Bója (up the shade)

Concept, choreography, dance: Katarína Matúšová, Lukáš Bobalik, Dramaturgy: Erik Pet’ovsky, Movement cooperation: Daniel Raček, Music: Lukáš Krajčík, Costumes: Michaela Bednárová/puojd, Lights: Jakub Ťapucha, Professional psychological counselling: Barbora Tokošová, Graphic design, visual: Tamara Števulová, Production: Move-you o.z.

We invite you to the dance performance by Katarína Matúšová and Lukáš Bobalik. In their joint creation they delved into the depths of imagination, where they confronted their fears, anxieties, exhaustion, hidden memories of body and soul. They listened and learned to understand the essence of their being, they got to know what is their spring, flower, meadow, they also entered the dark forest and together they created a fantasy magical landscape. The starting point for the artists was the unconventional process of reliving their own experience through catathemic imaginative psychotherapy. This helped them to uncover their most sensitive and vulnerable places, which they transformed into the creative process of the performance Bója (up the shade).

A buoy as therapy. As a safe place, anchored, immobile and at the same time reacting to the external environment. The buoy as the harmony of two bodies balancing, supporting each other. A place associating immersion into the interior of experience. Or a boundary signalling a risky environment. Perhaps a time of respite. The buoy as a symbolism of air and depth at the same time. One can always return to it. But first it must be found. Maybe you have to become one first.

Sometimes in an attempt to cooperate, sometimes in conflict, the dancers are always trying to rescue it in its various forms and contexts. They achieve this relentless pursuit through physical possibilities to impossibilities, putting themselves at risk, sometimes dominated by the chaos of trying to anchor their bodies. These seemingly calm bodies are once again swept away by waves that both buoy them up and drag them down. The sudden sense of rescue leads them to an intensely lived experience.

The performance premiered on 23 May 2024 at the New Cvernovka in Bratislava.

The creation of the dance performance was supported from public funds by the Slovak Arts Council and the Bratislava City Foundation.

Organized by Move-you o. z. Partners of the event are A4 – space of contemporary culture and MRcover.