Dubrovnik Le Petit Festival du Theatre 2012 Dubrovnik Croatia
 
 
Empiric Movement Dance Group
 

Empiric Movement Dance Group

 
The maker of the performance and the participant dancers have been dancing for all their lives. They have started as sports dancers of Latin American and Standard dances, and have continued in a modern dance expression. They have gained their dance education with the aid of foreign coreographers, but wanted to achieve their own movement.

Empiric Movement Dance GroupIn the dance performances they express their desire and connection. Their eternal theme is love in all its forms. Lately they are actively involved in dance teaching in order to prevent social exclusion of children, youth and elders.

The maker and the leader of the group says: »Dancing is like love, it is magic: it fills the exhausted body with energy, it lifts one up to the sky, it transforms sadness to joy and connects people, it is like dreaming through one's feet. I used to think that love is a universal feeling – that on a certain point it touches everything and flows into unity that is incomparable to anything else. Then I realised that each person experiences love differently. When expectations arise, it gets even more complicated – because we show love in many different ways or we do not show it at all. Is it truly so simple in its essence? I would like to feel this simplicity, this openness and commitment … without fear and endless doubts.«

The project THREE is about recognizing love, how to catch love, avoid it, play with it, use it, accept it, deny it, surrender to it, to ignore rational and hear only the heart … Love in all its forms as experienced and tasted by women. Namely love is not a place where you are going, but the path you are walking. If you search for love, you may be disappointed when you find it. However, if you search for the path of love, you will always carry it in your heart, for yourself and others. That is why we dance. We perform death, life and birth – the brightest moment when you immaculately open your eyes and look at the future with hope.



Božena Krivec

Project leader who is at the same time also a producer, a choreographer and a director is Božena Krivec, a teacher of sociology and pedagogy, who has been active in the club from the very beginning. So far she directed full-length dance performances V pravljici (In a Fairytale, 2004), Biti (To Be, 2006) and Jigsaw (2008) which all were several times repeated and got a very positive audience response. For her work Božena got two awards: Plaketa Zveze kulturnih društev in 2006 (ZKDS-Union of Cultural Societies of Slovenia plaquette) and Oljenka mestne občine Ptuj in 2009 (Municipality of Ptuj oil lamp award) for special achievements in dance. Her dance groups regularly perform on regional and inter-regional dance festivals or meetings organised by JSKD (Republic of Slovenia Public Fund for Cultural Activities). In Mambo dance center she works as a dance teacher.

Božena is an executive editor of publication called Petdeset odplesanih (50 dances done), published in honour of the 50th anniversary of DPD Svoboda Ptuj in 2009. She also writes articles about dance (Ptujčan, Družabni ples na Ptuju /Ballroom dancing in Ptuj, March-June 2009; Didakta, Šolske plesne predstave /School dance plays, March 2001; Didakta, Usvajanje zdravih življenjskih navad /Healthy life habits assimilating, November 2011). Lately her work is shown at professional international symposiums (Otrok v gibanju /Child in Action, 2010; Hrana, gibanje, zdravje /Food, exercise, health, 2010 and 2011).

Jigsaw dance show was performed at festivals Ptuj odprto mesto and Art festival. The author was a choreographer of a dance miniature, performed by Saša Zavratnik at Art festival. Next year in 2011 she presented project TRI-movement performace through photography, drawing and documentary. It took part at Art festival in Ptuj. The same project got an invitation to Le petit festival, taking place from 18 to 27 June 2012 in Dubrovnik.

In years 2010 and 2011 she directed two school dance plays: Boogie Woogie babica /Boogie Woogie granny (2010) and Roman in Julija (2011). Pupils of Primary school in Velika Nedelja appeared in both shows.

Doing the creative dance, author ancourages dance abilities, dance culture and dance performance. Božena is enriching the cultural value of the last two decades of Ptuj women dancers. Her attitude positively influences dancers' characters who look back at all the time spent together in training and performing with joy. Many dancers she helped develop dance quality continued their dance careers in different places. Her energy persuaded many festival directors to invite her to take an active part. One of the most important facts is that for several years Božena is trying to strengthen and establish dance center in Ptuj, which has had a strong dance tradition for years. Her hard work made her become locally recognized.

In her productions Božena collaborates with different associations. She is also active in working with children coming from weak social environment and with older people, helping them lead an active lifestyle.

Doing the show Women, author captured all details mentioned above. In her own specific way Božena helped activating associations and added variety to cultural life in the local environment. The emerging show is special in different ways: all music will be played and sang live, dancers performing will be of different age and different dance styles.