Monika Witkowska is a dancer, choreographer and educator. A graduate of the Faculty of Dance Theater in Bytom, Academy of Theater Arts in Cracow and the Faculty of Rhythmics at the 2nd Degree State General Music School in Częstochowa, she is a recipient of scholarships of the Faculty of Dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen and the Faculty of Dance Theater at the Kibbutzim College of Education in Tel-Aviv. She currently teaches contemporary dance at the Academy of Music in Katowice and is a guest lecturer at the Faculty of Dance Theater in Bytom, Academy of Theater Arts in Cracow. A certified teacher of the Dynamic Phrasing method and the Progressing Ballet Technique, she is a member of the creative collective STICKY FINGERS CLUB and co-founder of the Vagabond Physical Collective.
Witkowska has co-created several dance pieces, including Sticky Fingers Club (co-choreographed with Daniela Komędera, Dominika Wiak and Dominik Wieck), Lorem Ipsum (directed by Paweł Urbanowicz, choreographed by the Vagabond Physical Collective), Funeral Concerto for Six Dancers (concept with Omar Karabulut, choreographed by the Vagabond Physical Collective) and What’s Rumbling in Here (concept by Oscar Mafa, choreographed by the Vagabond Physical Collective).
She has collaborated with the likes of Jacek Łumiński (Poland), Maciej Kuźmiński (Poland), Rachel Erdos (Israel/UK), Dominika Knapik (Poland/Germany), Colleen Thomas (USA), Henrik Kaalund (Germany), Brian Michaels (UK), Paul Bargetto (USA), Wojciech Mochniej (Canada), Jerzy Stuhr (Poland), and Anna Piotrowska (Poland). For the past four years, she has been working as an assistant to choreographer Maciej Kuźmiński, collaborating with the Polish Dance Theater (Fabula Rasa, 2019), Staatstheater Kassel (my body falls lighter, 2021), Landestheater Linz (Memoryhouse, 2023), and Theater Osnabrück (2024).
Witkowska is the winner of several awards, including:
– Best Short Dance Piece at the 10th International Competition of Young Dance Performers OPUS 1 in Slovenia for her original solo Fur Roman
– Production Award at the 32nd International Competition for Choreographers in Hannover for her solo I Fought Piranhas choreographed by Maciej Kuzmiński.
– Production Award at the Rotterdam International Duet Choreography Competition for the duet Event Horizon with dancer Omar Karabulut, choreographed by Maciej Kuzmiński.
– First Prize in the 3… 2… 1… Dance! Competition at the Krakow Dance Festival for the duet Event Horizon
– First prize at the 55th Review of Small Form Theaters KONTRAPUNKT 2021 for the performance Sticky Fingers Club (Komędera/Wiak/Więcek/Witkowska)
– 2nd place in the competition for independent theaters BEST OFF for the performance Sticky Fingers Club
Photos:
Monika Witkowska, portrait photo; Photo by Julia Banduch
Plateau chor. Maciej Kuzminski, dir. Paul Bargetto; photo by Tomasz Raczynski
Plateau chor. Maciej Kuzminski, dir. Paul Bargetto; photo by Tomasz Raczynski
I fought piranhas chor. Maciej Kuźmiński; photo by Paweł Wyszomirski
GLORY GAME chor. Dominik Więcek; photo by Dominik Więcek.
Fur Roman chor. Monika Witkowska; photo by Tomas Crnej
Sticky Fingers Club performed by Daniela Komędera-Miśkiewicz, Dominika Wiak, Dominik Więcek, Monika Witkowska; photo by Daniel Frymark
Vagabond Physical Collective, photo by Julia Banduch
Sticky Fingers Club performed by Daniela Komędera-Miśkiewicz, Dominika Wiak, Dominik Więcek, Monika Witkowska; photo by Daniel Frymark
