Watching an audience watching Dance, or being in proximity to a dancer, is a completely different experience. It is precisely this different experience, even though it is the same dance, manifesting in the same space and at the same time, that I call Dance. That dance is, in my opinion, the most magical form of art. - Matej Kejžar for Jutarnji List
Date and time:
October 1st, 20h
Venue:
Les Brigittines, la Chapelle Petite rue des Brigittines
At the initiative of the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Brussels, the performance of House Bolero in the heart of Europe will mark the year in which Nova Gorica, together with Gorizia, holds the title of European Capital of Culture 20205 - GO! Borderless. The project is being developed in collaboration with Matej Kejžar, the artistic collective Pekinpah, the Slovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana, and other partners.
“It all started as an ode to Dance,” Matej Kejžar tells us. “This was about five years ago, during an experiment on learning from dance, rather than learning how to dance or how to be oneself. The crazy, odd, queer, and idiosyncratic styles in the experiment evolved around working with and respecting physical presence. They focused on kinaesthetic writing within space and time, in a common force field—a dynamic territory where a constant change of dynamics is possible.”
The experiment continues. This time, it involves members of the ballet ensemble of the SNG Opera and Ballet Ljubljana and former ballet dancers from an older generation. House Bolero is a truly intergenerational experiment, with dancers aged 21 to 69. Working with their bodies, their diverse forms of physical presence, and a shared passion for dance, they suggest a new thought: the writing of dance is a force that challenges normalisation.
Kejžar received the prestigious Croatian Actor Award (Nagrada Hrvatskog glumišta) for Best Dance Performance in its entirety for the Zagreb edition of House Bolero.
Author: Matej Kejžar
Dancers: Mateja Železnik, Polett Kasza, Gregor Luštek, Christian Guerematchi, Goran Tatar, Urša Vidmar, Georgeta Capraroiu
Set & Lights: Petra Veber
Producer: Žiga Predan
Production: Pekinpah & SNG Opera Balet Ljubljana
Supported by: GO! 2025, Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in Brussels, SNG Opera Balet Ljubljana