MOVE OSTRAVA, TANEČNO
CONNECTING/STATIONS
BOOKING:
viktorie@moveostrava.cz
PREMIERE: 24. 6 2025, TRNAVA TRAIN STATION, SLOVAKIA
PERFORMANCE
DURATION: 39 min.
MOVE FOR EVERYONE
CREATED IN COPRODUCTION MOVE OSTRAVA A TANEČNO
Places where we don’t usually stop. Places we just pass through. Places that are merely transit points — and yet it is right here that we all meet, regardless of social, generational, national, ideological, or religious differences. Places full of movement, all it takes is to pause.
In collaboration between the Slovak collective Tanečno and the Czech association MOVE Ostrava, the performative project Connecting/Stations was created, bringing contemporary dance literally among people. It breaks down the boundaries between art and everyday life, between viewer and performer, between waiting and experiencing, transforming train station halls — places inherently full of movement — into a living stage where audiences meet not only each other but also themselves.
The concept’s author, Slovak choreographer and performer Andrej Štepita, noticed during his frequent travels (not only) to cultural events that places where hundreds of strangers pass by daily create, besides travel space, also room for art. He decided to bring contemporary art directly into public spaces with his new dance project — among people, generations, social layers, farewells and welcomes, escapes and returns. From movement that begins as everyday contact and naturally evolves into partner dance work, a choreography emerged that does not tell stories but lives them together with the audience.
“Connecting/Stations is a free continuation of the research Passing/Station, which I developed together with performer and creator Miriam Budzáková and brought into public space through a series of performative interventions in train station halls. The project was presented in several Slovak cities and in 2021 gained an international continuation through collaboration with musician Hanness Schögl and the association Artemporis, resulting in a new version of the project. The idea to build on the original piece and expand the duet into a work for multiple dancers came from a desire to continually explore new ways of human contact and mutual interaction. This never-ending research is also a metaphor for ongoing social changes and development, which we manifest through captivating public interventions. I am glad the work continues to evolve, as I see great potential in this type of performance that, thanks to more performers and a skilled team, can become a reality.”
“Train stations are like emotional maps. They remind us of what we feel when we pause for a moment — joy, loneliness, hope, sadness, and new beginnings.”
The main inspiration for this project from the very beginning has been everyday life — the kind we often pass by unnoticed. This visually striking, physically intense, and deeply humanly fragile happening was born out of the need to make contemporary dance accessible to a wider audience while placing it in an environment rich with deep symbolism. Train stations and transit spaces are not just places of passage but also emotional imprints that form part of the collective memory of each of us. This everyday emotionality is exactly what the performance aims to capture, offering the audience a space to slow down and re-experience.
The authors’ primary goal is to return art to public space in its original and profoundly human role — as a tool that connects, develops thinking and feeling, and brings our attention back to the present moment. It is not just a performance — above all, it is about coming together. About creating a space for dialogue between different communities that might otherwise never meet.
"Connecting/Stations creates a platform for bringing together diverse communities and opening dialogue—not through words, but through presence, movement, and shared experience. Its ambition is not only to connect Czech and Slovak initiatives and support the mobility of creators across regions but also to reach new audiences and spread an original, accessible form of contemporary dance beyond borders."
The movement language of the performance is based on everyday, natural contact — gentle, non-violent physical interactions that gradually develop into intense physical and partnered choreographic situations. The creators listen to the rhythm of the day, observe what happens between individual moments of experience, and transform these micro-instances into a poetic, physical language that speaks to everyone regardless of age, background, or cultural experience. In this project, dance becomes a means of understanding and empathy — gently but insistently reminding us that even in the rush, it’s possible to pause for a moment and see differently. At the core of the choreography is, among other things, work with the body in relation to another — touch, support, weight transfer, closeness and distance… all elements familiar not only to dancers but also to everyday people in their daily relationships.
As a Czech-Slovak co-production, the project also supports cross-border collaboration and connects artists and audiences from both countries. The shared goal is not only to create a high-quality artistic work but also to popularize it across public spaces, reach new audiences, and expand the significance of contemporary dance within the cultural context. The project aims to be not only locally relevant but also internationally understandable — precisely thanks to its accessibility, vivid imagery, and strong emotional message.
