10. 11. Ksenija Hribar and PTL”:
witnesses: Sinja Ožbolt, Marko Mlačnik, Mateja Rebolj, Tanja Zgonc, Mateja Bučar and Sabina Potočki
11. 11. "Lojzka Žerdin and Marija Vogelnik":
witnesses: Lojzka Žerdin, Eka Vogelnik, Neja Kos
12.11. "Long live Kraigher and Studio for Free Dance":
witnesses: Vilma Rupnik, Daliborka Podboj, Jasna Knez, Neja Kos
Preparation of the concept: Katja Praznik, Maja Delak and Sabina Potočki.
The meeting was prepared and moderated by Katja Praznik.
Mapping the history of contemporary dance in Slovenia is a three-day meeting aimed at getting to know, talking and socializing with some of the key creators of contemporary dance in Slovenia. The talks will focus in particular on their artistic performance and activities, ways of creating and various concepts about dance and movement that they developed from the mid-1930s to the mid-1990s. Through conversations with the creators themselves, as well as their close colleagues and companions, we want to open up views on the diverse field of contemporary dance creativity and activity, which began to develop in Slovenia at the end of the 20s of the twentieth century and coincides with the global emergence of contemporary dance art. This time, the three-day meeting will be dedicated to the work of Ksenia Hribar (1938–1999) and the Ljubljana Dance Theatre, Lojzka Žerdin, Marije Vogelnik (1914–2008), Živa Kraigher and the Studio for Free Dance, primarily with the aim of using testimonies and showing excerpts from archive recordings of performances let's outline some of the points on the map of the history of contemporary dance, which by no means includes all the important creators who established the field of contemporary dance in our country.
Since there is no institution in Slovenia for the field of contemporary dance that would systematically store and distribute information directly related to artistic practice and its history at the local level, the meeting is intended to introduce personal testimonies and information from the private archives of creators of contemporary dance in our country. In this way, we want to contribute to the creation of conditions for the much-needed establishment of critical studies and reflection, and to inform the general public about the development and history of contemporary dance in our country.
Ksenija Hribar (1938–1999), dancer, choreographer and pedagogue, after graduating from the Secondary Ballet School in Ljubljana and working in the ensemble of the Ljubljana SNG Opera and Ballet in 1965, she went to Great Britain to improve her dance skills at the Marie Rambert School of Ballet, and a few years later continued her education at the London Contemporary Dance School. She later joined the parent dance group and was one of the founding members of the London Contemporary Dance Theater (LCDT). She also co-created an educational dance program with LCDT director Robin Howard. In 1977, she graduated from the Chair of Theater (Drama Department, Faculty of Arts and Humanities) at Victoria University in Manchester. After returning from Great Britain in 1978, she choreographed in the performances of Slovenian drama theaters, the London Contemporary Dance Theater dance group, the SNG Opera Ballet in Ljubljana and the Lidija Sotlar Group. Between 1973 and 1996, she choreographed on almost all stages in Slovenia (SNG Drama Ljubljana, Slovenian Youth Theater Ljubljana, Primorsko Drama Theater Nova Gorica, SNG Maribor, SLG Celje, Prešeren Theater Kranj, Municipal Theater Ljubljana, Permanent Slovenian Theater Trieste, Lutkovno theater Ljubljana, Gledališče Glej...) and collaborated with many directors (Dušan Jovanović, Mile Korun, Maria Uršič, Aleš Jan, Vinko Möderndorfer, Janez Pipan, Dušan Mlakar, Vito Taufer and many others). In 1984, she co-founded the professional dance group Plesni Teater Ljubljana (PTL) with Damir Zlatar Frey. Among her most popular original dance performances in PTL are: Bitter tears for l. M. (Baptism), Concert, Alpine Dreaming, Nostalgia, Odysseus' Return, Ferdinand jr. the Bull, Commemoration - Dried Tears and Sentimental Reminiscences. As part of the Cankarjev dom educational program, she directed and choreographed the Dance Lesson. She was the initiator, co-founder and first president of the Society for Contemporary Dance of Slovenia (1994). In 1991, she became assistant professor of movement art and head of the department for dance and movement expression at AGRFT. In addition to her artistic activities, she participated in educational TV shows (children's dance musical Maček Muri, directed by Slavko Hren), expert committees and expert groups, and wrote several professional articles. In the field of dance, Ksenija Hribar was one of the driving forces in the struggle to establish the fundamental principles for the formation of professional institutional conditions for contemporary dance in our country.
