dancer, choreographer, pedagogue, artistic director

Gordana Stefanović Erjavec (1957) was born in Pula, Croatia, but has been living and working in Celje since 1970. A graduate of the Faculty of Economics and Business, she is active as a choreographer and pedagogue in the areas of contemporary dance and dance theatre. Her first experience with dance was classical ballet. In 1976 she joined the newly established dance theatre company Dance Theatre Celje and through working with the company developed an abiding interest in contemporary dance and dance theatre. In 1980 the company reorganised, was renamed to Dance Forum Celje and Gordana became its artistic director and resident choreographer. Dance Forum is today an important education and arts centre offering regular contemporary dance training and producing performances for/with the children and young people. Gordana was a mentor and an inspiration to many generations of dancers, her artistic projects and initiatives have significantly improved contemporary dance offer and production in Celje as well as contributed to the development and popularisation of contemporary dance in the wider Slovenian space. In the nearly five decades of Gordana’s artistic direction, Dance Forum Celje has become one of the most important dance-theatre centres in Slovenia and a major influence on generations of young dancers, many of whom have gone ahead to study at dance academies abroad and later worked as professional dancers. Placing special emphasis on creative work, Gordana continues to develop new productions with and for the children, young people as well as adults, regularly presenting them to considerable success and acclaim to domestic and international audiences. She has thus far created over 60 evening-length dance-theatre projects for children and adults. Gordana is also the initiator and artistic director of the choreographers’ platform KORPUS, the only contemporary dance festival in the Celje region. Taking place annually since 2008 around the International Dance Day on 29 April, this three-day festival has become an important contemporary dance platform and lately also features an international programme. Dance Forum Celje regularly presents its productions and choreographies at important dance festivals at home (V plesnem vrtincu, Transgenerations, Pika miga, Živa, Art Kamp/ Festival Lent Maribor, National Dance Gathering– Španski borci Culture Centre, Kalejdoskop Kranj, Festival Ukrep – Festival of Dance Perspectives, Dance Theatre Ljubljana) and selected festivals abroad (International Youth Dance Festival Macao, China (2008, 2010, 2018); International Children Festival of Performing Arts, New Delhi, India (2006), Dance Festival Lamorlay, France (2006); Youth Festival Ballynahinch, Ireland; International Dance Festival Danspunt, Kortrijk, Belgium (2016); JUVENTAFEST Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (2016); the German tour (Eurotreff Rastadt, Weinheim, Berlin); since 1997 ongoing cooperation with the twin town Singen, Germany).

Gordana Stefanović Erjavec – contact

PERFORMANCES

* Performances for young audiences and adults

COLLABORATIONS AS CHOREOGRAPHER IN THEATRE

COLLABORATIONS AS DANCER

FILM, VIDEO, TV

OTHER COLLABORATIONS

PEDAGOGICAL WORK

AWARDS

SELECTED PERFORMANCES IN MORE DETAIL