TUNNEL
Inspired by the poem of the same name by Marko Šelić Marčelo
Concept and choreography: Lola Milošević, in collaboration with the dancers
Music author: Vukan Kuzman
Performers: Vanja Gerzina, Katarina Anić, Vera Dolmatova, Julya Zamyatkina
Author’s Note:
Tunnel is a performance that explores human relationships, the recognition of differences among people, and their acceptance.
Are we different, and to what extent? Will we recognize differences as flaws and try to change them, or will we see them as virtues, accept them, show them, and prove them?
The inspiration for these reflections came from the poem of the same name by Marko Šelić Marčelo.
Choreographer’s Biography:
Lola Milošević was born in Jagodina in 2004. She began dancing at an early age, starting with classical ballet and later moving into hip-hop. In 2021, she enrolled at the “Lujo Davičo” Secondary Ballet School, Department of Contemporary Dance. During her education, she participated in school and national competitions, concerts, and performances. Outside of school, she expanded her dance knowledge through various workshops, dance camps, and at the dance school “2hot4stage,” of which she has been a member since 2023, when her interest in hip-hop subculture began.
She gained her first professional performing experience at the National Theatre in Belgrade, as well as at the “Duško Radović” Little Theatre. From 2021 to 2023, she participated in the Young Choreographers Festival Iskorak, where she won awards for both group and solo choreographies.
She received the “Encouragement” Award at the 28th Festival of Choreographic Miniatures in 2024, organized by the Association of Ballet Artists of Serbia.
Biography of the Music Author:
Vukan Kuzman was born in Belgrade. He began making music during high school, and in 2019 became a member of the band “Traka,” with which he was active until 2024. After that, his original work developed through the creation of musical sequences for specific projects, ranging from theatre productions to compositions for experimental beat battles.
His creative work is predominantly rooted in electronic music, with a strong influence from the underground scene and artists such as Burial, The Prodigy, and Tim Hecker.
Duration of the Performance:
30 minutes
ZABAVA OBSCURA
Ballet to the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Choreographer and Author: Ivan Ćosić
Choreographer’s Assistants: Angelina Krstanović, Silvija Džunja Ćirić
Dramaturg: Ivan Ćosić
Directors: Uroš Mitić, Ivan Ćosić
Set Design: Silvija Džunja Ćirić, Ivan Ćosić
Costumes: Silvija Džunja Ćirić, Ivan Ćosić
Design and Creation of Fashion Headpieces: Bogdan Vićentijević
Siegfried: Emanuele Frigo
Odile: Jana Zimonjić
Rothbart: Ryder Richard
Cabaret Dancer: Ivan Ćosić
Female Cabaret Dancer: Gala Pamučar
Waiter/Young Man: Ignjat Đorđević
Club Guests: Antonio Kublesan,
Ian Gonzales, Angelina Krstanović, Milinica Jović, Mina Predojević
Author’s Note:
Zabava Obscura is a ballet inspired by the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and motifs from Swan Lake, but relocated into the dark and seductive world of a nightclub. In this space, between pleasure and emptiness, unfolds the story of young Siegfried — a young man who, on the brink of poverty and longing, agrees to sell the most precious thing he possesses, naively believing that by doing so he will conquer the world. His rise is dizzying, yet the inner emptiness remains untouched. This performance speaks not only of the downfall of one hero, but of the eternal human weakness in the face of temptation.
Rothbart, in this interpretation the owner of the club and a devil-like figure, is not merely an antagonist — he is the master of a system in which everything can be obtained, but nothing comes without consequences. His offer is not violent, but seductive, and it is precisely in that seductiveness that its greatest danger lies.
I found the motivation for the libretto in exploring the human need for influence and belonging to society. What price is a person willing to pay for a moment of belonging? What appears to be triumph is often merely a lavish form of emptiness, and what we call choice is sometimes only a more beautifully lit path toward loss.
Maurice Béjart, Bob Fosse and Matthew Bourne are among the choreographic names in which I found inspiration for movement. I sought to give new meaning to the multi-layered music of Swan Lake through movement, playing with both rhythm and melody.
Biography of the Choreographer:
Ivan Ćosić was born on September 25, 2003, in Pančevo. He earned the title of ballet dancer after graduating from the “Dimitrije Parlić” Ballet School in Pančevo in 2022, as the student of the generation and a scholarship recipient of the “Dositeja” Fund for Young Talents, in the class of Prof. Katarina Milinković.
During his artistic education, he won second prize at the Serbian Republic Competition of Ballet Schools. In 2019, he was selected as one of ten participants in a masterclass led by renowned performance artist Marina Abramović.
After graduating in 2022, he was engaged as a member of the ballet ensemble of the National Theatre in Belgrade, where he began his professional career. He performs in the complete classical and contemporary repertoire of his home theatre, while simultaneously pursuing choreographic research.
He is the recipient of the “Encouragement” Award at the 28th Festival of Choreographic Miniatures in 2024, organized by the Association of Ballet Artists of Serbia.
Duration of the Performance:
35 minutes.
