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Mirna Žagar
I was thrilled to receive Jasna’s request to write a few words of reflection on her prolific career to date. As an artist working in the Europe of today, she shares the fate of many artists and their practices – a nomadic life, filled with cross-border journeys that exposes one to diverse life experiences which inevitably fuel one’s work and life.
I have followed Jasna’s artistic journey since her times as a student in Zagreb. It was clear early on that her curiosity, her warmth and genuine interest for life and the world around her would soon take her on a path that would firmly shape her, along with her keen eye for detail. One that may well be influenced by life’s encounters but one that undeniably would contribute to the shaping of a unique artistic voice and fingerprint on not only Croatia’s dance scene but Europe’s. Her life in dance, I believe, was set when she was accepted to participate in international exchange projects with France, produced by the Croatian Institute for Movement and Dance in Zagreb. Its main aim was to introduce new ways of producing and aesthetics. The project included both residencies in Zagreb as well as in Marseille, and definitely left an impression on Jasna, and all the Croatian artists who participated in it alongside her. Most of them went on to pursue careers in dance and movement theatre and are active contributors to today’s
European contemporary dance and movement community.
Jasna also took part in a short string of classes by French choreographer Kilina Cremona, during our efforts to establish a more solid infrastructure in Zagreb, Croatia, and to provide more in-depth professional dance training and creative process structures to the upcoming generation of contemporary Croatian dance artists. Jasna was among the first Croatian “bred” dance artists that travelled abroad in pursuit of knowledge and opportunities, as Croatia battled its demons arising from the disintegration of Yugoslavia. She was very excited to be accepted to the Folkwang Hochshule in Essen, Germany. It was Germany that embraced her and nurtured her interest in dance, though she never severed ties with the Croatian dance community, notably through her continued commitment to the Dance Week Festival. This festival has endeavoured, throughout its history, to sustain connections between expat dance artists and their motherland. As a result, Jasna has been able to maintain a steady presence in the Croatian dance scene. She often returned with works produced and supported by the German State. However, one has to applaud the Ministry of Culture of Croatia for being relatively open to support some of her work as well. Now, as she guest teaches at the Zagreb Dance Academy, younger generations of Croatian artists are able to benefit from her knowledge and experience as well.
Jasna’s artistic expression changed, understandably, as the years went by. I would say that her early works addressed some very serious themes; it was as if a deep-seated need was pushing her to assert the knowledge gained through her studies at such reputable institutions, and her experience, having danced with acclaimed choreographers. Personally, I always wondered where her fascination with the world and curiosity came from, and where her playful inquiries hid in her earlier forays into dance. It is not that the works were not gaining the attention of international producers, and her piece "Which Club?" received multiple awards; I just feared that she was loosing her very own voice (perhaps?). When I invited her to to join the pan-European project "Migrant Bodies” which partnered with two Canadian
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