CREATIVE TEAM
Concept: Andrej Štepita
Performers: Zuzana Burianová, Michaela Králiková, Jana Ryšlavá, Viktorie Szalóczi, Matúš Szeghö, Andrej Štepita
Music composition: Hannes Schögel
Music interpretation: Jakub Turác/Hannes Schögel
Production: Viktorie Szalóczi
Supported from public funds by the Arts Support Fund and the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic.
Connecting/Stations for promoters
About the project
Places where we don’t usually stop. Places we just pass through. Places that are merely transit points, and yet here we all meet—regardless of social, generational, national, ideological, or religious differences. Places full of movement, all it takes is to stop.
"Connecting/Stations" is a new project created by the collectives Tanečno and Move Ostrava, taking place in the vestibules of train stations. It breaks down the boundaries between art and everyday life, between the viewer and the performer, between waiting and experiencing, and transforms train stations, places that are full of movement, into a living stage where the audience meets not only different art forms, but also themselves.
Creative team
Performers: Zuzana Burianová, Michaela Králiková, Jana Ryšlavá, Viktorie Szalóczi, Matúš Szeghö, Andrej Štepita
Musical interpretation/vibrafone/percussion: Jakub Turác/Hannes Schögel
Graphic design: Matúš Szeghö
Production: Viktorie Szalóczi
Photo: Jakub Jančúch
Premiere: 25. 6. 2025, Trnava train station
The performance was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic and the Art Support Fund Slovakia.
Practical info
The performance can be performed in two versions:
-
Full version (6 dancers, 1 musician, 1 production)
-
Smaller version (4 dancers, 1 musician, 1 production)
Performance length: 39 minutes
Venue: Public, primarily train station or public transport buildings / lobbies
Set-up: 3 hours before performance
Tech & Hospitality rider
-
For vibrafone we need space around 2,5m - 3m (near the wall ideally)
-
Possibility to park near the space for unloading and loading instruments
-
Dressing room
-
Water and light snacks
Contact & Booking
Viktorie Szalóczi, viktorie@moveostrava.cz, +420 736 524 754
Civic association Tanečno is an association of young people working in the field of art, culture and community organizing, which is mainly dedicated to activities developing the art of dance in the Orava region. The year round activities are mainly based on the organization of the Orava Dance and Movement Festival - Tanečno, which has had six successful years. At this multi-genre festival, several important dance pieces and personalities have been presented in dance workshops and performances since 2017.
Among the aims of the civil association are the development, creation and preservation of cultural values and the support of education in the field of culture and art, primarily in the field of contemporary dance, especially in the Orava region. The association also fulfills these goals by creating year round artistic and educational activities in the region. Since association membership includes young independent creators and performers of contemporary dance, the organizers collective also focuses on authorial work, closely interconnected with associations activity portfolio. The association also acts as a creative and performative collective (Passing/station, The Urge, YOLT, Antrophos Anthem, Gentle man, Na hlasku, Be off...).
Likewise, all activities of the association from renown and expertise members guarantee the experience gained during art studies (SEAD Salzburg, MUK Wien, University of Stavanger, The Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava...)
MOVE is here for everyone who wants to move, watch, create, and explore. We connect Movers, Watchers, and Creators – those who love to immerse themselves in movement and those who enjoy observing it. With us, you can move or simply experience movement without needing to understand it. Whether you see movement as a path to self-discovery, relaxation, or art, MOVE is here for you.
The association's key activity is the MOVE Fest Ostrava festival, which has been presenting leading Czech and foreign movement performers and performative projects every year since 2013. Thanks to careful dramaturgy, the festival brings top-quality productions from many countries to Ostrava. MOVE Ostrava is not only a platform for presenting art, but also an active creator of new performative works. Among its most significant projects are, for example, the site-specific production Luxury Memories, set in the former Ostravica-Textilia department store, the multimedia performance Brave New Life, which combined movement, audiovisual elements, and original music, and the performance Carpe (t) Diem, which over the years has evolved from a black-box duet into various site-specific variants—currently, for example, into a performative walk through the grounds of a former coal mill in the Dolní Vítkovice industrial complex in Ostrava.
MOVE Ostrava does not blindly follow trends but seeks true value. We educate and inspire naturally, opening new perspectives on movement and its meaning. We invite theater audiences into the world of dance, showing that movement belongs to everyone—whether you want to dance, grow, or simply discover new experiences. Come move, watch, or create, and immerse yourself in a world of meaningful movement.