WITNESS

In some places, we have completely pushed them away. At the same time, during leisure time or in fatigue, we take shelter in their shadow. Distinctive above ground, and strong below it. We have done them wrong many times, but they remain. They take care of their friends and relationships. Trees.

In this choreography by Věra Ondrašíková, a seemingly static object firmly rooted in the ground becomes the dancer’s partner, but also his synonym. Real trees transferred to the stage lose their natural environment and acquire completely new characteristics. They are as flexible as the dancers’ bodies. They are vulnerable, but they are also strong and magical at every moment.

Audience: adult, children 12+

About the company

Věra Ondrašíková works as a choreographer, dancer and teacher in the Czech and international dance scenes.
She is the author of many successful projects: Unique (2005), 15 Steps (2009), Unseen (2012), Guide (2015) and Witness (2021). The performance Guide won the Spectators Award, the Light Design Award and the Dancer of the Year Award at the Czech Dance Platform 2016. In 2017, it was included in the selection of the 20 most interesting European dance projects by the international Aerowaves network and has been performed at many foreign festivals.
While Ondrašíková has not established her own ensemble, a collective of outstanding performers (Jaro Ondruš, David Králík, Josef Kotěšovský) and musicians (Filip Míšek, Stanislav Abrahám), as well as visual artists (Michal Rydlo) and lighting designers (Pavel Kotlík, Patrik Sedlák) has formed around her.

Awards

Věra Ondrašíková’s most successful performance, GUIDE has been performed dozens of times around the world and has won a number of awards: the Audience Award, Lighting Design Award and Dancer of the Year Award for Jaro Ondruš at the Czech Dance Platform 2016. In 2017, the performance was named one of the 20 most interesting European works as part of the international Aerowaves network. Thanks to the Aerowaves platform, this distinctive performance has received invitations to many prestigious festivals, such as One Dance Week in Plovdiv, SIDance in Seoul, V4 Dance in New York and New Orleans, Israel Festival in Jerusalem, International Dance Festival in Birmingham and the prestigious Unidram in Potsdam. It has attracted viewers of all generations in Europe, the USA, Israel and South Korea. It has been performed more than 50 times, almost always to sold out houses.