Liza Penkova
“Old School Class – Future Possibilities”
August 10 – 14, 2026
9.30 – 11.30 H
Kulturzentrum LUISE
Ruppertstraße 5
Studio C
Professionals
In English
The 20th century shaped modern, postmodern and contemporary dance practices. Each reflected the culture and society of its time and questioned social norms. Today, contemporary dance continues to evolve in response to this canon-driven tradition, focusing on themes such as inclusion, climate change and discourses on empowerment.
But when does the once radically new become a norm? Supposedly new aesthetics often mask old structures. And anyone who wants to break norms must first understand them for this knowledge provides the basis for creating something visionary.
In this course, Liza Penkowa examines the fundamental exercises that have shaped the history of Western contemporary dance. For every technique stems from a tradition, a dialogue, a continuity, and a conception of power that both nourishes and reflects what has been before. Moving between structured improvisation and established ‘old school’ movement sequences such as Graham’s contractions, Paxton’s undulations, Cunningham’s back extensions, Laban’s spatial harmony, Dunham’s isolations, Matt Mattox’s coordination work, and right through to the refined awareness of muscle tone in release techniques, this workshop for professional dancers explores how history, form and physical ideologies intersect. Through a shared understanding of past paradigm shifts, a physical awareness emerges that enables us to break through existing norms.
Liza Penkova is a Swedish dancer, choreographer, performer, and researcher based in Gothenburg. She studied at the Royal Swedish Ballet School and P.A.R.T.S., and holds an MA in Choreography with a focus on dance didactics from Stockholm University of the Arts.
Her artistic practice is rooted in physical movement research and engages with archives, memory, and the histories of dance and other arts. She weaves together documents, memories, archives, and lived experience into a single choreographic fabric. Penkova’s work is informed by her years performing with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker / Rosas in Brussels, as well as collaborations with choreographers including Michèle Noiret and Helena Franzén. She has also collaborated with independent artists across Europe, including Veli Lehtovaara, Georgia Vardarou, and the PhD in One Night collective, developing a cross-disciplinary and research-driven choreographic language. Alongside her artistic work, she is active within Sweden’s cultural field as chair of the board of Konstkollektivet and producer at Vitlycke – Centre for Performing Arts.