BOW A STUDY

2023  |  Produced in the context of DAS Theatre

The project is supported by the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA), co-funded by the European Union, as well as the Visegrad Artist Residency Program for Performing Arts (VARP-PA) and a scholarship from the Capital City of Warsaw.

The act of taking a bow usually takes place in a theatre or, more generally, in performative situations. While the audience applauds, the performer bows to reciprocate the gratitude. In ballet, there is a blurred line between the show and the bow, since there is a transition from one series of movements to another. “BOW A STUDY” originates from Wojciech Grudziński’s long-term research on the phenomenon of the bow and its choreographic and social dimensions. With a pinch of melancholy, it echoes the tradition of classical ballet in Eastern and Central Europe, which reflected the new post-communist order dominated by power and neoliberal economics. With his artistic team, Grudziński investigated the great bows of the history of dance, capturing the liminal and undefined moments. The bow is a boundary moment that encourages spectators to thank the artists, but it can also be understood as an act of acquiescence aimed at receiving the approval of others. It is never fully clear who submits and who dominates the game. What happens at the moment of the bow? Whom does it really serve?

REVIEWS ︎

Their backs sway following their heads, which bend forward until their napes are shown, their knees hit the ground and rise again, bodies on all fours, growing increasingly tired, resembling humans to animals, open and vulnerable. It was a performance, now it seems like a rave, a demonic possession that reveals, in the pure repetition of the gesture, all the absurdity and ambiguity of bowing. Satire ends in bottomless despair, or at least in losing oneself, erasing one's identity in the extreme act of submission. Perhaps "Bow - A Study" is one of the shows that best represents the spirit of the Santarcangelo Festival, from what I've been able to see.

VITO DE BIASI for Escuire.com
published on 19.07.2023


Grudziński effortlessly navigates through various artistic forms including narrative, comedy, participatory theater, visual installation, performance, and pure dance. Through BOW A STUDY, choreographer invites us to confront our cognitive frameworks that often govern our interaction with reality, prompting us to recognize the profound influence of language on our perception. By breaking down these constructs, the performance beckons us to engage as enlightened spectators, fostering a heightened societal awareness and resilience to manipulation. This transformative experience resonates powerfully, encapsulating the heart of artistic exploration.

MICHELE PASCARELLA for gagarin-magazine
published on 21.07.2023

The second part is a minimalist, intense choreography performed by Grudziński and Olga Tamara Briks, accompanied by Wojtek Blecharz's sharp, penetrating, incredible music. In the background, there appears something between a manifesto and a confession. 'When you taught me to bow, I believed you were giving me happiness. But you already knew you were killing me,' scream the captions, directed at 'dance teachers, superiors, lovers, Uber drivers.' Grudziński juxtaposes commitment and dark humor.

WITOLD MROZEK for dwutygodnik.com
published on 07.08.2023


PICTURES: Pietro Bertora / Santarcangelo 2023

︎︎︎ CONCEPT, RESEARCH, CHOREOGRAPHY: Wojciech Grudziński
︎︎︎ PERFORMANCE, CREATION: Wojciech Grudziński, Katarzyna Szugajew, Olga Tamara Briks, Billy Morgan
︎︎︎ ARTISTIC COLLABORATION/DRAMATURGICAL SUPPORT: Klaudia Hartung-Wójciak, Szymon Adamczak
︎︎︎ TEXT: Wojciech Grudziński, Klaudia Hartung-Wójciak
︎︎︎ PRODUCTION DRAMATURGY & FEEDBACK: Szymon Adamczak
︎︎︎ COSTUMES: Marta Szypulska
︎︎︎ MUSIC: Wojtek Blecharz
︎︎︎ LIGHT DESIGN: Jacqueline Sobiszewski
︎︎︎ INDIVIDUAL TUTOR: Miguel Angel Melgares
︎︎︎ ADVISOR: Marta Keil

POSTER: Piotr Urbaniec / Maciej Bychowski