From 6 to 10 May 2025, Ljubljana will once again become the epicentre of contemporary dance in Slovenia. The Gibanica Biennale offers an overview of high-quality dance productions and practices, and places particular emphasis on attracting an international audience of professionals in order to increase the visibility of Slovenian based dance authors in the international arena.
The main programme 2025 features ten pieces: eight dance works selected by Ingrida Gerbutavičiūtė, artistic and managing director of Tanzhaus nrw, and theatre scholar, critic and journalist Nika Arhar, as well as two performances by the winners of Gibanica 2023, which were included in the festival according to the carte blanche principle. The selected performances show a variety of poetics and stage forms – from intimate constellations to all-day events, from installations to traditional stage performances. The Gibanica Award for the best performance will be awarded by the international jury.
The accompanying programme, prepared in collaboration with partners, this time focuses on professional development, international networking and, of course, the celebration of dance creativity. Next to workshops led by international mentors, the international conference will be dedicated to numerous aspects of contemporary production, from sustainability to development-oriented cultural policy, the interfaces between dance and society and the possibilities of recording and notating artistic practices.
Our program will be immediately followed by a new regional showcase platform – Moving Balkans, which will offer a larger overview on the dance scene in the Balkans.
* The biennial is aware of the importance of introducing environmentally friendly practices in the organisation and implementation of events. That is why we have committed to a sustainable strategy as part of the Green Gibanica project, which includes the promotion of environmentally friendly mobility, the reduction of carbon emissions, paper printing and waste.
MAIN PROGRAMME:
Mala Kline, Memoria
Magdalena Reiter, Quartet
Katja Legin, A House a Home
Andreja Rauch Podrzavnik, Origami
Snježana Premuš in Anja Bornšek, Touch Tissue Fabric
Vita Osojnik, Meals I Already Cooked
Jan Rozman, (╯°□°)╯︵ ┻━┻ screamage
Klemen Kovačič, Agmysterium
Beno Novak, Rumble (winner of the 2023 Gibanica Award, directly included)
Irena Tomažin and Jule Flierl, As Water Sings the Bone (winners of the 2023 Gibanica Award, directly included)