ABOUT

penkovagarden is a space for poetic and academic reflections on the aesthetics and aisthesis of movement based dance and choreography within the context of performing arts. 

the aim is to cultivate dialogue with and about the meaning making processes in dance and choreography  across time and culture.

Penkovagarden is a continuously evolving structure initiated by Swedish dancer/choreographer/ performer/researcher Liza Penkova. 

Liza Penkova is a Swedish dancer/choreographer/ performer/researacher  based in Gothenburg. She studied dance at The Royal Swedish Ballet school and P.A.R.T.S, and holds a Ma- degree in choreography and dance didactics from Stockholm University of the Arts.

With movement research as a foundation in her work, she looks for ways to make the art of dancing the primary motor in choreography. Balancing on the threshold between fixed choreography and improvisation. Often relying on historical archives as an important source of inspiration she attempts to make visible the invisible stories by re-cycling past knowledge of a body, of a dancer, of a culture.

The building blocks in her choreographic work can be found in her previous experience as a dancer, where after her first professional engagement at the Gothenburg Opera Ballet, she spent a significant amount of time in Brussels, Belgium- working for the world-known choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker and her company Rosas. During those years Liza also had the opportunity to work as a performer with the Antwerp-based theater group TgSTAN.  In her last years in Brussels she had a meaningful working encounter with the well-admired choreographer Michele Noirét . Liza has also participated in several productions of the acclaimed Swedish choreographer Helena Franzén as well as worked with emerging freelance choreographers in Europe such as Georgia Vardarou, Veli Lehtovaara and Meri Pajunpää.

Liza is also one of the initiators behind PhD in One Night, a collective project centered around the poetics of French philosopher Jacques Rancière. This work eventually sparked her interest in research related to dance education, culminating in a MA-thesis on dance literacy.

As chair of Konstkollektivet’s board and a member of Danscentrum Väst, Liza remains deeply engaged in the cultural scene at local, regional, national and internatinal levels.

Liza has been continuously receiving support from various institutions throughout her career, including the Gothenburg City Culture Committee, Västra Götaland Region, the Swedish Arts Grants Committee, the Swedish Arts Council, Danscentrum, Carina Ari minnesfond and other organizations.