Premiere of Dance Performance “CALIMA”

ZAGREB – On Wednesday, September 30 at 8 PM, the Zagreb Dance Center (ZPC) will host the premiere of the dance performance “CALIMA”. The production presents a unique artistic exploration of the movement of Saharan dust across borders and oceans—from North Africa and the Canary Islands to far-reaching shores.

Conceived by Anna Borràs, the choreography was created in close collaboration with an international dance ensemble featuring Anita Czako, Hilda Holm, Lea Amneby Snickers, Maja Grimsted, Daria Cristea, Teodor Cauș, Valeriia Lysenkovska, Valeriia Churai, Juliia Tytska, and Nikita Sulko.

Inspired by the atmospheric phenomenon in which dense air and earth particles reshape landscapes and erase horizons, the performance shifts the focus from visual experience to the act of breathing itself. At the heart of CALIMA is breath: breath under pressure, interrupted breath, and shared breath. When air becomes thick and visible, breathing ceases to be taken for granted and becomes a continuous negotiation between the body and its environment. Through evocative choreography, the Sahara settles on the skin and enters the lungs, turning the body into a temporary archive of everything passing through it. Fine particles carried by the wind transform the air into a language of migration, transformation, and flow.

“CALIMA is not just a landscape we observe, but a space in which we must breathe. Movement emerges from the density of air and the fragile persistence of breathing, while sound and light follow the dancers’ inhalations and exhalations, creating an ever-shifting stage setting where image, air, and body become inseparable.”

— The Artistic Team

Beyond its choreographical and aesthetic layers, the performance poses a vital question of togetherness in the contemporary moment: How do we stay together when breathing becomes difficult? In a haze where visibility fades, breath becomes an invisible thread connecting performers and the audience in a shared space.

International Tour

Following its Zagreb premiere, CALIMA embarks on an international tour with upcoming performances:

• November 15: Vitlycke, Sweden

• November 18: Lviv, Ukraine

• November 20: Budapest, Hungary

• November 22: Sfântu Gheorghe (Saint George), Romania

  
  

Artistic & Production Team

• Concept: Anna Borràs

• Choreography: Anna Borràs in collaboration with the dancers

• Performers: Anita Czako, Hilda Holm, Lea Amneby Snickers, Maja Grimsted, Daria Cristea, Teodor Cauș, Valeriia Lysenkovska, Valeriia Churai, Juliia Tytska, Nikita Sulko

• Dramaturgy Consultant: Martina Tomić

• Original Music: Alex Paton

• Lighting Design: Ema Kani

• Costume Design: Karlo Blažina

• Props & Scarves: Montserrat Picó

• Fabric Provided by: Joan Maria Borràs

• Production Assistant: Matilda Bjärum

• Photo & Video: Nina Đurđević

• Visual Design: Tihomir Filipec

  
  

Partners & Support

The performance was created within the framework of the dancEUA project, co-funded by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme.

• Project Partners: Studio for Contemporary Dance (Croatia), Central Europe Dance Theatre (Hungary), M Studio (Romania), Vitlycke–CPA (Sweden), and Ukrainian Contemporary Dance Platform (Ukraine).

• In Collaboration with: Zagreb Dance Center (ZPC) and TALA PLE(j)S.

• Financially Supported by: The European Union, the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Zagreb, and the Kultura Nova Foundation.

• Special Thanks (Residency & Studio Space Support): Stjepan Radić Elementary School – Bibinje, Skånes Dansteater, Danscentrum Syd, and København Danser Studios.