dragON aka PHOENIX is a picturesque show where “holding back” is not an option. Using a direct approach and specifics of musical theatre as a form, the performance problematizes the potential absurdity in choreography and dance. It is a result of the excess of three burning dancing souls – performed by the artistic trio Aleksandar Georgiev, Zhana Pencheva and Darío Barreto Damas. dragON aka PHOENIX is a rise of the superstars.
“You want them higher, stronger, deeper, clever, naughty, bold and kissing forever? They will do whatever it takes.”
dragON aka PHOENIX is the second work of the project dragON, a choreographic trilogy coauthored by the three artists, known as STEAM ROOM. The project deals with the protest and celebration of the body in the drag scene, while exploring correlations with dance and choreography.
Alexandar Georgiev – Ace is a dancer and choreographer, who takes part in a number of formal and nonformal educational programmes such as “NOMAD” (2009), “DanceWeb” (2010/2017), “50 Days Fly Low and Passing Through” (2010), “SPAZIO” (2012/2013) and “Critical Practice made in YU program” (3rd generation) (2016/2017). He is a bachelor of dance theatre from New Bulgarian University, Sofia and holds MA in Choreography from “DOCH”, Stockholm (2014). Since 2008, he has been actively working in the field of dance and choreography, practicing different approaches. Apart from his artistic work as an author, he is also part of the artistic team STEAM ROOM that develops a collective authorship format. The team is part of Imaginative Choreographic Center, reimagining the institutions and processes of institutionalization, and denationalizing within the artistic practices and processes.
Darío Barreto Damas is a Canarian freelance dancer and choreographer based in Sofia, Skopje, Stockholm and Tenerife. He graduated “Teatro Victoria”, Tenerife, “Institut del Teatre”, Barcelona and “DOCH”, Stockholm. Darío has worked with the Swedish dance company “Cullberg” as a guest performer and with CCAP and c.off, (lead by Cristina Caprioli). In his work Darío focuses on the emancipation of dance and spaces and de-contextualization/dis-identification. He is a member of Lokomotiva (North Macedonia), Interimkultur (Sweden), Garage Collective (Bulgaria), PiedeBase (Canarias) and TenerifeLAV (Tenerife).
Zhana Pencheva is a dancer and choreographer from Bulgaria. After her education in NBU, Sofia, she took part in a series of workshops and programs such as Nomad dance academy and DanceWeb. From 2010 she is actively working in the field as an author and collaborator. In 2018, together with Alexandar Georgiev and Darío Barreto Damas, they created the international artistic trio STEAM ROOM, performing in Burgas, Sofia, Tenerife, Skopje and Stockholm. Recently, she has been engaged with collective choreographic stage works as well as her own artistic production. In 2022 – 2023 Zhana is on tour with her latest choreographic concert “Dance baby, dance”.
This project was supported by the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria and the National Culturе Fund.
It is supported also by National Community Centre “Vasil Levski”, Performance Room, Moving Body Festival, DNK – Space for Contemporary Dance and Performance, Skopje Pride Weekend, VIZ! magazine and Jasmin Magazine.