2017
XI the Black Box International Theatre and Dance Festival
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The 11th annual Black Box International Theatre and Dance Festival will be held from May 31 to June 6, 2017, in Plovdiv. The seven-day festival features 16 international and Bulgarian works in the fields of theatre and contemporary dance. The festival's partners are the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture, Municipality of Plovdiv, Embassy of Israel, U.S. Embassy, Embassy of Belgium, Austrian Embassy, Italian Cultural Institute, National Culture and Arts Foundation – Taiwan, Plovdiv Drama Theatre, State Puppet Theatre - Plovdiv, U P.A.R.K Gallery, “Rorschach’s inkblot“ Club, Dance Station Plovdiv, Ivan Vazov Language High School and Plovdiv 2019 Foundation.
May 31
Joséphina
ChaliWate Company
Belgium
“ …With Joséphina, we understand more clearly why one “falls” in love, and all the delicious agony that comes with the fall. (…) Impossible not to fall for it! (…) We leave the theatre with an invigorated imagination and the wish to experience love as a passionate dance.” - Catherine Makereel, Le Soir
Directors and performers: Sandrine Heyraud and Sicaire Durieux
Dramatic criticism: Katya Montaignac
Setting: Karine Galarneau and Thiebault Vanden Steen
Lights: Frédérick Gravel and Jérôme Dejean
Sound: Nancy Bussieres
Stage management: Jérôme Dejean or Isabelle Derr
In Joséphina, a man and a woman cross paths. From flashbacks to disturbing dreams, from scattered memories to obsessive desire, the spectator is free to piece together the puzzle of a dreamed relationship, or of a relationship that no longer exists, the story of a shattered or idealized couple.
Awarded three coups de coeurs at the Vue sur la Relève Festival in Montréal, Québec, in April 2009, voted best performance at the Festival Internacional de Teatro Nuevo Leon in Monterrey, Mexico, in August 2011, it also received the audience award at the Feria Internacional de Teatro y Danza de Huesca, Spain, in October 2012 and was listed for the Prix de la critique 2013 in Belgium, in the “Discovery” category.
Since the beginning in 2005, the Chaliwate Company has worked on creating shows, researching and transmitting the arts of movement. Each show is the result of an exploration of the artistic and acting principles specific to gestural arts, but also of ways to allow these art forms to meet other forms of stage art such as circus, dance, or object theatre.
June 1 & 4
Contemporary Dance Program
360º
iMEE Dance Company
USA
This guest performance is supported by the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria.
“Through the innovative collaboration of artistic mediums, the artists of iMEE remind us that violins can dance, sculptures can breathe, and dancers can speak.” – Erin Smith, CASA Magazine, Santa Barbara, CA.
Choreography by: Spencer Gavin Hering
Dance Artists: Jack Wolff, Melanie Martel and Andrea Dawn Shelley
iMEE (iNFINITE MOVEMENT EVER EVOLVING) dance company presents 360º, a multidisciplinary world premiere contemporary dance work created by iMEE Co-Founding Director, Spencer Gavin Hering.
Inspired by the Fibonacci sequence in nature, 360º revolves around the journey of two souls who are connected in life through the spirit of the Golden Ratio.
iMEE was co-founded in April 2009 by nationally acclaimed dancers and choreographers, Spencer Gavin Hering and Andrea Dawn Shelley. iMEE is a professional touring company dedicated to presenting innovative, original contemporary dance works created by emerging and established choreographers, featuring acclaimed guest artists from around the world. Incorporating a range of visual and performing artists in original works through multi-disciplined collaborations,
Their work was shown in Weekend of Texas Contemporary Dance 2009, 2010, 2011 / FestOval of Dance 2012 / Houston Dance Festival 2011 / McCallum Theatre’s 15th Annual Choreography Festival 2012 / The Dance Gallery Festival (Texas & New York) 2011, 2012 / Palcoscenico de Danza 2013 / Boston Contemporary Dance Festival 2014 / Mass Dance Festival 2014, Great Friends Dance Festival 2015 and Festival International De Danza Contemporanea De La Ciudad De Mexico 2016.
