Leja Jurišić is a dancer and choreographer working in the field of performative and political art. She has performed her original pieces in various institutions across Europe, United States and Mexico. She won numerous awards, among others Borštnik Award and Ksenija Hribar Award together with Marko Mandić for their performance Together.
© David Lotrič
The last Champion of Yugoslavia in artistic gymnastics, Leja Jurišić (Ljubljana, SI) collaborated with Tim Etchells and Meg Stuart and created a series of critically acclaimed pieces. Her works have been shown at Tanzquartier Wien, Hellerau Dresden, Tanzhaus NRW Düsseldorf, BiennaleOnline Art+ New York, Les Subsistances Lyon, and ]performance space[ London.
Reaching beyond the everyday understanding of liminal corporeality, Leja Jurišić occupies various positions of radical performative expression, as if naturally, and almost effortlessly, belonging to the realms of dance, performance art, and political art at the same time.
She moves the spectator’s attention from corporeality as such towards a boundary between a body in motion (text) and, what might be termed, a body within a commotion (context).
The holder of the title of the (last) National Champion of Yugoslavia in artistic gymnastics and a BA in Law, Leja Jurišić received two prestigious national dance awards in Slovenia.
Since her critically acclaimed debut R’z’R (2005) Jurišic has created a series of performances, including I Fear Slovenia (2014, with Petra Veber), King Lear: A Declaration of Sincere Love (2014, with Jelena Rusjan), Ballet of Revolt (2012, with Petra Veber) and Between Us (2009, with Teja Reba).
Jurišić’s works have been shown at institutions such as the Tanzquartier in Vienna, Hellerau in Dresden, Tanzhaus NRW in Düsseldorf, BiennaleOnline Art+ in New York, ]performance space[ in London, U3 Triennale of Slovenian Contemporary Art in Ljubljana, Les Subsistances in Lyon, as well as at three international festivals in Ljubljana: Mladi Levi, City of Women, and Exodos.
As a performer she has been collaborating with the likes of Tim Etchells, Janez Janša, and Meg Stuart.
No stranger to critiques of the social, economic and political distortions of individual and collective liberties, Jurišić perceives the human body as a powerful emancipative mechanism for creating experiences of revolt - for the dancer(s) and the audience member(s) alike.
