Mojca Majcen
Mojca Majcen is a dancer and ballerina who gave her heart to the art of dance as a child. Under the guidance of choreographer Igor Jelen, she gained basic knowledge of various dance techniques at the IGEN Dance Studio, where she was taught by Slovenian and international teachers. She has appeared in several children’s shows and filmed for the children’s and entertainment programme of RTV Slovenia. She received her basic ballet education with Ana Vovk Pezdir and dr. Henrik Neubauer. As a child she received several awards at OPUS – Slovenian choreographic competition for Children and Youth. In 1998 she graduated with honours at the secondary school Srednja baletna in glasbena šola v Mariboru under the mentorship of Iko Otrin. During her schooling and after graduation, she danced several variations from classical ballets (Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Giselle, The Seasons, Prodajalna punčk, etc.) at the SNG Maribor. She continued and furthered her education at home and abroad (Budapest, St. Petersburg, Vienna, Berlin, and at the renowned Nederlands Dans Theatre), under the mentorship of internationally renowned pedagogues, ballet masters and choreographers. In 2000 she joined the House of Art and Dance Theatre IGEN from Celje and focused on more modern dance techniques and its integration with theatre and she participated in several full-length dance performances, danced at numerous dance festivals abroad and received numerous international awards. With her solo role in the performance The Lady of the Camellias, she was the only Slovenian art dancer representative to perform at the Biennale Danza Venice and entered the finals of the prestigious Sergei Diaghilev Award dance competition with renowned ballet dancer and competition selector Vladimir Malakhov.
As a guest dancer and ballerina, she collaborates with domestic and international choreographers and dance groups from Slovenia. She is one of the initiators of the Balkan Dance Project, which brings together artists, dancers and choreographers from the Balkan region. As an assistant to choreographers Igor Kirov and Aleksander Ilić, she has staged several ballets and operas for the Macedonian National Ballet, Croatian National Theater in Split, The Croatian National Theatre Ivan pl. Zajc, Ballet – National Theatre in Belgrade, Serbian National Theatre in Novi Sad and more.
In the recent years, she collaborated with choreographer Aleksander Ilić and director Aleksander Nikolić and created a dance version of Scandal in the Valley of St. Florian, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann and in 2021 the bestseller Grand Hotel.
In 2021, after the selection of critics Barbara Drnač, Daliborka Podboj and Matevž Česen, she was awarded the title Dancer of the year 2021.
The choreography paints the exceptional strength and warmth of the Primorska woman, symbolized in the rich figurative art of movement and minimalism, in the expressive power of dance poetics, impressively preformed and breathed by dance artist Mojca Majcen. (Daliborka Podboj for diptych Se spomniš spomina, October 2021).
Four excellent soloists captivated us with their energy, original expression and characters. Among them the great Mojca Majcen, a dancer from Slovenia, then character-strong Ognjen Vučnić from Croatia, lively Jakša Filipovac from Serbia and the extremely talented and charismatic Branko Mitrović from Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Radio Sarajevo for Grand Hotel, September 2021).
No less professional and eclectic was Mojca Majcen’s dance, which at the moment of “swan singing” drew a seemingly ordinary story of love into depth of the pain of living beings upon the realization of their transience. (Olja Ilić for Možiček, December 2021).
The impression was made by the dancer from Slovenia, Mojca Majcen, who perfectly performed the role of a young lady who is aware of her fast ending, but uses all her energy for pleasure. (David Naum for Magic Mountain, March 2019).
Among them, the already well-known dancers Mojca Majcen and Branko Mitrović stand out in their solo segments, also in their duet of personal contact and love. (Daliborka Podboj- Parada Plesa Magic Mountain, March 2019).
All five dancers have danced in all three choreographies with Mojca Majcen, who with her dance creations and solo performances visibly enters the dance foreground. (Daliborka Podboj- Parada Plesa for Balkan Dance Vol. 3, October 2017).
Mojca Majcen is a wonderful dancer and shines in her solo, which expresses the suffering Karlinova experienced during her stay in San Francisco. (Jeff Slayton za See Dance News Los Angeles for Alma. Sama, April 2017).
