dragON aka Phoenix

STEAM ROOM

dragON aka PONY felt hot, well, here comes roasting flaming fire…Second parts have never been this good.

Breaking news worldwide, snare drums, trumpets, three loud gongs! The greatest show has finally arrived in town! And that’s not all, we have a statement from the dancers themselves: “Come to our dressing room, we will make the roses bloom”.

dragON aka PHOENIX is a picturesque show where holding back is not an option. Abusing literalness and borrowing musical theatre logics, this work problematises the potential absurdities of choreography and dance.

There are no secrets in heaven, flames don’t lie. This is the excess of three burning dancing souls. This is the rise of the superstars. You want them higher, stronger, deeper, clever, naughty, bold and kiss forever? They will do what it takes.

dragON aka PHOENIX is the second work of the project dragON, a choreographic trilogy coauthored by Aleksandar Georgiev, Zhana Pencheva and Darío Barreto Damas, (aka STEAM ROOM). The project deals with the protest and celebration body in the dragging scene, exploring their correlation within dance and choreography.

Choreography and dance: Aleksandar Georgiev, Zhana Pencheva and Darío Barreto Damas aka STEAM ROOM.
Music: Tsvetan Momchilov
Lyrics and vocals: Dragana Zarevska.
Stage and costume design: Mihaela Dobreva.
Graphic design: Gjorgji Despodov.
Special thanks to Anna Szigó for dramaturgical support.

Produced by STEAM ROOM and Garage Collective.

Coproduced with Workshop Foundation under the programme line Creative Crossroads in the framework of Life Long Burning project supported by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.

This project is realised with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of Bulgaria, National Cultural Fund of Bulgaria and Municipality of Burgas.

Supported by National Community Centre Vasil Levski, Performance Room, Moving Body Festival, DNK – space for contemporary dance and performance, Skopje Pride Weekend, VIZ!, Jasmin Magazine.

dragON aka PHOENIX is part from the project “Presenting new productions of STEAM ROOM in Burgas”, supported from Municipality of Burgas. And it is part from Culture Calendar of Burgas

STEAM ROOM is an artistic team within the field of choreography and dance. The team is formed by Aleksandar Georgiev – Ace, Zhana Pencheva and Darío Barreto Damas, three choreographers/dancers actively operating parallely in a local and international level in Sofia, Burgas, Skopje, Stockholm and Tenerife. 

STEAM ROOM is formed out of the wish to facilitate conditions and environments that contribute to the development of the work in the field of choreography and dance in different localities, with an intrinsic international vision. STEAM ROOM aims to open spaces for reflection and wider critical knowledge through artistic work and cultural initiatives.

STEAM ROOM was formed in 2018 and until now two artistic works (dragON aka PONY and dragON aka PHOENIX as part of the choreographic trilogy dragON) have been produced and cultural programs focused on discursive and critical practises, the dialogue between artists-art-audience, research, artistic residencies and emerging artists throughout the institution project ICC (Imaginative Choreographic Center) have been initiated. 

Letter of presentation: 

We are active figures in the field of choreography and dance in several localities. We are friends, family and working partners. Our union is based on motivation and necessity, both related to our current work in the choreography and dance field. In other words, STEAM ROOM comes from an alternative family constellation and is run by our desire to count with better conditions and accessible infrastructures in our artistic and cultural work. 

Throughout our work, we want to highlight what constitutes a partnership that shares a common ground but embraces individuality, not pursuing one single identity. We work on co-authorship on the basis of co-existence, not demanding the normalisation of interests and abilities but running on the logic of equity and diversity. Not to see deviations and disagreements as a problem to be solved but something to be promoted and celebrated. We do not work on our individual artistic identities through STEAM ROOM, we do engage in collaborative and collective strategies to fulfil our needs, still conserving our individualities”.

Deeply,
STEAM ROOM
Aleksandar, Zhana, Darío

More about Ace, Zhana and Darío: 

aleksandargeorgiev.com 
zhanapencheva.com
dbardam.com