Aneta Zwierzyńska is a dancer, choreographer, performer, dance teacher, and capoeira instructor. She completed the State Vocational Collage for Culture Promoters in Kalisz, Poland, studying contemporary dance, and obtained a double MA degree at the Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität in Linz, Austria, studying movement research and dance pedagogy.
Her dance career began in Legnica, Poland. Currently, she works together with local ensembles and institutions to support dance in the town: she acts as a dancer, choreographer, and educator with the Fire Dancers Theatre AVATAR, the break-dance group Bessali, the Association for Artistic Initiatives, the Legnica Culture Centre, and a foundation called Siłę Mam Dzięki Wam [Got Power From You]. Zwierzyńska has designed stage movement for two plays staged at the Helena Modrzejewska Theatre in Legnica: Niekończąca się opowieść [Never-ending Story] created under directing supervision of Anita Poddębniak (2010) and Zrozumieć H [To Understand H] directed by Paweł Palcat (2011) on which she collaborated with Witold Jurewicz. She works as a dance teacher with the Goniec Teatralny group affiliated with the Modrzejewska theatre.
In 20036 Zwierzyńska studied with Witold Jurewicz and Jacek Owczarek in Kalisz. She also danced with the ALTER Dance Theatre and now collaborates with Pracownia Fizyczna in Łódź. In 2006 she began her dance education in Linzs Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität. In Austria she has collaborated with Liz King, D.ID / Dance Identity in Oberwart, Tanztheater Springschuh Springschuh Dschungel Wien, and Schauaacker Feat Cia in Linz. Thanks to a scholarship from the Art Stations Foundation, she took part in the 2009 Alternative Dance Academy run as part of the Old Brewery New Dance programme in Poznań (teachers: Chris Harring Ria Higler, Josef Frucek, Arkadi Zaides, Hooman Sharifi).
Zwierzyńska began training capoeira in Linz under Mestre Xuxo. She obtained her capoeira instructor qualifications in Guaratingueta, Brazil, where she studied at the Academia Barraco da Capoeira with Mestre ze Antonio, who remains her teacher to this day. In August 2014 she began cooperating with Mestre Poncianinho of London, UK. She has organised a range of dance and capoeira projects in Poland, Austria and Brazil.
In 201114, during her MA studies, she worked on a movement research project exploring a possible exchange of experiences between contemporary dance and capoeira. She completed her student internship at Cia de Dança Palácio das Artes in Belo Horizonte, Brazil; Bale folclórico da Bahia, Cia Dance Brazil in Salvador da Bahia, and Escola de Dança da Funceb in Salvador, Bahia. She has also completed capoeira workshops Barracao do Vigario in Guratingueta, Brazil, and participated in the Kilombo Tenonde Permangola with Mestre Cobra Mansa. She has worked as a dance and capoeira teacher at many dance schools and on various rehabilitation projects for Fazenda da Esperança in Brazil.
Currently, she dances for the the Guarini Dance Company in London, UK, while also participating in many dance projects across Europe and Brazil. She runs contemporary dance workshops, contact improvisation and capoeira classes. At the same time, she continues her movement research into a possible exchange of experiences between contemporary dance and capoeira, organises training sessions, workshops, and brings new projects to life. She often delivers workshops as part of dance festivals, and works as a choreographer. Her works have been showcased at such dance festivals as: Lange Nacht der Bühnen in Linz, Austria; Mestre Papagaio in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil; and SCHÄXPIR 2011 in Linz.
She may boast a number of dance festival awards and honourable mentions. She has twice won the Kratywna Dolina [Creative Valley] programme, broadcast on one of Polands public television channels, for her choreography titled Ocean w kieszeni [An Ocean in A Pocket] and received an award for her 10-month-long social and cultural project called Do góry nogami [Upside Down].
She is a long-standing collaborator of the PIK Dance Festival in Połczyn Zdrój, Poland. She has participated in contact improvisation, improvisation, and dance festivals as well as dance and coaching projects all around the world. She was awarded a scholarship from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of Poland and a Młoda Polska [Young Poland] scholarship from the culture ministry, which helped her to produce the performance In Wonderland and the international project When the Rain is Gone in Brazil, Austria, and Poland.
Own choreographies:
E quando chuva passou (Guaratingueta /Brazil, 2013), When the rain is gone (Linz/Austria, 2013), Szachy (Chess; Legnica/Poland, 2012), Vento (Guaratingueta/Brazil, 2012), Agora estou caminhando (a solo; Guaratingueta/Brazil, 2012), Dorwać FLOPmana (Get the Flopman; Legnica/Poland, 2011), Anastazja (Anastasia; Guaratingueta/Brazil, 2011), Łucznicy (Archers; Legnica/Poland, 2011), Romeo i Julia lovely rooms (Romeo and Juliet: Lovely Rooms; Oberwart/Austria, 2011), Modelo (a solo; Legnica/Poland, 2011), Marionetki (Puppets; Legnica/Poland, 2010), W cieniu Chopina (In Chopins Shadow; Legnica/Poland, 2010), On the other side (Linz/Austria, 2010), Zmierzch Elfów (The Dusk of Elves; Legnica/Poland, 2009), In Wonderland (Linz/Austria, 2009), Do góry nogami (Upside Down; Legnica/Poland, 2009), In Wonderland (Linz /Austria, 2008), Ocean w kieszeniach (An Ocean In A Pocket; Kalisz/Poland, 2006), Akwarium (Aquarium; Legnica/Polska, 2005).