June 3
Queen of Spades
production of State Puppet Theatre Plovdiv
“The passion of playing is the strongest of passions” A.S. Pushkin
Based on the work of A.S. Pushkin
Dramaturgy: Veselka Kuncheva and Inna Bozhidarova
Director: Veselka Kuncheva
Stage Design: Marieta Golomehova
Assistant stage designer: Eduardo Planas Abarca
Cast: Polina Hristova, Eva Danailova,Nataliya Vasileva,Mihaela Andonova,Maria Dimitrova,Plamen Dimov, Velizar Evtimov,Jivko Juranov,Aleksander Karamanov
Photo: Ivan Donchev/Guergana Damianova
Stage and costume design atelier: Gergana Stamatova,Elitza Marinova,Elina Ivanova-Mincheva,Angelina Rizova –Yanakieva, Vessko Garkov,Gergana Mantarlieva,Nikola Bozadzhiev
The card game or the game of fortune. The game we dream of winning and thus achieve happiness, love, fulfillment, power. The game, which whirls the desires within us. This is the theme explored by the team in the performance.
“Queen of Spades” is a performance for the salvation and the curse, the tearing passion and the false humility.
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June 4
Contemporary Dance Program
Suites
Tomas Danielis
Austria
This guest performance is supported by the Austrian Embassy in Bulgaria.
Choreography & performance: Tomas Danielis
Subventions:
Kulturamt Stadt Graz, A9 Land Steiermark - Europa, Kultur, Außenbeziehungen
“Suites” was created with the exceptional physicality of Tomas Danielis in mind. This piece is celebrating ever changing dancing body and its ability to create communication between performer and audience. Danced on empty stage, structured improvisation is alternating and exchanging with a fixed composition.
While performing in different companies throughout Europe and becoming an accomplished and diverse performer Tomas Danielis started to create his own work. As choreographer he focuses on the crossover between visual/digital arts and movement/dance as well as development of innovative movement languages for dance performances. His works were presented in more than 20 countries and referred to as innovative, fresh, touching and inspiring.
Tomas Danielis danced with Ardent Body Communication/Frey Faust (France, 1999-2000, 2002-2003), Cie. Felix Ruckert (Berlin, 2000), Cie. W.Dorner (Vienna, 2009-2013), Freyer Ensemble (Berlin, 2011), Granhoj Dance (Aurhus, 2012-2015) and others.
June 4
Program – Plovdiv in Focus
I, the Lie
Pantarey Dance Studio
Choreography and Directing: Denitsa Gerginikova and Maria Dimitrova
Choreography and Directing: Denitsa Gerginikova and Maria Dimitrova
Dancers: Savina Mitrashkova, Svetoslava Mancheva, Tania Racheva, Maria Dimitrova, Denitsa Gerginikova and Svetlomir Angelov
My life is like a Tetris game. I constantly sort myself out within myself. But there are always new pieces of my own to rearrange.
When I'm tired of filling the gaps, I find seemingly convenient small lies that help me move forward, but they often make me look back.
And in fact, when I win, what do I win?
"If something does not give you a peace, close your eyes, count to ten, wish it never happened… and it really did not happen, hurray! Day after day we swallow another lie ... "- Elif Şafak
June 6
Evening Shadow TEATROPERSONA Company Italy
June 1
Contemporary Dance Program
iShade
Jade Dance Theatre
Taiwan
This guest performance is supported by the National Culture and Arts Foundation – Taiwan
“This work is a virtuosity of Chun-hui LIN with his choreography and physical expression” - CHOU Chieh-mu, Taiwan dance critic
The choreographer, Eddie Chun-hui LIN, got his inspiration from the frauds of food enterprises and the scandals of politicians. The truth becomes untouchable and people got lost in the mass of lies and deceitful packaging.
