An Evening of Two Contemporary Dance Performances
“Solo”*
*working title
An intuitive, sensation-led dance performance that invites the audience to become part of the event.
PREMIERE
Choreographer and performer – Agate Bankava
Produced by Agate Bankava
Co-produced by Rīgas Cirks
Agate Bankava is a contemporary dance artist. She began dancing with the folk-dance ensemble Uguntiņa, later graduated from the Riga Ballet School, and went on to study at the Latvian Academy of Culture, where, under the guidance of Professor Olga Žitluhina, she earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in contemporary dance. Agate is a member of both the Choreographers’ Association and LAUKKU, and has received wide recognition within the professional field. In 2019, she was awarded the Dance Award in the category Contemporary Dance Choreographer for the performances Slikta, Memor, and Future Freak. She also received the Spēlmaņu nakts award (2018/2019) in the category Movement Artist of the Year for the production Pūt, vējiņi!. Bankava is also part of the Latvian contemporary dance collective within the IcoDAco project and serves as curator of the mini-festival Ražas svētki / Harvest Party.
Supporters: LAUKKU, Choreographers’ Association of Latvia (HA), HOROS, Sonnenstein Loft (Austria), RedSapata Kulturinitiative (Austria)
“The Translations of My Eyes”
An emotionally nuanced contemporary dance duet about the presence of an inescapable weight.
Presented by the Dance House at KURTUVE
A deeply personal contemporary dance duet reflecting on depression from the perspective of the person standing beside it. Choreographer Alise Madara Bokaldere transforms an emotional personal experience into a poetic meditation on quiet endurance, the invisible labour of love, and the strength it takes simply to remain. Through the literal physical embodiment of heaviness and its gradual accumulation, the performance invites audiences into empathy, vulnerability, and human closeness.
The performance was nominated for the Dance Award (2017–2018) in the categories “Contemporary Dance Production or Event” and “Contemporary Dance Choreographer”.
The work has also received international recognition and was featured in the “40 Winks” section of the European dance platform Aerowaves’ Springback Magazine.
Choreography and direction – Alise Madara Bokaldere
Co-creators – Jana Jacuka, Laura Kušķe
Dancers – Kitija Geidāne, Kristīne Brīniņa
Music – Aurēlija Rancāne, Asante Rancāne, Ilona Dzērve
Music used – Huun Huur Tu – Midnight Tale
Alise Madara Bokaldere, a Latvian dancer and choreographer, is known for her minimalist yet deeply affecting work, which seeks to capture the essence of the human experience. She graduated from the Latvian Academy of Culture in 2018 with a Bachelor’s degree in Contemporary Dance. She received the Latvian Dance Award 2023–2024 in the categories Contemporary Dance Performer and Contemporary Dance Production for How a Spiral Works, created with the collective Art For Rainy Days. Her work The Translation of My Eyes was nominated for the Latvian Dance Award 2018/2019, while a performance created with The Biofilm Sisters was nominated for the Estonian Theatre Award in 2020. Bokaldere has worked both in Latvia and internationally, collaborating with artists and institutions including Jorge Crecis (EU, choreographer), Jason Dupree (UK, circus director), Kanuti Gildi SAAL (Estonia, performing arts venue), the National Centre for Circus Arts (UK, circus school), The Biofilm Sisters (Estonia, performance company), and Big Wolf Company (Estonia, circus company).
Supporters: Latvian Dance Information Centre, State Culture Capital Foundation (VKKF), Valmiera Municipality, Contemporary Art Space KURTUVE, Dance House at KURTUVE
Recommended age: 12+
Accessibility:
Wheelchair accessible;
Suitable for people with hearing impairments.
Seating in the Riga Circus arena and balcony is unnumbered, and tickets are not assigned to specific seats – upon arrival, visitors may choose the most comfortable seats within their ticket zone.
Early bird tickets are available for €20 until June 1, 2026 (subject to limited availability).
Ticket prices will increase as the performance date approaches.
