Jitka Sara Páníková

Jitka Sara Páníková graduated from the Duncan Centre Dance Conservatory in Prague in 2017. She then went on to study at the certified school Peridance Capezio Center in New York, where she specialized in fusion of contemporary dance and classical Chinese techniques. She subsequently received her master degree from Fontys University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, focusing on performing arts in public space.

Currently, she can be seen in her original performance dis pla y, a collaboration with dancer and choreographer Tereza Lenerová. This work won the main prize of the Czech Dance Platform in 2021. Jitka has also collaborated with Tereza on the projects There is an impression of being and Glove Races.

For the second year she has been working with Brazilian choreographer Flavia Tapias. Rotas Afora and Fantasmas have been performed at Dance Prague and Dança em Trânsito festival in Brazil. On the Czech scene, Jitka has established a partnership with PocketArt collective and performs in Fairy Tales, which was performed at Sismógraf Festival in Spain, One Dance Festival in Bulgaria, Dance Prague in the Czech Republic, Juli Dance in the Netherlands and Dance Umbrella in the UK.

Jitka's exploration of many different cultures has led her to investigate the symbolism of dance gestures and the function of mirror neurons, helping her to formulate her own dance language and relationship with the audience. In her artistic research she works with public space, especially brownfields.