Presentation of JSKD's summer dance workshops

 First there was a performance amongst the people. 

Followed by a presentation of each individual workshop so we could see what they were doing in each one of them over the week. 

The year of Kosovel

 As it is 100 years since this 22 year old hugely talented poet died, this year is marked as his year (not only his though, mind you) and this is the team that will prepare different shows in Cankarjev dom to mark the centenary of his death. Looking forward to seeing what they will come up with. 

Roza & Dovč

 

are preparing a new play. Roza is writing the text and Dovč the music. Can't wait to see it. 

Dance studio Intakt

 

spent a day at Španski borci presenting their work (from the very little ones to the grown ups). In total I watched and photographed 12 dance performances, and here is a photo from one of them, which starts off with violence and death (unfortunately suitable for the period of Homo sapiens' - will we ever learn?) 

Attila Andrási

 presenting to a hand picked audience his work in progress. 

Betrayal

by Harold Pinter. A theme probably as old as humanity itself, but it seems like it has really got out of hand these days, in all parts of life. 

 

There is nothing bad in here for me

 The director and performer warming up before the dress rehearsal. 

I was not the only one documenting the dress rehearsal. 

Irena mid rehearsal. 

Irena Preda

Went to see a rehearsal of Vlado Repnik's new performance featuring Irena Preda on voice and body. Of course, I took a few photos and guess what, here is one of them.   

2nd day of the Open Air Book Fair

 

Started of with morning music, to get us going...

... dogs were also interested in books (when they were not focusing on the camera)... 

... and the day ended with Nikolai presenting his book Songs of an Anarhist. 

(In between we listened to a lot of book presentations and flipped through many, many books (bought none, as the financial situation does not allow this at the moment)

Dejan Koban

eating into his vacuum packed new poetry collection at the open air book fair.  

 

Listening to them the second day in a row

 

The day before they were both nominees for the Cankar literature award, today they both had a solo presentation. First was Ajda Bračič, presenting her book Kresničevje,

followed by Nina Dragičević presenting her book Nemogoče. In this talk I must say that I had the feeling that the interviewer missed out on a great opportunity to delve deeper into a topic Nina was talking about, but instead she decided to read the next question from her list (to my great dissapointment).  

Literary evening

First I went to the Cankar's award event and ceremony, and here is the happy winner of the 2026 Cankar's literary award - Nina Dragičević. 

This was followed by the launch of the Slovene translation of Joanna Elmy first book and here she is sniffing some flowers during the talk ;)  

Ghosts (not mine, and not those of the 14th*, but those of Farič)

40 years of his work in dance 

 so I guess Matjaž deserves two photos from his performance to be published on this blog. 

*For those wondering who are the ghosts of the 14th, they are from a poem of mine that is dedicated to the victims and survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster. Here is a link (10) Ghosts of the 14th - YouTube 

 

 

Mapping the city

 

with Dejan again. 

Cankar - written into society

 

A debate on the Slovene writer Ivan Cankar, as seen from the perspective of the young generation of theatre creatives. 

International Dance Day

 

I have seen so many dance performances today, I have absolutely no idea where to start and what to put on my blog. Whatever I do I will do injustice to many performers. I guess I need to reach a decision and post a photo from one of the performances... So, here it is... Enjoy! 

Katja Šulc

 

with her gentle, musical story-telling. 

Interview

 

after the press conference for the International Dance Day

Amado Mio

I haven't been doing a lot of jumping around since my heart attack, but I was really looking forward to seeing the opening night of my friend's (Matjaž Mrak) dance film in Idrija. In the past I collaborated with him on one of his dance films that was also filmed in Idrija and we had a great time (when doing something you love, one can have a great time even when working hard). Hopefully I will get to work on more projects like that (after a health scare one is always uncertain as to what awaits him in his life). 

On the photo are the two dancers (Jana Bungorova, Nuria Capella Florensa) from the film, in the Q&A that followed the film.

Nature wrapping itself

 around nature. 

Marko's treasure trove

 A few months after he died, and about a month after my heart attack, my cousin called me to ask if I could photograph her father's home with all the things he managed to collect over the years. My cousin, her partner, their daughter and I set of to Trbovlje. We came to a small house, which I saw for the first time and when we entered I could see the wonderful home that Marko had made for himself, with a million of little mementos, walls that he painted with abstract patterns,  furniture he made himself and billions of knick-knacks. I can't really explain all the feelings that passed though my body on this Friday. Some were pleasant, some were sad, it was like saying goodbye to Mare once again. But, overall we had a nice time, remembering him, together with his family. I don't believe in the soul going to some sort of afterlife, so the best I can hope for is that Mare led a life he enjoyed, and as most of us, I guess he had his good and bad times, but I do believe he lived his life as he wanted to and that is something that should be celebrated.    

Opus day 2

 For the second day, I will show you a photo from a duet (again, out of the many short performances I have seen on this day). 

Opus - A day of short dance performances

 

Today was a day for a lot of very short dance performances, but here is a single photo from the day, because otherwise the post would go on for ages and ages)

Poetically Uncorrect (encore une fois)

 

I better learn to play an instrument, so that one day, I will be able to play at least one song with them.  

Avantgarden 3.0

 

Tanja, posing at her exhibition. 

Ballerinas

 

Dancing just for me (or was I photographing just for them?)

Poetry

 We started off with some poetry in various (mainly Slavic) languages...

and continued with a semi-clowning performance very loosely based on two poets (or rather two poems by two poets.

Nebodigatreba

Opening of things we never knew we needed. 

 

Valentine's day

Started with a tournament of quick dating focusing on moaning, 

and ended with the performance Death and Milk.

Opening of the days of comedy

The days of comedy started. Some people enjoyed the welcome more than the opening show ;)

Immediately after the ceremonial opening, while people were watching the opening show of the festival, some of us went to the rehearsal for the Funeral of constant worries.  

 

Allja Petric in Januš Aleš Luznar

A meditative concert that fitted my mood of the evening.

Press conference

Had fun at the presentation of two new plays and saw some people I haven't seen in a while. 

 

Orpheus and Eurydice

 The soldier lies in the battlefield,

Virginia Woolf is dancing on the table,

and Sarah Kane has escaped from her bed. 

Today we said goodbye to Mare

 

In the snow, people wore colourful clothes

his daughter performed a special ceremony

Roza ensured we had fire in the sky

music was played throughout

at the wake Martin played Mare's favourite music

and people danced.

Mare would have loved it.