Zuza Tehanu works across performance, theatre, music, dance, voice, poetry, film, photography and visual arts.
She works solo, with other artists and with collectives she created and is the leader of – Dark Soul Dance Theatre, Yavenirie Amok music band, Shayca Macicy feminine art collective.
MIRE
FEMININE, SPIRITUAL DANCE THEATRE SOLO with poetry, live singing and original music
Amnesty International 2018
Spiritual dance theatre performance “Mire” created by Zuza Tehanu is based on a deep internal search for feminine power and archaic intuitive wisdom. Through following the impulses and feelings coming from the performer’s own body the artist tried to identify the struggles that women experienced through the ages on the path of becoming more powerful and connecting to their inner knowledge. The female body then became the main subject of the study, as the artist believes that those struggles are imprinted into the bodies of all women collectively. Therefore the performance became a diary of a very personal journey to overcome the obstacles on the way to discover the feminine true self.
This one-dancer Performance is an interdisciplinary creation combining very organic, contemporary dance, theatre and live singing with some originally composed music and poetry:
“Her water spilled
Her matter embraced the ground
Her body became a mud
And from the mud back it came
For She is the Creator
She is the feelings of Mother Earth
The beginning and the end
The Goddess, the obstacle, the transition
Woman, in her pure, timeless being.”
“rhythmical performance, a whirlwind of forceful energy, hypnotic, alive, intense energy, rhythmical energy, powerful, very powerful…” THE ORGAN THING review
Music created by Zuza Tehanu and produced by Tomasz Brajter
Photography by Sylwia Kocimska and Eva Lis
Video by Tomasz Brajter
Original song from the show MIRE:
MIRE had its premiere in Etcetera Theatre in Camden, London on the 14 and 15th of January 2017
Then it was performed on female empowerment FESTIVAL OF CHOICE in Amnesty International in 2018 and on Social Arts Festival in 2019
AISLE OF PENUMBRA
WORK MADE WITH DARK SOUL DANCE THEATRE and SHAYCA MACICY art collective
Open air, immersive, spiritual gathering with audience interaction and participation incorporating dance, live music and the use of voice
With video and photography documentation made into an art film.
………….
When the Dusk is due and the Night eats the Day
When the bats are circling and the Moon finds its way
When the time is right and the Raven screams its song
They’re gathering in Power Place, They’re coming along!
…………..
Everyone is welcome to join the Weird Sisters in their Ritual Dance .
Bring Your soul, Bring Your greatest dreams and Your biggest failuers, don’t leave anything behind because on the Day of All Souls we will contect with the other Side , we will soothe and nourish the Dead and the Lost , we will merge, what once was broken and we will unearth, what once was forgotten.
Do not fear though- The Ones that once have been alive , will guide us, as we will quide the living, after we pass one day.
Direction:
Zuza Tehanu
Performing:
Anie Lica , Eva Lis , Emiliyah , Zuza Tehanu
Live Drums: Trevor Allman
Video: Tomasz Brajter, Andrew Kurochkin
AISLE OF PENUMBRA was shown as a social spiritual gathering in Hackney Marshes in November 2014
THE PATH
WORK MADE WITH DARK SOUL DANCE THEATRE
Live ensemble show incorporating dance, singing, live music, body painting and poetry.
It was part of the immersive art event Dark Soul Night organised by Zuza Tehanu, combining visual arts, live performance and live music and creating a platform for various artists to exchange experiences and start new collaborations.
“You are the path, we are the path
We are following
It breaks us apart
We follow the pieces inside us
We merge it together
Different us, different you
Follow the cycle”
The piece is an exploration of the ritual social behaviours in cycles of life and the impact the breaking out of the cycle has on an individual in a society.
Direction: Zuza Tehanu
Choreography and dancing : Sabrina Kelly, Jayne Bennet, Kasha Kaszowska, Kasia Rosochowicz, Zuza Tehanu
Music: D.Rich – drums live
Photography: Anna Bieluszko, Tomasz Brajter, Jan Kowalski
Video: Mally Sworczuk
THE PATH was shown on:
Premiere: Dark Night of Art event, 27th October 2012, Vibe gallery.
Art Cabaret hosted by Vibe gallery on the 10th of November 2012
Dark Soul Night art festival hosted by Dark Soul Dance Theatre on the 24th of November 2012 in Vibe Gallery.
RANDOM CLANDESTINE PARADOX
Collaboration between performer Zuza Tehanu, visual artist Eva Lis and musician Claudio de Marzo
The piece was an improvised collaboration, the site-specific performance art created in response to the audience, environment and interaction between the artists in a moment. It was an exploration of unpredictablility and artistic impulse.
Performance incorporated live music, live painting and dance.
It was shown on Art Festival in Craftory Workshop in July 2019.
DARK SOUL
PROJECT MADE WITH DARK SOUL DANCE THEATRE
Improvisation-based dance project exploring movement of the body through emotional states.
