Danijela Zajc (1985), has a university degree in pedagogy and sociology of culture. She is working as a performer, pedagogue, producer and technician. Her interest is various movement (floor and aerial) and mixing performing expression with contemporary circus and performance.
Danijela is co-founder of the circus training and performing space Cirkusarna NaokRog, where she did conduct regular aerial silk workshops and organize a cycle of DIY cabarets: Feminism is not a joke! She is a pedagogue for aerials and floor movement and she teaches 4 different groups. In 2021 she formed cirkus training and residence space Stena. She is a cofunder of Feminist Choir Z’borke, co-fundor of Reciklart – artistic festival of recycling and DIY, co-fundor of Marmelada – artistc laboratory for youth. Fouder of circus retreat / intensive weekend in Bovec, Slovenia called On the head into the sky.
Her interests are focused on engaged circus arts, contemporary dance, performance and theater of the oppressed in connection with feminism, ecology and other socially engaged topics.
She performs individually and with groups and organisations:
Fourklour (Zavod Vitkar), Feminalz (Zavod Emanat), FEM TV (KUD Mreža), KUD Transformator, Društvo Mismo Nismo etc.
Author performances:
2019 - Threads - contemporary circus performance (first part of trilogy Niti PraGozd)
2021 - Etude for prepared piano and rope – contemporary circus performance.
2021 - Prag - contemporary circus performance (second part of trilogy Niti PraGozd)
2022 – An attempt at a room – contemporary circus performance
2023 – Perspective’s Gravity -contemporary circus performance
2023 – Forest – contemporary circus performance
Short author performances
2016 - The Square – aerial rope performance
2016 - aerial rope performance part of evening LUKNJA V NOVCU – performative party
2018 - Tango Demolition – starecase aerial performance
2018 – Janez Blond – dragg performance
2018 – Life – aerial performance
2019 – Plastic Fantastic – aerial rope performance
2019- Dreams aerial rope performance
2018 / 2019 - Plastic Fantastic – aerial rope performance / performance
2019 - HUMAN FISH - aerial silk act – part of final evening of Floating Festival
2020 - FIRE FIGHTER – aerial rope act / performance – part of Image Snatchers techno-bourlesque
2023 – Toten tanz – aerial rope act
Co-author projects:
2013 – 2022: FEM TV - engaged DIY bourlesque-cabaret
2015 - IN THE SEARCH OF NIGHT LIFE – cabaret
2016-2023 - IMAGE SNATCHERS, tehnobourlesque
2017-2020 - FEMINISM IS NOT A JOCKE!
2017 –
JOURNEY TO SHANGRI_LA, window circuc acrobatics performance; CIRKUS NORMALIKUS, socially critical cabaret;
RADART #8: Radar Vozlišče, visual-sound-moving performance;
CIRKOBALKANA KAOS CABARET, circus cabaret
2018 - RUTINA, street circus show
2019 - 2021 MY FARYTALES, children’s play
2021 – Pandora’s box, alter musical
2021 – Nihanje in nehanje, short contemporary circus short film
2022 - Srečno!, phisical theatre
2023 – Cirkus na mesec
Cooperations in dance, theater, circus and other performances:
2014-2020 CIRCUS ON THE MOON, mothly circus cabaret ; FACTORY OF FEAR- DARK LIKE IN ROG, performative event.
2015 - DANA AUGUSTIN: Zen Š Ka
2016 - Branko Potočan: POCKETS FULL OF STARS; Branko Potočan: ROSE IN THE LAND OF CIRCUS; BRIDGES, theater - movement social experience; ACTUATOR :: HUMAN: THIS IS A NEW WORD, Informans of Dragan Živadinov
2018 - STATUS QUO ON LABOUR MARKET
2019 - WITHOUT FILTER, the concluding performance of the workshop, Sophie Rodriguez;
2019 – String which saved the world, children’s play
2019 – The string that saved the world, experimental pupet theatre
2023 – Island X
PEDAGOGIC WORK:
2016 - 2021
AERIAL silk workshop, twice per week in Cirkusarna NaokROG, Ljubljana; Red Dawns Festival, Ljubljana; Zelena Dvorana Ljubljana; Parmova
2018-2019
AERIAL silk workshop for children, 1 time per week, Fuskabo, Ljubljana
Aerial silk and rope intensive workshop, Rojc, Pula, Zagreb
2019
Aerial intensive workshops, MOTA, Salzburg, Austria
2019
Circus workshops, Waldorf School Ljubljana
2021 – 2023 youth aerial workshops Fuskabo; workshops for mentors Fuskabo
2021 – 2023 organiser and mentor of youth program Zračni Vzgib, regular weekly aerial silk/rope and handstands, Ljubljana
AWARDS:
2022
Award for the most inovative street theatre performance on the festival Mais Imaginarius, Portugal, with performance Etude for prepared piano and rope.
https://www.facebook.com/festival.imaginarius/posts/pfbid02coDTD7eFU4UsNWC9FnVnqHN6CBMeTy3Xoi4rtCSfUYCEFud5e35RcjA2M89co25Ml
Etude for prepared piano and rope was in final selection for aword Urban Ljubljana at street theatre festival Ana Desetnica:
https://www.anamonro.si/prejemniki-nagrade-urbana-ljubljana-2022-so-mismo-nismo/
https://www.imaginarius.pt/en/espetaculos/etude-for-prepared-piano-and-rope-danijela-zajc-mismo-nismo-si/
2012
CAAP Association (Center for Alternative and Autonomous Production) - the contest of research papers in the field of engaged social sciences and humanities: "Migrant women from the area of the former Yugoslavia in Maribor - precarization of work, education and the role of the state." Link: http://brazde.org/2012/caap/zmagovalci-natecaja-urbanih-brazd/