The authors ask questions about the definition of reality - returning to the theme of children's play. Where does reality end and imagination begin? How do technology, emotions and relationships intertwine to create new dimensions of existence? How is "technological loneliness" affecting us? STORIES is a story about returning home - the place where our inner selves meet the ever-changing world. It is a reflection on how the interpenetrating worlds affect our identity and the way we experience reality.

Choreography and performance: Ewelina Cieśla, Katarzyna Niżnik
Movement consultation and visuals: Iga Szczepanska-Gieracha
Music: Matthew Whiteside, Timothy Cooper, Maebi, Maria Pseftoga/May Roosevelt, Japanese Television, UNKLE

ABOUT THE RESIDENTS

Ewelina Cieśla
Master of Arts from Stanislaw Wyspianski Academy of Theater Arts in Cracow, Department of Dance Theater in Bytom. She also studied at Beijing Dance Academy in China (scholarship) and Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy in the Netherlands (Erasmus+ scholarship).

She has performed in productions such as "Ashes of a Dead Frog" and "Anamnesis" by Jacek Luminski, the drama "Feblik" directed by Maciej Gorczynski, "Uprising Triptych" by Jakub Lewandowski, the performance project 'closer' choreographed by Marta Bury and the performance "Flying Fish" by Ferenc Feher. Among other things, she created the choreography of "WI£Y" at the Lubuski Theater in Zielona Gora.

Lecturer in contemporary dance and contact improvisation at the Dance Department of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. She conducts regular Contact Improvisation workshops in Katowice, dance classes and original classes entitled "Let go" and "Movement Laboratory". She has worked as an artist and teacher in projects carried out within the framework of Art Space Katowice 2022/2023. She holds a certificate as a teacher of Fascia Yoga issued by the Institute of Fascia Yoga (Wojciech Karczmarzyk).

Katarzyna Niżnik
Graduate of the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD) in Austria and the PERA - School of Performing Arts (Girne American University) art program in Cyprus. She has participated in numerous dance programs and workshops, including GagaLab with Ohad Naharin and Batsheva dancers (Orsolina28), Summer Intensive (Portugal), IIDCompany Intensive (Netherlands), Cracow Dance Festival (Poland) and a workshop with Elio Gervasi (Italy). She trained under such artists as Rakesh Sukesh, Iñaki Azpillaga, Vittoria De Ferrari.

She has performed in productions by Romeo Castellucci ("Tannhäuser," Festspiele Salzburg), Olivier Dubois (SZENE Salzburg), Israel Aloni (ILDance), Boštjan Antončič (Rosas), Manuel Ronda, Elena Fokina, Livia Balážová, Zebastian Mendez Marin (Ultima Vez) and Nicolas Vladyslav (Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui), among others.

Author of choreography:
● My Migrations (2021), Central Dance Stage, Warsaw, Poland.
● Swimming Flesh in My Liquid Bones (2023).
● Trapedy (2024), Solo Dance Contest, Gdansk, Poland.

Selected achievements:
●● Artist residency in the Netherlands in collaboration with Ivgi&Greben (2024), as part of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute scholarship.
●● Participation in the European art project "Meeting Point" (2024)
●● Co-organization of the international contemporary arts festival "Nomadic Roots", Salzburg (2023)
● Leader of the Erasmus+ project "Dance Art of Freedom" (2018)
Contemporary dance instructor at SEAD (2021-2023), conducts dance workshops in Poland. In 2022 she completed a 200-hour yoga teacher training course (RYT), and in 2023 she became a certified personal trainer.

Collaboration:

Iga Szczepanska-Gieracha
Visual artist and performer, working in the field of combining media art. She studied in Poland and abroad, participating in workshops of creative work with sound, space and body. In 2022 she created her own solo "Flow", with which she performed at festivals such as Mandala Performance Festival 16th edition, Krakow Dance Festival, Do Festival and GFT Dance Festival in Gdansk, where she received 2nd prize. She completed the Pera Short course at the Pera School of Performing Arts -Girne American University. Her video "Fighting with the memories of you" was screened during the Multicultural Arts Festival 2023 and Juxtapose Performance Festival 2024. The video "Blue Horizon" was the winning work during - "CAM CAM - Dance for Camera 2024". Movimento Danza - (IT). In 2025, her video "here ing" became part of the Kitoki exhibition - video dance collection, as well as premiered locally in Brussels through au Jus. She is currently a student at the Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Arts in Poznań, majoring in Intermedia.