The SINIPARKSI European exchange project was designed to make contemporary dance accessible to a wide audience while actively embracing the cultural diversity of communities across Europe. Recognizing the need for choreographers and dance educators to be better prepared to address human and social diversity, the project focused on developing inclusive training opportunities. Led by four European dance institutions based in France, Greece, Germany, and Croatia, SINIPARKSI provided choreographers with a platform to exchange ideas on the potential, practices, and challenges of cultural diversity in choreographic creation. Through a co-creation approach with local communities, involving both novice and experienced dancers, artists were able to broaden their perspectives, refine their methodologies, and transform dance into a truly inclusive space.
People
Artistic Direction / Choreography
Ιsabelle Bazin Mazuel – Choreographer / Dance pedagogue (Founder / Director of Ascen-Danse)
Sabrina Marwa – Choreographer / Dance pedagogue Seneca Intensiv
Melita Spahić Bezjak – Choreographer / Dance Educator / Artistic Director (Founder of Free Dance)
Zafeiria Tsirakaki – Choreographer / Dance Teacher / Dancer (Founder / Director of Quo Vadis)
Workshop Support / Volunteers
Maja Drobac – Collaborating Choreographer Free Dance
Nikola Crnković - Collaborating Musician Free Dance
Robert Pavlić - Collaborating Light Designer Free Dance
Cyrielle Mensier – Volunteer assistant Quo Vadis
Sanja Radić – Volunteer Assistant Free Dance
Production & Coordination
Anne Bouchon – Project Leader and Project Manager for Ascen-Danse (Founder / Director of Cultures Eco-Actives)
Melita Spahić Bezjak – Project Manager for Free Dance
Zafeiria Tsirakaki – Project Manager for Quo Vadis
Juliane Wabnitz – Documentation & Executive Coordinator for Seneca Intensiv
Ivana Francišković Olrom – Communications Manager (Co-founder, Free Dance)
Alma Jerinić – Administrator and Production Coordinator (Co-founder, Free Dance)
Marina Sasli – Back office assistant Quo Vadis
Christos Santa Maria – Assistant Quo Vadis
Camille Foucault – Communication Cultures Eco Actives
Media & Documentation
Orestis Alexiadis – Photographer Quo Vadis
Miran Barjaković – Videographer Free Dance
Nikos Galanogiorgos – Web Developer / Blog Designer Quo Vadis
Inga Groß – Video Editor & Photographer (Co-Founder of Seneca Intensiv)
Eirini Katsaraki – Graphic Designer Quo Vadis
Denis Stošić – Photographer Free Dance
Concept & Network
Pablo Volo Seneca Intensiv
Anne Bouchon Cultures Eco-Actives and Ascen-Danse
Zafeiria Tsirakaki Quo Vadis
Melita Spahić Bezjak Free Dance
FRANCE
ASCEN-DANSE was established on July 18, 1996, and is based in Mont-Dauphin, France. It includes a dance school, founded in 1996 under the direction of Isabelle Bazin Mazuel, a professional dance company, Compagnie Isabelle Mazuel, and the organization of the renowned "Vertical’été" dance festival, held in a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2006. Isabelle Bazin Mazuel teaches contemporary dance from Briançon to Embrun. In collaboration with the local Dance Federation, she co-creates performances with amateur dancers of all levels. She and her company also conduct workshops for children ("Trop la Classe") and in retirement homes. The company also performs site-specific shows and conducts workshops with the local community. ASCEN-DANSE is widely recognized for hosting artistic organizations during the "Vertical’été" festival, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2023.
Isabelle Bazin Mazuel, Choreographer/ Dance pedagogue
“Using everyday objects and non-verbal interactions transformed the co-creation process with culturally diverse groups. The Training kit provides essential tools to encourage choreographers to experiment with inclusive practices and value the unique contributions of each participant."
