Contemporary Dance <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong> lack<strong>in</strong>gInstitution/Discipl<strong>in</strong>eIn discuss<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> situation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1990s and early 2000s, we can f<strong>in</strong>ally referto contemporary dance scene <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong> <strong>in</strong> its own terms, <strong>in</strong> spite <strong>of</strong> its lack<strong>of</strong> recognition <strong>in</strong> that period. 5 It emerged and evolved mostly with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>alternative <strong>the</strong>atre scene (ma<strong>in</strong>ly <strong>in</strong> Belgrade), as nonverbal, physical, dance<strong>the</strong>atre, and <strong>the</strong>atre <strong>of</strong> movement – as well as <strong>in</strong> various o<strong>the</strong>r forms <strong>of</strong>experimental <strong>the</strong>atre and performance. Beside Vukićević’s work with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong>CZKD (Centre for Cultural Decontam<strong>in</strong>ation), important contributors to<strong>the</strong> emerg<strong>in</strong>g scene were <strong>the</strong> follow<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dependent <strong>the</strong>atre groups and artistsfrom Belgrade: Dah teatar, Ister teatar, Plavo pozorište, Mimart, Omen,Erg Status, Boris Čakširan, Ivana Vujić...; alternative <strong>the</strong>atre festivals, asBELEF and, to a certa<strong>in</strong> extent, BITEF (Belgrade), INFANT (Novi Sad), FIAT(Podgorica), etc.Accord<strong>in</strong>g to this type <strong>of</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitutional/discursive fram<strong>in</strong>g, <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>fluenceson <strong>the</strong> local dance scene came from <strong>the</strong>atre: namely, <strong>the</strong>atre anthropology,choreo-drama, Brechtian <strong>the</strong>atre, Tanz<strong>the</strong>ater, Expressionist <strong>the</strong>atre,street <strong>the</strong>atre, butoh and o<strong>the</strong>r Far- and Middle-Eastern <strong>the</strong>atre forms,and not from <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational (Western) dance scene <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> period. For<strong>in</strong>stance, before 2000 <strong>the</strong>re was no reference to conceptual dance, whichwas boom<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>ternational scenes <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> late 1990s and early 2000s.Instead, <strong>the</strong>re were plenty <strong>of</strong> references to <strong>the</strong> neo-avantgarde and performanceart <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1960s, perceived as a repository <strong>of</strong> still relevant artisticand political tools.Theatre background <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> local dance scene can also help us understand<strong>the</strong> notable <strong>in</strong>terest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> (SOROS) Fund for an Open Society shown <strong>in</strong>support<strong>in</strong>g many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se productions. Throughout <strong>the</strong> 1990s <strong>the</strong> Fund featuredas <strong>the</strong> ma<strong>in</strong> sponsor <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>dependent/non-<strong>in</strong>stitutional cultural andartistic scene (and its output) <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Federal Republic <strong>of</strong> Yugoslavia, due toits ‘progressive’ political content (<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>n case, due to its resistanceto Slobodan Milošević’s regime). 6 This <strong>in</strong>dicates that <strong>the</strong> social role <strong>of</strong> dancewas supposed to be performed at <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> its politically charged content(rendered with <strong>the</strong>atrical elements <strong>of</strong>ten borrowed from <strong>the</strong> ‘60s), and not5 See Archives <strong>of</strong> New Theatre and Dance <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>, 1990-2000, ma<strong>in</strong>ta<strong>in</strong>ed by<strong>the</strong> Centre for New Theatre and Dance, Belgrade; now available <strong>in</strong> The Archives<strong>of</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>.6 See also: Ana Vujanović, “Blasted Narratives: Belgrade Theater <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> 1990sand early 2000s”, <strong>in</strong> M<strong>in</strong>d <strong>the</strong> Map! – History is not Given, ed. Grz<strong>in</strong>ic, Heeg, Darian,Revolver, Frankfurt, 2006.r a s [35]t e r
at <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> critical re-th<strong>in</strong>k<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> dispositif <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>stitution <strong>of</strong> dance,or <strong>the</strong> historical legacy <strong>of</strong> ballet or ma<strong>in</strong>stream modern dance (as was <strong>the</strong>case <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> West). This can also help expla<strong>in</strong> why contemporary Europeandance paradigms – pioneered by Jérôme Bel, Xavier Le Roy and o<strong>the</strong>r conceptualchoreographers focused on performed self-reflection – exerted no<strong>in</strong>fluence over <strong>the</strong> local perform<strong>in</strong>g arts scene until <strong>the</strong> last couple <strong>of</strong> years.The Early Days <strong>of</strong> local ContemporaryDance as Contemporary DanceIn <strong>the</strong> last few years, we have witnessed an emergence <strong>of</strong> a contemporarydance scene, eventually recognized and establish<strong>in</strong>g itself as ‘THE’ contemporarydance scene. Merely two years ago, I claimed that <strong>the</strong>re was nosuch th<strong>in</strong>g as a contemporary dance scene <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong>. However, <strong>in</strong> spite <strong>of</strong><strong>the</strong> scarcity <strong>of</strong> contemporary dance productions, <strong>the</strong> situation is chang<strong>in</strong>gon a macro-level.A number <strong>of</strong> choreographers and dancers from <strong>the</strong> younger generationhave been <strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong> early 2000s – Bojana Mladenović, DalijaAć<strong>in</strong>, Isidora Stanišić, Dragana Alfirević, Dušan Murić, Olivera Kovačević,Saša Asentić etc. – however, a crucial necessity for constitution <strong>of</strong> a properdance scene was miss<strong>in</strong>g. That necessity be<strong>in</strong>g an organizational <strong>in</strong>frastructure– form<strong>in</strong>g an art <strong>in</strong>stitution or, more specifically, “Artworld”. 7Ultimately, <strong>the</strong>re were no <strong>in</strong>stitutions or organizations that would beresponsible for <strong>the</strong> ‘dance scene’ as a wider organizational, academic, andartistic context for particular productions. Thus, dance productions appearedas rare events, released by only a few <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> most active choreographers,<strong>in</strong> almost empty premises. This could not count as a dance scene,however important <strong>the</strong> artists might be. At this po<strong>in</strong>t, I should mention one“lost opportunity”. The early 2000s saw <strong>the</strong> non-governmental organizationCentre for New Theatre and Dance (CENPI), carry<strong>in</strong>g out researchand archives on <strong>the</strong> current local <strong>the</strong>atre and dance productions, and host<strong>in</strong>gdance performances by Bad.co, <strong>Perform<strong>in</strong>g</strong>unit etc, and o<strong>the</strong>r presentationsand workshops. But CENPI was dismissed after a few years, fail<strong>in</strong>g toestablish closer contacts with <strong>the</strong> dance community. (Perhaps it was tooearly?)To a certa<strong>in</strong> extent, <strong>the</strong> contemporary dance scene <strong>in</strong> <strong>Serbia</strong> presentlycomprises a variety <strong>of</strong> contributors. In addition to <strong>the</strong> already mentionedchoreographers and performers, <strong>the</strong>re are two specialized organizations:7 In terms employed by George Dickie and, respectively, Arthur Danto.