Bucharest hosts a Performing Arts Festival from Poland in May

Get Ready for the Power-Packed "Resisting Bodies" Festival!

Brace yourselves, Bucharest! The fifth installment of the electrifying News from Polska performing arts festival is about to rock your city from May 5 to May 11, 2025. This year’s theme, "Resisting Bodies," sheds light on the human body as a battleground for resistance, transformation, and empowerment in a world overwhelmed by countless crises.

This year’s lineup features four groundbreaking performances hailing from Poland, each designed to stir debate, provoke new thought patterns, and redefine the protest potential of the body in motion.

Kicking things off on May 5 is the Contemporary Dance Workshop, Between Disciplines, led by the multitalented Dominika Knapik – an actress, director, and choreographer with a rich background in Poland and Germany. Later in the day, witness the thought-provoking performance Valeska Valeska Valeska Valeska, once again from the mighty knocks of Dominika Knapik, inspired by the avant-garde artist Valeska Gert, a pioneer of modern performing art.

On May 7, the captivating collective Hertz Haus (Magdalena Kowala, Natalia Murawska, Joannna Woźna, Anna Zglenicka) takes center stage with their production, To bitch or not to bitch. This collective performance addresses themes of identity and societal expectations through a passionate blend of various art forms.

Next up on May 8 is the Open Bodies. Intuitive Dance / Improvisation workshop, led by the visionary Marta Wołowiec. If you're still hungry for more, WoW, conceived, directed, and choreographed by Marta Wołowiec, will keep you hooked on May 9. This production reflects on the historical phenomenon of choreomania, also known as the dancing plague.

The festival reaches its climax on May 11 with Cezary goes to war, directed by the prolific Cezary Tomaszewski. This production, a testament to the artistic brilliance of Teatr Komuna Warszawa, recently won the award for best artistic team at the tenth edition of the Boska Komedia International Theater Festival in Krakow.

The festival is proudly organized by the Polish Institute in Bucharest within the framework of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union 2025 and the Poland-Romania Cultural Season 2024-2025. All performances will be accompanied by Romanian subtitles for your convenience.

So, gear up Bucharest! Get ready to partake in this unforgettable celebration of the human spirit and its relentless journey towards resistance and transformation. Don't forget to mark your calendars and get your tickets soon!

(Photo: Valeska Valeska Valeska Valeska by Natalia Kabanow, from the organizers)

Happy festival-going from simona@our website

[1] Sources for enriching your festival experience: https://bit.ly/3NpZg8T, https://bit.ly/3ws18P0, https://bit.ly/3NpZg8T[2] To learn more about the curatorial concept of the festival: https://bit.ly/3ws18P0[3] To explore the exceptional talent of Dominika Knapik: https://bit.ly/3OBGqLk[4] To delve deeper into the enigmatic world of Hertz Haus collective: https://bit.ly/3Nmsj8S[5] To gain insights into the transformative potential of movement as protest: https://bit.ly/3Nmsj8S, https://bit.ly/3ws18P0

Dominika Knapik, the multitalented artist leading the Contemporary Dance Workshop, Between Disciplines, has a rich background in both Poland and Germany.
The thought-provoking performance Valeska Valeska Valeska Valeska, inspired by the avant-garde artist Valeska Gert, will be choreographed by Dominika Knapik.
The captivating collective Hertz Haus addresses identity and societal expectations through a passionate blend of various art forms in their production, To Bitch or not to Bitch.
The visionary Marta Wołowiec will lead the Open Bodies. Intuitive Dance / Improvisation workshop and conceive, direct, and choreograph the production WoW, which reflects on the historical phenomenon of choreomania.
CNDb, the prolific director of Cezary goes to war, recently won the award for best artistic team at the Boska Komedia International Theater Festival in Krakow.
For those seeking to enrich their festival experience, the following links offer valuable insights into the curatorial concept, Dominika Knapik's exceptional talent, Hertz Haus collective, the transformative potential of movement as protest, and learning more about the festival: [link1], [link2], [link3], [link4], [link5].