In iShade Eddie Chun-hui LIN tried to weave a scheming web on stage to show the wrestle between the good and evil of human nature.
Jade dance Theatre (JDT) was founded in 1997 by Artistic Director, Jade Bi-Yu Hua. Her works is about the continuance and innovation of Eastern traditional culture, as well as taking risks to collaborate with experimental music, new media and fashion. Her artistic principal is to let the dancers and audience achieve the balance of body, mind and spirit by her unique body aesthetics.
JDT provides the platform to young choreographers to bring the fresh flavor to company. The platform produces small but delicate repertories, which reflect the current social issues on stage. Eddie Chun-Hui Lin is one of the choreographers who works with JDT most often these days. From 2011, Eddie started his choreographic journey under the platform. His works presented his precise observation of society by humble, gentle but strong speech. He likes to use the open attitude and sense of humor to bring the theater and real life closer.
June 1
Contemporary Dance Program
Before Sunrise
InTW Studio
Тaiwan
This guest performance is supported by the National Culture and Arts Foundation – Taiwan
Choreographers/Dancers：Hsiao-Wei Hsieh & Hsiao-Ting Hsieh
Before Sunrise, is inspired by the Sunflower Movement, which happened in Taiwan in March 2014. Students occupied government buildings to protest the trade agreement under-the-table between China and Taiwan.
InTW Studio was founded in Taiwan in 2016. InTW, the predecessor of InTW Studio was established by Hsiao-Wei Hsieh and Hsiao-Ting Hsieh in New York in 2013.
InTW produces thoughtful, poetic and ambitious dance productions and take human themes into choreography. The dance language in their choreography is rooted in Hsiao-Wei & Hsiao-Ting's own culture, modern dance training, movement analysis by Rudolf Laban, Baji Chuan, a form of Chinese Kung Fu, and their fascination with storytelling.
The venues that have hosted their works include prominent festivals and showcases in New York City and London. InTW was also granted artist residency by various programs in the US, including Djerassi Resident Artists Program in CA, CUNY Dance Initiati-ve, the Field Artist Residency Space, and TOPAZ ARTS artist residency program in NY. InTW has been selected to be the resident dance group in the Queens Campus of CUNY. In the same year, InTW was awarded the Helen L. and Peter S. Being Fellowship in California.
June 2
Smoke like a man
Solo Performance by Yafit Levi
Israel
This guest performance is supported by the Embassy of Israel in Bulgaria.
Written and performed by Yafit Levi
Directed by Mickey Yonas
Producer: Shai Gabrielli
Lighting: Amir Castro and Shai Gabrielli
Costumes: Tal Kilshon
"Smoke Like a Man" is a monodrama based on the life of the artist Frida Kahlo. The physical theater show reveals different aspects of the life of a complex, opinionated, independent and rebellious woman. A woman who broke the social norms, dealt with identity and gender issues from politics to art, and bravely paves the way for many women for the years to come.
The premiere of "Smoke like a man" was at the Israel Festival in 2015. Since then, the show was performed all over Israel, and in 2016 was shown at the International Theatre Festival in Vladimir, Russia.
Yafit Levi, studied at Haguf Theater (Theater of the Body) School and Stage for Physical theatre, inspired by the method of Jacques Lecoq. She also has theater degree from the Tel Aviv University, and studied playwriting in one of the biggest repertoire theaters in Israel - Beit Lessin Theater .
Yafit Levi works with different Israeli theaters - "Tzavta", "Klipa", "Hakubia", and the theater of Tel Aviv University.
Her plays were presented at many festivals in Israel - "Art festival of Jerusalem", "Israel Festival", "Women's Festival", "Pride Community Festival" and others.
