Buranovská was inspired by a painful family loss and confronts her emotional inner state with how she appears outwardly. She moves and verbalizes her thoughts on how to reach the center of grief not only formally but also how to experience and cope with it. In her previous works, she demonstrated a sense of (self-)irony, and here she was able to frame it within a painful theme that profoundly touches her.

Hana Gallová, bound with a rope, tries to free herself from it. This very effort, however exhausting and aiming for complete liberation, paradoxically does not lead to inner relief but rather to a spasm. Her language of movement is based on self-challenge, which she then eliminates with movement, even acrobatic means, transforming it into a different kind of energy.

The Dance Collective in the Slovak context has achieved significant success by receiving the Dosky Award for an Outstanding Achievement in the field of dance theatre in 2023. This was the first time an independent dance ensemble received such recognition. In works where they dance together, their differences in movement nuances and reactions are noticeable. In the solos, their movement language can be recognized more comprehensively, but not as detailed as the performances would require. The performers let their bodies tell their stories. In their micro-worlds, they are alone, but the carefully thought-out connections seen in ensemble works are less apparent. It would probably require a more decisive directorial or dramaturgical intervention. In solos, one perceives a rather encyclopedic austerity, an effort—though interesting—to condense a complex theme into a few moments, and the space for developing choreographies into even more precise and profound points, as we are used to from their previous works, was still present.

The author is a theatre and dance critic

Dance Collective: V. Written from the premiere at the Arena Theatre on June 14, 2026.

The text is part of the PERSPECTIVES project – a new brand for independent, constructive, and multiperspective journalism. The project is funded by the European Union. The expressed opinions and positions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). The European Union or EACEA do not assume any responsibility for them.