One of the key pillars of the Croatian contemporary dance scene, the Zagreb Dance Ensemble (ZPA), is celebrating an exceptional jubilee this year – 55 years of continuous artistic activity, innovation, and pushing boundaries. This significant anniversary, which testifies to a rich history and inexhaustible creative energy, will be marked by a program that combines heritage and future, centered around two premiere performances during September. These are performances that, each in its own unique way, delve into fundamental human questions of community, identity, and artistic transformation, confirming the ensemble's status as a vital and relevant actor in contemporary art.

For more than five decades, the ZPA has profiled itself as a nursery of talent and a platform for original authorial projects, insisting on a high level of performance and an exploratory spirit. Founded back in 1970 on the initiative of the visionary dance artist Lela Gluhak Buneta, the ensemble has been synonymous with the avant-garde and artistic courage from its very beginnings. Today, under the leadership of producer Petra Glad Mažar, it continues to write new chapters in its history, and the September premieres are a perfect introduction to the celebration of this great jubilee.

Petricore: A Fragrant Ode to Community and the Strength of the Collective

The anniversary program begins in the heart of the metropolis, in a space that has become the home of contemporary dance in Croatia. The performance "Petricore", which will be held on September 12 and 13 at the Zagreb Dance Centre, presents a deeply emotional and physically challenging exploration of the power of community and the intricate dynamics of coexistence. The name itself, 'petrichor', refers to the specific, earthy scent produced when the first drops of rain fall on dry, cracked ground. It is this very metaphor of renewal, encounter, and the awakening of life that serves as the poetic framework for the work signed by the acclaimed international artistic duo: Igor Urzelai Hernando from Spain and Moreno Solinas from Italy.

On stage, five extraordinary performers – Dora Brkarić, Lara Kapeloto, Iva Katarinčić, Silvija Musić, and Linda Tarnovski – move as a single organism, as a body composed of five different but coordinated parts. Their movements, seemingly simple, gradually reveal themselves as complex tests of endurance, reminding the audience of physical and emotional limits, but also of the unimagined possibilities the body possesses. The performers merge into a unique collective image, where the boundaries of individuality are blurred and softened, creating a powerful visual and emotional impression. The performance subtly explores all the nuances of belonging – from the comfort brought by a sense of security within a group, through the joy we feel in togetherness, to the inevitable friction that arises from diversity.

What makes "Petricore" particularly impressive is the skillful balancing of a paradox: it depicts a community that never completely stifles the uniqueness of the individual but, on the contrary, makes it more visible precisely through interaction with the collective. This work invites viewers to introspection and to recognize their own reflections in others, encouraging empathy as a key element of human connection. Like the aforementioned scent of rain, the performance evokes a sense of purification and renewal that is born when bodies meet and when humanity rediscovers its essence through mutual understanding. The performance in Zagreb provides a unique opportunity to experience world-class contemporary dance.

Without a Thread: A Dance Recycling of Memories in the Istrian Landscape

A few days later, the program moves to the idyllic Istrian ambiance, where on September 18 at the Mediterranean Dance Centre in Svetvinčenat, the performance "Without a Thread" will premiere. This is a work that in a special way connects the past and present of the Zagreb Dance Ensemble, through the choreographic signature of Ognjen Vučinić, an artist whose career is inextricably linked to the ZPA. Vučinić, who was one of the leading dancers of the ensemble for more than fifteen years, is today a recognized choreographer and pedagogue with a regional reputation, and his return to his home company with this project carries a strong symbolic weight.

The performance is conceived in a site-specific form, meaning it was created specifically for the space in which it is performed – in this case, for Žlinja, within the inspiring environment of the Mediterranean Dance Centre. The thematic starting point of the work is the exploration of space as a place of transformation, where traces of old movements, forgotten choreographies, and stored memories dissolve, reshape, and assemble into completely new dance patterns. The main creative principle is recycling – the idea that energy is never lost, but only changes its form. The authors build new structures that are constantly regenerating, drawing inspiration from the rich archive of movements of the ensemble itself. For the four dancers – Linda Tarnovski, Silvija Musić, Lara Kapeloto, and Iva Katarinčić – this is an opportunity for a dialogue with history and their own dance heritage.

The musical score also follows the theme of recycling, and composer Melita Lovričević will join the performance live, adding another dimension to this multimedia experience. It is particularly interesting that parts of the performance will be recorded in advanced VR (virtual reality) technology, as part of the international project D. Dance Alliance, co-financed by the Creative Europe program. This positions the work at the crossroads of dance art and new technologies, opening the door to future forms of presentation and distribution of dance works. The premiere in Svetvinčenat thus becomes not only an artistic but also a technological step forward.

ZPA: More than half a century of avant-garde on the Croatian dance scene

To fully understand the importance of these premieres, it is necessary to look at the impressive path that the Zagreb Dance Ensemble has traveled. Since its founding in 1970, the ZPA has been and remains a key institution for the development of contemporary dance in Croatia. Created out of the need for a new, freer dance expression, the ensemble, under the leadership of Lela Gluhak Buneta, and later other artistic directors like Snježana Abramović Milković, has continuously pushed boundaries and set new standards. Over the decades, the ZPA has collaborated with numerous domestic and foreign choreographers, educating generations of dancers who are today the leaders of the dance scene in the region.

The ensemble has always been recognized for its courage to explore, experiment, and articulate complex social and intimate themes through the language of the body. Its repertoire testifies to a stylistic diversity and openness to different poetics, from abstract movement to narrative structures. The ZPA's activity was not limited to producing performances; the ensemble played a key role in educating the public and professionalizing the dance profession in Croatia, often working in conditions that were far from ideal, but with unwavering passion and dedication.

Artists who shape the future

The choice of artists for the anniversary premieres clearly shows the ensemble's vision: on the one hand, collaboration with established international names, and on the other, providing opportunities to prominent domestic authors who originated from the ensemble itself. The London-based duo Igor x Moreno (Igor Urzelai Hernando and Moreno Solinas) is known on the world stage for their unique physical language and works that, in an energetic and often humorous way, question human connection and identity. Their work, awarded and recognized at the most important European festivals, brings a touch of contemporary world dance trends to Zagreb.

On the other hand, Ognjen Vučinić represents the strength and continuity of the domestic scene. His journey from a dancer in Pula, through a long-standing status as a principal dancer of the ZPA, to the founding of his own dance company MASA and a successful choreographic and pedagogical career in Belgrade and beyond, is an example of a complete artistic development. His deep knowledge of the ensemble's poetics and the performers' sensibilities guarantees that "Without a Thread" will be a work that resonates with the collective memory of the ZPA, while simultaneously offering a fresh and mature authorial vision. His work symbolizes the cyclical nature of art, where the student becomes the teacher and where heritage is used as a foundation for creating something entirely new.

These two September premieres are therefore not just performances; they are a manifestation of the vitality of the Zagreb Dance Ensemble. They show how an institution with 55 years of tradition can constantly renew itself, remaining true to its avant-garde mission while bravely stepping into the future, opening a dialogue with new generations of audiences and artists, both on the domestic and international stage.