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June 4
Program – Plovdiv in Focus
_WръZки_
Choreographer and Director: Yanitsa Atanasova
Choreographer and Director: Yanitsa Atanasova
Dancers: Vasilena Shopova, Viktor Alekov, Georgi Naldzhiev, Victoria Ilieva, Yanitsa Atanasova, Svetlomir Angelov
Photography: MariAngela Angiuli
Video: Alex In Thegreenroom
Music: Mattia Cupelli and Kevin MacLeod
The project was created with the support of the National Culture Fund
Ties are a great opportunity to connect. We feel the world differently. We find out what power Love is. We rethink the relationships with our parents. We meet ourselves.
Some of us know how to make a sea junction, others - a triple knot or a self-tightening knot, a rubbing knot, a straight knot, a gibbet, but do we know how to connect without a knot?
The performance _ WръZки _ is an invitation to the world of relationships and dance.
June 5
Couchettes
by Alain Giroud
FRACТORIUM DEI Movement Theater
Bulgaria
Cast: Petar Zhelev, Lyudmil Stanev
Scenographer: Maxim Petrov
The performance reveals the juggling possibilities with the words’ meaning. In seven episodes, the thousand-year history of mankind and its delusions are told.
Only idiots keep one topic constant. But that's because they do not know that thought is racing like a horse, tearing conditional connections and making them colored ribbons. Many things do not look the way we think; therefore global complications are emerging. That's how jazz has arisen. Snow is added to the laughter. Everything is becoming white. We laugh and it's not cold anymore.
This guest performance is supported by the Italian Cultural Institute in Bulgaria.
Direction, scenes, lights Alessandro Serra | performed by Chiara Michelini |production Teatropersona | co-production Fondazione Centro Giacometti (Ch), ARMUNIA_Castiglioncello (It) |with the support of the Regione Toscana Sistema regionale dello spettacolo dal vivo (It), Nuova Accademia degli Arrischianti di Sarteano (It), Fondazione CA.RI.CIV. (It)
Evening Shadow takes inspiration from the life and work of the well-known sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti.
Giacometti succeeded in crystallizing living life in works that tell a story of profound humility. In his works one meets a privileged interlocutor who brings us face to face with an unveiled body endowed with super-human force, heavy as bronze but capable, as Cocteau used to say, of making you think of the footprints of birds in the snow.
On stage, a sole interpreter created from a feminine point of view, inspired by the three women in Giacometti’s life: his mother, Annetta, his wife, Annette and the prostitute, Caroline.
Giacometti was one of the artists who best represent the soul of twentieth century.
Teatropersona Company was founded in 1999. After an initial interest for the milieu linked to Terzo Teatro and the physical actions of Grotowski, through workshops and masterclasses with international maestros and teachers such as Cesar Brie, Francis Pardeilhan, Maud Robart, Bruce Myers, Nikolaj Karpov and Iben Nagel Rasmussen, the formation of the company focalized on the study of Meyer’hold’s principles of biomechanics integrated with the fundamentals of Martial arts. Starting with traditional phonatory techniques, the study of voice was developed through the practice of vibratory and Gregorian chants with Father Emanuel Roze at the Abbey of Sant’Antimo. During recent years the encounter with Yves Lebreton and his Corporeal Theatre method has been of fundamental importance. Teatropersona creates its own productions pursuing continuous and consistent operations of theatrical research based on the centrality of the actor and the composition of the image. The company presents their performances not only in Italy but also in international tours: Germany, Russia, France, Poland, Switzerland, and South Korea.
Accompanying events
June 3
Boris Hristov Cultural Centre – Dance Station Plovdiv
Contemporary Ballet Master Class with iMEE Dance Company
USA
June 3
U P.A.R.K Gallery
Screening of the documentary film "Helicopter” dedicated to the famous Bulgarian artist Kolio Karamfilov
production of Vip Media Film and BNT
Writer and Director: Krum Philipov
June 3
Boris Hristov Cultural Centre – Dance Station Plovdiv