Insecurity, confusion, fear, chaos, all that connects to the dark side of our soul, was the main subject of exploration. Through different practices we were observing how it is expressed through our bodies and how it evolves in a group. At the end of that process the dance spectacle arised.
Improvised, self-expressing chaos.Dark side of the soul taking over, shouting out her story on a one dark night
Project started and led by Zuza Tehanu
Choreography and dancing: Zuza Tehanu, Magda Bożek, Kasia Ślązak,Maja MA
Make-up: Stefka Peykova
Hair: Krystyna M
Photographer: Bright studio, Tom Bra
Video: James Mori
Space: Newington Dance Space(Dana), Questionmark Bar(Kuto)
Premiere 30th of October 2010 on Freak Art Show, Questionmark Bar London
Art video based on the Dark Soul show was created by James Mori from Bright Studios
SOUND THEATRE OF YAVENIRIE AMOK
Original music and poetry created by Zuza Tehanu, in collaboration with Tomasz Brajter on bass guitar and Jan Folga on drums and effects.
Costumes and body painting by Zuza Tehanu
Performance combined live music, dance choreography, physical theatre, stage costume and experimental soundscapes.
Performance was showed in Candid Arts Gallery in Islington on the 31st of October 2023.
UNTITLED SOLO ON VIBE SOHO ART FESTIVAL
Solo show combining dance, music, installation, video and body painting.
Collaboration between artist Zuza Tehanu and Vibe Gallery as part of Soho Art Festival curated by Mark Bean.
“PROJECT ANNA” ON ONE BILLION RISING FESTIVAL IN VIBE GALLERY
project ANNA: / project.anna.org is an artistic collaboration between painter Ewa Bathelier, costume designer Paulina Palian and dancer/choreographer Zuza Tehanu.
It is a series of 10 dresses which symbolise evolution that ANNA undertakes from the moment she puts on the white wedding dress.
Journey starts from the dress which almost unable her to move to the ultra mini black dress. All the dresses in between are a diary of the transformation. Each creation is shorter and braver; the white is gradually taken over the black. Yet just because dresses are lighter and smaller doesn’t mean ANNA has more freedom in them. Gradually the weight of the fabric taken from her body is added to the weight on her head. ANNA won’t ever become free. The head pieces become the bizarre negative of rejected parts of the dresses. Symbolise the weight which every woman carries trough her life: no matter if it’s her wedding day and she is fresh, naive, young- symbolised by white colour, or is it mature and confident, short and sexy mini dress- symbolise by black. Women and especially married women always carry life’s weight.
The ANNA project, depending on the circumstances, is a mix of the exhibition installation and photography and/or a “more-than- fashion show”.
The Choreography and Art Direction of the show created by Zuza Tehanu, the funder of Dark Soul Dance Theatre.
Video: Jagoda Posluszna Editing Jagoda Posluszna
Support: Pablo Diaz
Video from Project ANNA premier in London, which took place on 24th Feb 2013 in Vibe Gallery.
THANK YOU!!! ♥ Ewa Bathelier for her inspiration and invitation to this amazing project, for faith in me and support during all this process. Zuza Tehanu for the most personal choreography, time and friendship! Dancers in order of appearance: Katarzyna Kaszowska, Ola Krawczyk, Charlie Norman, Zuza Tehanu, Pia Rauhalinna,Kat Beier, Kate Oravec, Jole PJ Pasquale, Jayne Bennett and last but not least: Miriam Make up concept: Lara Himpelmann Make-up Artist Make up and Hair Crew: Frances Kenyon Alexzandra Cleal Lucy Macdonald PA and Lights Technical support: Michal Show Assistant: Monika Król, Show Support Crew: Filip P, Bart Pspecial guest speaker: Agnes Mannahspecial MC guest: Young Rob – massive thank you for popping in on such a short notice! you are the Star!!! all the best! for photos: Belle Studio, Monika Król Photo Art : Marzena who takes pictures with surgical precision and Monia, whose each and every picture bursts with art: only with pictures by these two artists you might have a glips of what was happening on Sunday afternoon. and found on fb:) Jagoda, Magda, Pablo- our video crew: we cant wait for the effect! Special Thanks by PP: I would like to thank to Joanna Gut – Przebindowska and Wlodzimierz Przebindowski, for support and help making this collection come true. Also massive thanks to Latifa Barakat. And Lewisham Nexus Service for printing the brochures. Thank you to all the Woman who inspire me each and every day to create. Thank you to All who supported this project to the final effect! Thank you to Vibe Gallery for having us. Thank you to All who made it on this freezing Sunday to see us preform. Cant express my gratitude to each and every person involved: so much talent and passion in one space/one project! each and everyone of you made it possible and without any of you it would not be this same! Paulina Palian http://www.paulinapalian.com music: Bonobo – no rights reserved
Zuza Tehanu 