Its a story about freedom, understanding freedom…

THE GAP is a joyful, sharp and romantic love declaration to dance and its history, through the lens of personal experiences of the Swedish choreographer Liza Penkova. Using her own archives, Penkova looks back at the cultural contrasts she faced as a classically trained student from Post-Soviet Russia arriving to Sweden in the early 90’s where she eventually discovers both the infinite possibilities of expression as well as aesthetic limitations of contemporary dance throughout her career as a danceartist in the West. Alternating between silence and music, stretching from Shostakovich to Coltrane, voices from the archives of dance heroes and heroines and her own poetic reflections on norms and values between East and West, the audience is invited to witness a process of transformation containing skilled dancing with elements of melodrama and humour. 

Previously a dancer with well known choreographers and companies such as Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Michele Noiret, Kunst-Werk, Gothenburg Dance company and other well known institutions in Europe, the creation of THE GAP, marks Penkova’s debut as a choreographer and an urging artist.

credits:

choreography/text/dance: Liza Penkova

dramaturgy : Armin Kerber

sound: Per-Henrik Mäepää

lightdesign: Nelson Lima

costume: Anne-Catherine Kunz

co-production: Vitlycke Center for Performing Arts

production/admin: Producentbyrån

special thanks to team 2022: Håkan Jelk, Wannes de Rydt, Liza Winzel

co-production: Vitlycke CPA

with residency support from: LeBoson/Bruxelles, 3eVåningen/Göteborg, DCVäst, MDT/STockholm, Hallen/Farsta, Konstkollektivet/Mölndal

subsidized by: Swedish arts grants commette, Swedish arts council, Gothenburg city arts concil, Västra Götalands region.