Choreographer Florentina Holzinger

Florentina Holzinger is an Austrian choreographer, director, and performance artist who pushes the boundaries of contemporary dance. She studied choreography at the School for New Dance Development (SNDO) at the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, where she honed her skills and developed a unique artistic voice.

Holzinger's career took off when her diploma solo work, Silk, won the prestigious Prix Jardin d'Europe at the ImPulsTanz festival in 2012. This early success paved the way for her exploration of challenging themes and innovative approaches to performance. Her second solo work, Recovery, premiered in 2015 and delved into her personal experience of a traumatic stage accident. Through this piece, she critically examined different forms of female representation and explored the power and potential of female corporeality.

Continuing her artistic journey, Holzinger turned her attention to deconstructing the narratives of ballet. In 2017, she presented Apollon, an exploration of George Balanchine's Apollon musagète from the 1920s. This work allowed her to delve into the traditional ballet form and push its boundaries. She followed up with TANZ, an action ballet inspired by the romantic ballet La Sylphide, which premiered in 2019. TANZ was widely acclaimed, receiving the "Best Performance of the Year" award from Theater heute and the NESTROY Prize for Best Director. The piece also earned an invitation to the prestigious Theatertreffen.

In 2020, she presented Étude for Emergency, a captivating musical composition for ten bodies and a car, at the Münchner Kammerspiele. Her artistry continued to flourish, culminating in the creation of A Divine Comedy for the Ruhrtriennale in 2021. This large-scale production earned acclaim, with Beatrice Trixie Cordua receiving the German Theatre Prize DER FAUST for her performance in the piece.

Her latest work, Ophelia's Got Talent, created during her artist residency at the Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz in Berlin, has garnered significant attention. The performance reinterprets Shakespeare's Ophelia as an empowered figure, using water as a symbol of adaptation and growth. Ophelia's Got Talent has been selected for the renowned Theatertreffen Festival '23, solidifying her place among the top German productions.

In Holzinger's performances, she challenges and deconstructs hegemonic images of femininity. Drawing inspiration from Viennese Actionism, body art, bodybuilding, classical ballet, cabaret, and circus, she creates visually stunning shows that transcend traditional boundaries. Her company features a diverse cast of performers, including those from different backgrounds, generations, and abilities. In addition to trained dancers, her stage is populated by stunt women, sex workers, piercers, and martial arts artists, further enhancing the multidimensional nature of her work.

Florentina Holzinger's unique theatrical style combines performance art, choreography, ritual, and stunt shows in a spectacular fusion. Her maximalist approach incorporates references to dance history, pop culture, and confrontational acts, captivating audiences with thought-provoking and visually striking experiences.