The MASDANZA Solo and Choreography Contests are a leading event on the international contemporary dance scene, serving as a platform that fosters the international careers of emerging choreographers and dance creators from around the world.
SOLO & CHOREOGRAPHY CONTEST PROGRAMME 2026
FRIDAY OCT 16 – TEATRO PÉREZ GALDÓS – 20:00 h
SOLO CONTEST
I COULD ALSO BE A BLACK SWAN (12’)
Kassel, Germany
Created & Performed by: Klil Ela Rotshtain
Sound: Voice. Self recorded, original for the piece.
“The conversations you have with yourself inside your head make a house for the different characters within. Which of them are allowed to leave your thoughts and exist outside in their fullest potential? A meeting point between the physical being and all the beings in it. The building of a body. A living building, in which they live- all of them. Welcome to myself. ‘I COULD ALSO BE A BLACK SWAN’ is a wish to be more than one thing. A wish to be able to coexist with different personalities and in between them. To navigate the battles they have with each other, to make peace with the ugly and imperfect, with the outer and inner self. To expose what is expected to be hidden and stop apologizing. In a journey paved with text and movement the performer is ‘thinking out loud’- opening a window for the audience to experience the world through her eyes and question it from her point of view.”
UNA IDA AL CANTO (14’)
Madrid, Spain
Created & Performed by: Carmen Fumero Alfonso
Music: Adaptación y arreglo musical de un extracto de ‘El canto de la Sibila’ de Jordi Savall realizado por Iván Cebrián. / An adaptation and musical arrangement of an excerpt from Jordi Savall’s ‘El canto de la Sibila’, by Iván Cebrián.
Original Music: Iván Cebrián “Una Ida Al Canto”
“A journey to her voice is a passage. It is also a stop in the journey where she does not know if she is walking forward or backward, if she is coming or going. A womanthat seeks, finds and discards, almost at the same time. Beyond the classic search for an identity, what does not remain, becomes the essential. This way, she does not cling to anything. A journey to her voice is a personal experience of a woman who tries to find a new identity, a new version of herself. During the journey, she feels her contradictions, her shadows and her hidden lights in a space that transforms itself.”
ALL CLEAR (12’)
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain – Kyiv, Ukraine
Created by: Daria Koval
Performed by: Anna Sofiia Borodkina
Sound Design: Ivan Martynenko
“ ‘ALL CLEAR’ is a personal and documentary solo work created in collaboration with young Ukrainian dancer, whose memories shape the core of the piece. The title holds deep significance for Ukrainians, reflecting the words that signal the end of an air raid. In this context, ‘ALL CLEAR’ symbolizes the fragile hope and fleeting moments of peace in a time of war. The work combines two contrasting dance styles: Waacking, with its expressive arm movements, and the traditional Ukrainian folk dance ‘Hopak’, typically performed by men. However, in today’s reality of war, where both men and women stand as equals in defense of their homeland, we explore how this powerful dance evolves to embody shared strength and resilience. Together, these styles highlight the themes of connection, support, and unity—whether through offering a hand, seeking help, or finding collective strength in cultural traditions. The piece delves into the experiences of young people growing up amidst conflict, searching for moments of normalcy, and preserving joy despite the pain of loss. It reflects the challenge of navigating personal growth while remaining anchored to deeply rooted cultural traditions.”
MY 4YEARS AND 4SEASONS (14’50”)
Anyang-si, South Korea
Created & Performed by: Hyeonwoo BaeMusic: Adrien Casalis “Ending”, Adrien Casalis “Tides”
“ ‘MY 4YEARS AND 4SEASONS’ portrays our intrinsic emotions, through abstract but sentimental dance moves, nonverbal communication and the embodiment of the relevant movements and moods. In this piece, Hyeonwoo Bae would like to have time in which he does not simply dance for others but consoles himself and talks about himself. The artist expresses himself actively and freely without reservation or any preset frames. Like a street clown, he wants the audience to see him as the way he is without trying to define the intended meanings. As such, ‘MY 4YEARS AND 4SEASONS’ delivers the universal message of ‘No matter what we really are, we deserve to be loved and understood’.”
CHOREOGRAPHY CONTEST
BURDEN (14’)
Dabas, Hungary
Created & Performed by: Attila Rónai & Roland Géczy
Original Music: József Hámor “Burden”
“An honest and intimate duet exploring themes of friendship, acceptance, and connection. The performance portrays a light yet profound relationship between two people who, through mutual acceptance and compromise, create a space where they can open up to each other in their full authenticity. The piece reveals a delicate layer of human connection: the invisible burdens of societal expectations, the masks we wear in everyday life, and the rare relief of being able to truly be ourselves beside someone else. What happens when self-care meets the support of others? When attentiveness to each other is not a burden, but a healing force? The performance invites us to be present in the thought: how can we balance independence with togetherness, and cherish those relationships in which we hold and save each other?”.
EVEN ABSENCE CASTS NO SHADOW (12’)
Kassel, Germany
Created & Performed by: Selene Martello & Dario Wilmington
Original Music: Dario Wilmington «EACNS»
“ ‘EVEN ABSENCE CASTS NO SHADOWS’ traces two artists whose connection collapses under the weight of their obsessions. Inspired by Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin, the work explores how creative passion can isolate, distort, and consume. The piece questions what remains when two people become trapped inside the worlds they make and whether anyone can save the other from feeling left unseen, unfelt, and unwitnessed. At its core, the work revolves around the search for honest contact in a world that softens or blurs what is real. It reveals how two people can be physically close yet emotionally unreachable, how the glow of work can eclipse the warmth of touch, and how attention, the simplest form of presence, can become the rarest gift.”