Artists
Yana Novotorova
Concept, artistic direction, research, performance
Yana Novotorova is a dancer, performer, creator and educator. Coming originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, where she studied linguistics and psychology, in 2013 Yana moved to Germany to study dance and has been based in Cologne since. Yana attained her BA degree in contemporary dance with the focus on dance dissemination and somatic practices at the Center for Contemporary Dance in Cologne (HfMT). Upon graduation she received CROSSOVER scholarship from KunstSalon-Stiftung, as well as DAAD scholarship. Apart from that, Yana is currently finishing her MA degree in stage research (Szenische Forschung) at Ruhr-University Bochum.
As a dancer/performer Yana worked, among others, with Eleonora Siarava, Jan Burkhardt and Sigal Zouk, Bianca Mendonca, Cie. Willi Dorner, Simone Forti, Susanne Grau, Stefanie Schwimmbeck, Susanne Helmes, Lili M Rampre, Linda Nadji and Boris Nikitin. Since 2017 Yana is creating her own works in collaboration with fellow artists. Her research-based, interdisciplinary approach is inspired by various artistic and scientific discourses, as well as somatic practices and contact improvisation. Yana has been awarded various scholarships and residencies, such as INKUBATOR residency (Tanzfaktur), residency at artistic center S’ALA, Tanzrecherche NRW scholarship, #TakeCare Residency in collaboration with tanzhaus nrw.
In 2021, supported by the NPN-Stepping Out funding, she produced her first full-length performance “Studies On Symbolic Violence Vol.I”, which premiered in Berlin. Apart from that, she co-directed theater performance “AGENDA” in collaboration with Theater der Keller, which was nominated for the Cologne Dance and Theater Prize.
Sophia Seiss
Artistic direction, research, performance
Sophia Seiss (1993, Berlin) finished her BA in Contemporary Dance at the University for Music and Dance (HfMT) in 2017 in Cologne. Her graduation piece „The Presence of The Absent“ was invited to the Bundeskunsthalle Bonn. In her own work Sophia researches the relations between social dichotomies such as individual and collective, minority and majority, as well as the processes that enable one to transform into the other.
She collaborates with various creators from the field of visual arts and dance: HARTMANNMÜLLER, Kelvin Kilonzo, Yana Novotorova, Martin Sonderkamp, Darko Dragicevic and Jan Burkhardt. She is part of the performance group SPINE, which explores power relations among humans, between humans, their environment, nature and technology. The group works interdisciplinary in Germany and Switzerland.
In the music field, she collaborates with the ensemble Keshavara and the violinist Marijn Seiffert.
Being a part of the teachers‘ pool of TanzZeit e.V Berlin, Sophia teaches dance at local schools. She facilitates workshops for kids and adults at institutions such as Tanzhaus NRW, Theater an der Ruhr and Theater Vorpommern. The workshops investigate the question ”What is choreography?“ , as well as different ways of combining voice and movement practices. Sophia is also a certified Pilates teacher; her classes focus mostly on injury prevention and strength training.
Vitalii Shupliak
Visual arts, research, performance
Vitalii Shupliak (1993 Ukraine) is an artist and performer, currently based in Berlin. He mainly works with video, installation and performance. He studied fine arts in Lviv, Gdańsk, Poznań and Braunschweig. Being an author of ten individual projects, he has also taken part in a large number of group exhibitions and festivals worldwide. In 2013-2014 Vitalii was a member of the group „Carrousel“. In 2014 he initiated „Pi“ Gallery and has been developing Kruta Art Residency since 2019.
Véronique Langlott
Research, performance
My artistic practice encompasses several fields and is reflected in project series and collaboration initiatives that I have participated in.
For me, choreography creates a space of possibility in which new things emerge through de- and re-construction. My artistic work is a critical examination of the construction of ways of looking at things. It is a plea for hybrid perspectives that confronts the spectators with the plurality and complexity of construction possibilities. The principle of de- and reconstruction, of re-framing and translation from one medium to another, as well as the practice of passing on artistic material are central aspects of my choreographic practice.
This resulted in the project series „De- & Reconstructing Choreography“ with the works
“GalubenWissen” (2013), “Restructuring” (2015), which won the jury prize at the Hauptsache Frei Festival in 2017 and was invited to Berlin in 2019 for the national PAF and Friends Festival,
“Will I dream during the process?” (2018), “Détournement viral” (2021), “VOID” (2021) and the project series „Glocal Choreographies“ with the works “Folkstrance” (2019/20) and “Folks-Knitting“ (2020/21).
Charlotte Triebus
Concept, research, performance
Charlotte Triebes works as a performance artist and multidisciplinary art director. The focus of her work is to investigate the potential of the intersections of art, dance and technology. Her works and performances have been shown in numerous national and international exhibitions. In 2018 she founded the New Human Body Society.
Charlotte co-leads the artistic research department of Mirevi Lab (Hochschule Düsseldorf/ Innovationshub Düsseldorf), and os an associated member of several international research teams investigating the intersections of contemporary dance and technology.
She is regularly invited to lead interdisciplinary projects as a guest lecturer in the department of Designtheory and -research at Cologne International School of Design and with students of the University for Music and Dance Cologne.
She has also been invited to Folkwang University, Academy of Media Arts Cologne, UdK Berlin and University Osnabrück to realise projects with students of different creative programs.
Anna Lutsenko
Research, performance
Anton Ovchinnikov
Research, performance