About the festival

DANCE WEEK FESTIVAL (Tjedan suvremenog plesa) is Croatia’s primary international festival of contemporary dance, movement theatre and mime. This annual festival, organized by Institute for Movement and Dance was founded in 1982 by its Artistic Producer Mirna Žagar. Its eclectic programming is a platform for encounters of diverse choreographic and artistic visions meet and stimulate dialogue across the arts disciplines. The alchemy of dance, its continuous evolution and its many appearing forms today is a fascinating one – revealed through each new festival edition.

The Festival offers a context to the development of new ideas, alongside world renown names and choreographic living legends exist trend setting authors and the space for emerging talent of new talent as well as a point for reflection on the art of dance within the overall Croatian culture and society.

As one of the oldest festivals in the region, DANCE WEEK FESTIVAL, has presented well over 500 works of internationally acclaimed choreographers.. Highlights of the Festival’s past programming include: Susanne Linke, Trisha Brown, Nederlands Dans Teater, Christina de Chatel, Batsheva Dance Company, PC and Emio Greco, Josef Nadj, Random Dance, CandoCo, Carol Brown, Truus Bronkhorst, Xavier Le Roy, Sankai Juku, Donald Byrd, Angelin Preljocaj, Akram Khan, Rosemary Butcher, Siobbhan Davies, Danielle Leveille, Holy Body Tattoo…to mention only some. The Festival has contributed to the preservation of a fragile but important regional network allowing for greater mobility of the arts. The festival has promoted and produced several generations of Croatian dance artists and has created bridges for international cultural exchange and collaboration, contributing to the increasing presence of a new generation of Croatian choreographers firmly connected to European centres and working both abroad as well as within the country (Ivana Muller, Andreja Bozic, Irma Omerzo, Bad Co, Marija Scekic, Marjana Krajac…).

An integral part of each Festival edition is the ancillary programming consisting of round-table discussions, exhibitions, workshops, informal meetings and networking sessions. The Festival takes place end of May / beginning of June. Participation in the festival is by invitation only.

In 2017 Dance Week Festival was awarded by the European Association of Festivals with the EFFE Label (European Festivals for Europe) supported by the European Commission. The international jury considered the festival's artistic quality and programming, looking at its commitment to inclusive society, taking into consideration a broad view of social, political and pan-European values.

Festival team (36th DWF):


Artistic Director
Mirna Žagar

Producer
Tena Bošnjaković

Assistant producer
Koraljka Begović

PR & Protocol
Nina Kunek

Graphic design & web development
Valentina Toth

Administration
Nada Žagar

Chief Technician
Bojan Gagić

Technicians
Ivan Bauk
Ognjen Puhovac
Tomislav Maglečić

Box Office
Maja Jakuš - Mejarec
Silvija Dogan

Logistics
Antonio Gabelić
Velimir Pantlik