“What is it like to be a man in dance? Is dance a male activity? How strong is the strong sex in dance?”

Lunch on the Grass with a Faun is a creative exploration of the male role in dance. Inspired by Vatslav Nijinsky’s Afternoon of a Faun, which according to choreographer Rossen Mihailov, is the piece that “placed men back on the map of dance”, the performance follows the process of emancipation of male dancers, as they evolved from being prima ballerina’s “servants” to becoming their equal “stars” a century later. With this aim, choreographer Rosen Mihailov brings together Bulgarian dancers with various backgrounds and trainings, ranging from ballet to contemporary dance, physical and dance theatre, and street and show dance. Each one of them shares his interpretation of the subject matter in accordance with his age and creative experience.

Rossen Mihailov is a choreographer, director, dancer, producer and light designer. He was trained as a classical dancer at the National School for Dance Arts in Sofia and afterwards specialized in the USA and the United Kingdom. He has worked throughout Europe and Asia and has collaborated with artists like Russell Maliphant, Loyd Newson, David Zambrano, Nigel Charnock, Robert Tannion. As a choreographer and director he has created more than 15 big choreographic projects, and many smaller pieces, including dance performances for national and independent companies, choreography for film and theatre productions, TV commercials, dance and music videos. Thus, he has led workshops and dance research in contemporary dance, contact improvisation, choreography and composition, physical theatre etc. His latest works include: 6:16 p.m., the dance film project 360° and the full evening dance solo Heraclitus Arrow.

The project was realized with the financial support of The Ministry of Culture of The Republic of Bulgaria.