Anna Godowska –dancer, choreographer, contemporary dance teacher, co-founder of Bretoncaffe Theatre. She completed a qualifying course of contemporary dance organized by the Centre for Culture Promotion in Warsaw (1996). In 1995–1997 she was a soloist of Kielce Dance Theatre. In the next years she created solos and participated in international projects, among others in Germany and Paris. She was in residence of Choreographisches Zentrum NRW in Essen (2000), Centre for Contemporary Art in Warsaw (2002), Centre National de la Danse in Paris/Pantin (2005), Maison folie in Mons (Art Centre, Belgium, 2010) – the two latter together with Sławomir Krawczyński.
In 2001 she founded Bretoncaffe Theatre together with a scriptwriter and director Sławomir Krawczyński and a musician Dominik Strycharski. In this group she has worked mainly as a choreographer, taking also part in most performances. She has created group choreographies (stage and outdoor performances) in cooperation with Scena 96’Association. She has co-operated with artists from different fields of art, including Katarzyna Kozyra (Lord of the Dance, 2002;Cheerleader,2006; Il castrato;2006) and Anna Baumgart (Utwór o matce i ojczyźnie, Bunkier Sztuki, Kraków 2008); she has directed stage movement (Był sobie dziad i bababy Agnieszka Błońska, Theatrical Institute/Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera, 2010,Chór kobietdirected by Marta Górnicka, Theatrical Institute 2010). Among her many experiences are solo projects, group choreographies, dance workshops and everyday teaching practice – for Metro Art Studio of Buffo Theatre (1998–1999), Drama and Dance Studio of the Ballet School in Warsaw (1998–2004), Wytwórnia Theatre, not existing today, and others. She initiated many educational projects: DCX which promoted contemporary dance at the Centre for Creative Works (ODT) in Warsaw (2004–2006; currently DK Włochy Hall), Subconscious and Body– ten individual workshops in Jagniątków near Jelenia Góra (2003–2006). She also run shorter workshop/education projects, including Dance and the Periphery (2008, Wytwórnia Theatre), Urban Body(Festival „Street Art” 2008), workshop for students of the Drama School in Warsaw, Trans Weekendat Burdąg Studio (2010).
Since 2005 she has regularly worked with Sławomir Krawczyński on a research/art project Dance of a Dreaming Body initiated by Krawczyński and inspired by a methodology of Arnold Mindell’s process-oriented psychology. This project is carried out by Bretoncaffe in cooperation with the Academy of Process-Oriented Psychology in Warsaw and consists of both performances and workshops.
While exploring dance Godowska goes beyond pure physical body work technique. In her art and education work she combined inspirations and elements of methods from other fields, such as psychology, psychotherapy and spiritual practices. In her view dance is a unique way of spiritual expression, but also a way to discover spirituality.
