NEITHER AQUA NOR GYM

Andrej Štepita

Summer, swimming pools, water slides and animation program. No vacation is complete without club dances or the popular AQUAGYM. We don’t want to deprive you of this experience either, so we have prepared a unique workshop for you on the beautiful embankment of the Orava Dam. Come relax, have fun, sweat, and gain positive energy from the joy of dancing and movement.

And don’t forget your swimsuit! We might end up in the water after all 😉

The workshop is open to everyone, no dance knowledge is necessary!

You don’t need to register for this workshop, just show up.

FREE ENTRY

THURSDAY 13.08. 16:45-17:15

AMPHITHEATER

BIO

ANDREJ ŠTEPITA

A performer, teacher, and creator working primarily in the field of contemporary dance and physical theatre. In his artistic work, he draws from an endless stream of energy, shaped during his artistic development by various dance styles and aesthetic forms. His constant passion for spontaneity and explosive movement as a means of artistic expression inspires him to explore techniques that connect civil, expressive, and virtuoso forms. He is interested in the overlap of art with other disciplines and sciences, as well as in bringing light perspectives to complex topics. In recent years, he has focused on partner work and site-specific performances, which were also the themes of his bachelor’s and master’s theses. Art in non-theatrical spaces currently frames his artistic direction. As a performer, he is interested in authenticity and direct communication with the audience.

During his studies in dance performance and pedagogy of modern dance at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava (VŠMU), his career path took on a professional character. While exploring various forms of both popular and independent art, he co-founded the collective mimoOs together with other students, which shaped his involvement in contemporary dance for many years. They co-created original works (Moving Mountains, Another Song in Silence). At the same time, he participated in projects with Slovak and international artists (A. Lachký – Nočná ilúzia, P. Šavel, Y. Korec, M. Poláková, T. Procházka – Pocitové rozUmenie, pODPORa, S. Pregrad – Diaries of Touch…). He also values collaborations with like-minded artists of his generation (Budzáková, Szeghö, Gallinová, Balák, Schögl).

After completing his master’s degree at VŠMU, he continued his studies at the prestigious SEAD – Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance, where he trained under renowned dance artists (V. Osojnik, M. Ronda, E. Torroja, I. Spencer, J. Hamilton, E. Ernesto, D. Freeman, J. Michellod, M. Blanaru). As part of his final project, he performed M. Herich’s solo solo for mr. Folk. Studying abroad helped him define his field of interest and find new impulses for physical, mental, and artistic growth.

He collaborates with the international physical theatre ensemble Farma v jeskyni in Prague (Efeméra, Commander, Refuge…), the Vienna-based association Artemporis (Strings), and is the author of the site-specific project passing/station. He is the founder of the Orava Festival of Dance and Movement – Tanečno, which he has been organising for five years in his hometown of Námestovo.

He took part in the European Forum Alpbach 2019, where he assisted in the seminar It Does Matter Where led by Viennese choreographer Willi Dorner. He also participated in the summer exchange educational camp China-CEEC in the Chinese provinces of Guizhou and Guiyang.

Currently, he is working on research for solo creation (Gentle man), site-specific happenings in collaboration with Divadlo Námestovo (site&self), and the duet Pass in. As a teacher, he leads workshops both in Slovakia and abroad.