CONCEPT

The artist in residence at Ponec Theatre represents an innovative approach to supporting and developing dance art. This concept enables selected artists to engage in longer-term collaboration with the theatre, providing space and facilities for creating new works, experimenting, and deepening their artistic expression. The residency offers not only technical support and access to professional equipment, but also opportunities to engage in dialogue with audiences, lead workshops, and share the creative process. This model strengthens the theatre’s creative environment and contributes to the development of the Czech dance scene.

ARTIST PROFILE

Adriana Štefaňáková is a Czech choreographer and performer currently based in Prague. She studied dance at Codarts University of the Arts in Rotterdam and collaborated with Tanz Kassel in Germany. She is currently a member of DEKKADANCERS and leads her own artistic initiative, Adriastudio, dedicated to interdisciplinary collaboration connecting movement, technology and psychology. Her work often explores human perception, social dynamics, and the contrast between digital and physical reality.

One of her key research projects, Phases of Faces, developed at Codarts, investigates generational perspectives on self-expression, identity and communication, involving participants from three different generations. This research informs her artistic practice, which emphasises the evolving relationship between individuals and their environment.

Adriana is currently developing her own projects and actively seeking grants to support her artistic research. Her work remains highly interdisciplinary, combining movement, media and sound to create immersive experiences. She is also the founder of the platform Jiny_svety, which supports emerging artists by providing networking opportunities and presenting their work. Through immersive performances and interactive storytelling, Adriana aims to create thought-provoking experiences that challenge audience perception and encourage meaningful discussion.

She is currently working on the open-air performance OVEREXPOSED for the Tanec Praha festival, exploring how screens and social media transform our daily interactions and weaken genuine human connection. The project invites audiences to notice one another again, to experience the city and its inhabitants in a new way, and to reconnect through movement and shared presence. The aim of the performance is to awaken interaction in public space, spark curiosity, and remind people of the value of real connection.

The piece reflects on how social media and its algorithms shape our attention, enclose us in content bubbles, and naturally guide us towards avoiding difference. Algorithms repeatedly offer similar types of content, people and topics, shaping the way we perceive the world around us and one another. Her personal goal is to highlight encounters in real space and create situations in which people can inspire one another, even through differing opinions,