GREECE
QUO VADIS is a dance company founded by Zafeiria Tsirakaki in 2017. The name "Quo Vadis" translates to "Where are you going?", a fundamental question that, alongside "Who are you?", explores the concept of identity, both personally and collectively. It reflects a journey, suggesting a direction toward discovery. Understanding oneself is just as crucial as knowing the path to that discovery. Through embodied research and interdisciplinary creation, Quo Vadis aims to make the arts accessible to a wider audience, creating performances that merge movement, imagery, and narrative to provoke thought and emotional resonance.
Since its founding, Quo Vadis has developed original works through collaborative and interdisciplinary processes, blending dance with text, sound, and site-responsive practices, often drawing from mythology, socio-political landscapes, and lived experience. Since its founding, Quo Vadis has received support from major institutions such as the Greek Ministry of Culture and the Region of Crete. Their work has been presented in site-specific locations, black box theatres, and alternative spaces, always seeking to create meaningful encounters between artists, audiences, and the world around them.
Zafeira Tsirakaki, Choreographer
"Co-creating with culturally diverse groups allowed me to enrich my perspective in the universality of contemporary dance and strengthen the importance of embracing diversity. The Training kit is a unique tool of gathered creative and pedagogic experience, necessary for every choreographer that needs to deepen their approach when creating with the population"
GERMANY
SENECA INTENSIV (SI) is an educational institution based in Berlin, Germany, specialized in artistic movement. Its core objective is to embed artistic movement as an essential part of society.
SI offers intensive programs in dance, circus and physical theatre, as well as in dance education and choreography for a wide spectrum of participants. The programs attract people, ranging from seasoned dancers and stage performers to newcomers exploring the world of dance, acrobatics, performance and creation. In order to further promote the potential of trained participants, Company SI was founded, which develops performances for local stages. SI’s spacious studios are located in the post-industrial district of Marzahn and provide an inclusive space that welcomes a broad audience.
Among SI’s distinguished faculty is Sabrina Marwa, an experienced dance teacher and choreographer, who brings expertise in contemporary dance and pedagogy and has worked with the students of the intensive programs, in school projects and with Company SI.
Sabrina Marwa, Choreographer/ Dance pedagogue
"Managing language barriers and creating a space of trust were exciting challenges. The Training kit shares practical and creative approaches that facilitate the integration of cultural diversity into contemporary dance, while emphasizing the importance of flexibility and collaboration."
CROATIA
Centre for Dance and Performing Arts F.R.E.E. D.A.N.C.E is an independent, non-profit organisation founded in 2004 by choreographer and educator Melita Spahić Bezjak. Based in Karlovac, Croatia, Free Dance brings together artists and professionals to advance contemporary dance through education, production, and artistic research. Actively shaping both the local and national dance scene for over two decades, the organisation fosters innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and audience engagement. It approaches contemporary dance as an evolving ecosystem—a space for embodied expression, critical reflection, and artistic inquiry.
Its programs encompass artistic research, performances, residencies, education, and public presentations, with a strong emphasis on working with children and young people.
Free Dance supports the growth of an independent cultural scene, bridging dance with broader social and artistic contexts. Since 2011, it has organised the Karlovac Dance Festival (KDF)—a platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and cultural enrichment within the community.
Through inclusive, participatory practices, Free Dance invites audiences—particularly younger generations—to engage as active viewers and co-creators, strengthening the visibility, relevance, and accessibility of contemporary performing arts.
Melita Spahić Bezjak , Choreographer / Dance Educator / Artistic Director & Program Manager
"Working with diverse communities reinforced my belief in the power of movement and dance as a unique form of communication, fueling inspiration. The training kit provides an essential tool to help choreographers engage in and embrace co-creation while respecting and celebrating cultural differences."
FRANCE
Cultures Eco Actives is an association for cultural cooperation and innovation. It believes in the role of culture and art to increase respect for oneself, others, nature and the planet.
It promotes cultural rights and inclusive artistic practices, while investigating cultural contexts. The initiative provides local artists with an opportunity to work and enhance their creative process. It offers the population of the territory an opening to Europe. It facilitates environmental responsibility and proposes reconnection to nature.
The actions of Cultures Eco Actives are an opportunity to share experiences and know-how specific to as many people as possible.
Anne Bouchon, Project Leader and director of Culture Eco Actives