Artist Reflections: Anastasiia Rembetska

Text by Anastasiia Rembetska

These were a couple of incredible days at the 29th edition of International Dance Theatres Festival Lublin where I had the honor of participating as part of the Visiting Artist Programme.

I was present for only four out of the seven days of the festival, but those days filled me with so many new experiences. This amazing event included workshops, meetings for exchange and discussion and, of course, performances. Most importantly – the networking that happens at a festival because of its unique, concentrated way of bringing people together. This format gave me a sense of wholeness of everything that was happening during those days.

I was personally deeply moved by the amount of support that arises from having artists in one place, all of whom actively contribute so much to contemporary art – so many different experiences complementing one another.

And, of course, the dance itself – so called contemporary dance. What does it mean to be an artist today? Is there still dance? Or has it become something so hybrid that it has a new name we don’t yet know?

All the performances I saw were truly unique, and that is the essence of it. My deepest gratitude goes to the fact that we can be free in our expression, and that there are people, festivals, and platforms that support these values.

Events like this sustain a sense of vitality for each of us – we need to see each other, and then everything becomes meaningful. To see how each person reflects through the combination of so many elements and shares it with the audience on stage or in creating a possibilities for others.

I don’t know if there’s anything better than being present with so many talented people in one space; it alone generates so much newness that can emerge in the future in various forms.

I am incredibly grateful to Tanec Praha for the opportunity to refresh my perspective, move, see others, get inspired, meet many artists, and feel that the artistic space holds so much meaning. I truly hope that as many artists as possible can travel, share, and exchange what they create, think, and plan.

Thank you for this wonderful experience ❤️