tnp
Creators Liza Šimenc, Mirica Ačko, Alja Petric
Movement Mirica Ačko, Liza Šimenc
Music Alja Petric
Text Mirica Ačko
Costume and Set Design Liza Šimenc
Photography Nina Pernat
Photographic Collage Alja Petric
Production Zavod MOJA KREACIJA, Maribor, Festival Platform of Contemporary Dance
Co-organization DUM Association
Acknowledgments Moj Korak, Cirkulacija 2
photos: SAŠA HUZJAK, from 18. Platforme sodobnega plesa in Maribor
Body as an infinite, occasionally untrodden landscape, in all its diversity and variet; A landscape as a space, place, and body that navigates the specificity, uniqueness, individuality, wholeness, balance, and harmony inherent in its nature. Ideas about bodily and spatial landscapes are always accompanied by different perspectives, perceptual frameworks, and viewpoints. This landscape, as a whole, is more real and complete than any of its individual parts. When we view a landscape, we perceive a complex network of similarities and connections. In addition to visible perceptions, there are other forms of perception: internal sensations linked to the functioning of organs, the smell and sound of the environment, the texture of fabric, and the warmth of the ground. Each cell in the body carries its own memory, and through this memory, a universal force is at work. However, we do not always exist in an ideal landscape; rather, we acknowledge and accept this reality with respect.
In their collaborative work, the creators explore the body and their experiences through movement. The joint project In Bodies, What Kind? These Kind! (2024) is divided into two parts. The first part, titled Organically Technological Assemblage, was presented at Cirkulacija 2 (Liza Šimenc, Mirica Ačko) in April 2024. The second part, Body as an Untraversed Landscape, will be showcased at the Festival Platform of Contemporary Dance in Maribor.
Katja Gorečan writes about our work, read it
Text about our work from
Nina Ambroz, in the newspaper Večer:
Co-creator Mirica Ačko is writing about our work below:
Dancing with the body you have... Every body moves, yet each body in this movement is hindered, limited (by space, muscles, gravity, and more)... Movement can convey messages... What should a dancer be like? Tall, slender, attractive, moving lightly on the ground, on toes with superhuman strength. Dance standards and stereotypes. Usually, one dances with their legs, on their legs, but it’s also possible to dance with a wheelchair, on a wheelchair. What is this dancing body, how does it move... not lightly, rigidly, constricted... it can dance on the ground, in the air. How? Could the wheelchair be a tool for different movement for both? Are dance and physical impairment two concepts that don’t go well together, or even exclude each other...
Ideas that cannot be easily described with words can be conveyed to the audience through movement. The essence of an artistic concept is for the dance story to touch the viewer, giving them a chance to form their own relationship and experience with different bodies through watching. Experiences and relationships are, after all, the things through which we humans change. Experiences of feeling, expression, self-reflection, new experiences, and new relationships might be things we express more easily through movement than with words. Changing perspective, a turn in dance, a twist might mean finding a different way to reach the essence... It doesn’t matter if you're not particularly physically capable; sometimes imagination, an idea, a different perspective, self-irony, are more important...
The project In Bodies, What Kind? This Kind! (2024) by Mirica Ačko and Liza Šimenc, consisted of two parts. The first part, titled Organsko Tehnološki Skupek (OTS), took place at Cirkulacija 2 in Ljubljana. The second part, titled Body as an Unwalked Landscape (TNP), was presented together with musician Alja Petric at the Platforma festival in Maribor. The first part was created as a movement experiment, in collaboration with a high-tech electric wheelchair used in daily life, while the second part took place in Minoritska Church, without the wheelchair. It was drawn from the personal experiences of both creators: on one side, a dancer with years of experience in ballet, contemporary dance, and performance art, and on the other, a person with a lifelong experience of significant physical disability, reliant on personal assistance. For both, exploration, movement, and creation are foundational. Dance is at once a universal and deeply personal experience and, at the same time, a challenge.
They say that the body is made for movement, so when does movement become dance? Allegedly, what’s important is the harmony between body and spirit... it's communication between people, an awareness of the body, space, and surroundings... If a person’s movement is impaired, they may experience heightened bodily perception. Excessive or insufficient muscle tension hinders postural and balance reactions and body control, manifesting differently in each person. These are facts we don’t deny, but the power of the medical field often plays too strong a role in shaping many societal perceptions of physical disability, rooted in the discourse of the medical model. The medical profession operates from a biological perspective, meaning that physical disability is perceived solely as a biological product. As a result, the general belief is that the challenges faced by people with physical disabilities stem solely from bodily impairments and are independent of broader sociocultural, physical, and political environments. The persistence of this discourse relies on several factors, such as the medical profession's power to define the disability discourse, the legitimization of this discourse by other societal groups and institutions, economic arguments, fear of difference, and a lack of understanding. Consequently, physical disability, or a medical diagnosis, often becomes the dominant characteristic of an individual’s social identity. These views and experiences of social interaction can lead people with disabilities to perceive physical disability as the defining feature of their self-image and self-presentation. Because physical disability is seen as negative and associated with incapability, all of these factors may combine to inhibit inclusion in various activities.
People with physical disabilities often face negative perceptions of their abilities (even regarding simple tasks that most people take for granted) while also being confronted with the promotion of an idealized body image that most of the population cannot attain. It’s no surprise, then, that many individuals with physical disabilities have low self-esteem; this low self-esteem and a perceived fear of failure act as key reasons why people with physical disabilities (especially women) refrain from participating in activities. In the artistic context of contemporary dance, bodily and movement differences may become highly visible, potentially leading to low self-esteem and a fear of bodily contact. Limiting factors also include restricted physical abilities and personal motivation, along with discrimination and deterrence from the general public.
Contemporary dance, as an art form that embodies freedom and questions societal norms, can contribute to inclusion by allowing people of diverse personal circumstances to co-create, collaborate, and learn alongside the mainstream dance community. Such an approach may require a shift in perspective, ensuring access to rehearsal and dance education spaces, taking on the role of a personal assistant, supporting performances, and providing funding. These are key elements for making artistic movement practices accessible to people for whom they are typically out of reach, offering opportunities for close encounters, deeper communication, and choreographic insights. Eppur si muove ("And yet it moves")