by Nikola Stanishic
photo: Stefan Zdraveski
On the third day of the 29th Art Trema Fest, the dance performance BROD by the Re-moved collective from Bulgaria was presented. Through a visual and ritualistic stage language, the piece explores the boundary between reality, myth, and the inner world of the individual.
A beam of light gradually introduces the story of a mother (Joana Titkova) rocking a baby in her arms, evoking the image of life’s beginning. The focus later shifts to her son, a blacksmith (Plamen Kanev), whose figure becomes the central axis of the performance. His isolation and persistence in using manual labor to create safety and control over the world evoke the mythical dimension of the blacksmith as both creator and guardian of the boundary between the real and the supernatural. Conceived within the framework of Pavel Panchev’s concept, this idea unfolds through the choreography and direction of Miroljuba Petrova into a series of symbolic images that summon both demonic and fairy-like worlds.
The seductive dance of young women gradually transforms into convulsive movements, introducing an atmosphere of ritual and collective frenzy, intensified by metallic sounds and hammer strikes that accompany Teodor Milenov’s music. These sounds establish a rhythm resembling the ticking of a clock, around which the collective revolves, while the blacksmith attempts to shape perfection—as if forging his own fate or an idealized female figure. The demonic dance surrounding him, contrasted with fairy-like presences that disperse it, creates a striking image of the symbiosis of opposing forces, one of the most memorable visual moments of the performance.
The ensemble is in constant pursuit of synchronized movement, yet the choreography remains limited and often repetitive, lacking clear development, particularly in moments when the performance enters the realm of frenzy. While repetition may be intentional as a symbol of a closed cycle of fate, in certain segments it feels underdeveloped, leaving the ensemble’s energy trapped within the same rhythmic pattern. Nevertheless, the visual identity remains strong: bare feet, linen shirts, earthy tones of the costumes, and the contrast between male and female groups create a clear symbolic image of a community balancing between nature, myth, and human trauma. Although facial expressions are not always clearly articulated, the dancers’ eyes speak in their place—especially in scenes of approaching the blacksmith and in the collective dance of liberation, where the group becomes an extension of his inner struggle.
BROD is a performance with a powerful symbolic language that, through the mythological story of the blacksmith, raises questions about the human desire to create perfection. However, with greater choreographic variety, it could achieve a stronger stage impact.
BROD
Concept & Story: Pavel Penchev
Choreography & Direction: Mirolyuba Petrova
Music: Teodor Milenov
With the participation of: Plamen Kanev, Yoana Titkova, Alex Miklosi, Radost Garabiyska, Nikola Ivanov, Adriana Kafeva, Kasim Kasimov
Re-moved Collective, Bulgaria
The “Criticism” Programme is an initiative by Spam Studios, developed in partnership with Art Trema Fest as part of its 29th edition, and carried out with the financial support of the “Culture for Democracy” programme of the Swiss Embassy and the Hartefakt Fund in Serbia.