Performances and choreographies
Poem (choreography: Igor Kirov, Assistant: Mojca Majcen, Production: National theatre Belgrade)
Femine (choreography: Rita Gobi and Aleksandra Madsen, Production: Balkan Dance Project,Dance Academy Belgrade, Cultural station Barka Novi Sad- within the author’s project of Mojce Majcen)
Opening ceremony of the European Capital of Culture Novi Sad- Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad (directed by: Aleksandar Nikolić, choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, assistant: Mojca Majcen, Production: Fondation Novi Sad and Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad )
Vladimir and Kosara- opera (directed by: Aleksandar Nikolić, choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, assistant: Mojca Majcen, Production: Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad )
Tre Sorelle- first Montenegro modern ballet ( choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, assistant: Mojca Majcen, Production: Montenegro music centre )
Silk Road ( choreography: Igor Kirov, asistent koreografije: Mojca Majcen, Produkcija: Ballet Gabt Alisher Navoi Tashkent, Uzbekistan )
SARA-JE-VO ( choreography: Edhem Jesenković, Production: Balkan Dance Project, Živimo Balet, Mess Festival, Festival Velenje- within the author’s project of Mojce Majcen)
Plenir ( choreography: Daša Grgič, Production: Balkan Dance Project, Slovene Theatre in Trieste, Actis Trieste, Festival Velenje -within the author’s project of Mojce Majcen)
Pepelaška- love is in the air ( choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, assistant: Mojca Majcen and Sasha Eftimova, Production: Macedonian Opera and ballet )
Measure of pleasure 2 ( choreography: Mojca Majcen, Urša Rupnik, Igor Sviderski, Production: Studio za svobodni ples, Dance theatre Ljubljana )
Measure of pleasure 1 ( choreography: Mojca Majcen, Urša Rupnik, Igor Sviderski, Production: Studio za svobodni ples, Dance theatre Ljubljana )
Grand Hotel ( choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, directed by: Aleksandar Nikolić, Produkcija: PUBS Srbija, Madlenianum Opera&Theatre Belgrade and Mojca Majcen )
Svi Marš na Ples ( choreography: Igor Kirov, directed by: Goran Golovko, Production: Balkan Dance Project, Festival Velenje, Živimo balet
Se spomniš spomina ( choreography: Ognjen Vučinić and Daša Grgič, Production: Balkan Dance Project, Festival Velenje )
Aida- opera ( directed by: Aleksandar Nikolić, choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, assistant: Mojca Majcen, Production: Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad )
Station Skopje ( choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen, Production: Macedonian Opera and ballet )
Možiček ( choreography: Gjergj Prevazi and Aleksandar Ilić, Production: Balkan Dance Project, Festival Velenje, Hiša Kulture )
InHisMind- immersive theater Belgrade (choreography: Aleksandra Ilića, directed by: Jordan Parkers, assistant: Mojca Majcen, production: Green Production)
Interspace- short dance composition (choreography: Luka Ostrež and Mojca Majcen, Production: Festival Velenje)
Vsi Marš na Ples- modern dance performance on music by Bijelo Dugme ( Skenderija Sarajevo, Production: Balkan Dance Project, Živimo Balet BIH, Festival Velenje, choreographer: Igor Kirov, directed by: Goran Golovko)
New Years’s trip around the world ( choreography: Ivan Kozlov, Production: Theatre Vuk Belgrade, Dance Academy Belgrade,Youth Ballet Serbia )
Magic mountain (Teater Vuk, Festival Velenje, Institut za umetničku Igru Beograd and PUBS; choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, directed by: Aleksandar Nikolić)
Soldier’s tale (Hiša Kulture Celje; directed by: Lea Kukovičič)
Ballet of youth (Croatian national ballet Split; directed by: Goran Golovko, choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
Crave (Atom Dance Theatre, Balkan Dance Project, European Capital 2019- Plovdiv; choreography: Stefaniya Georgieva)
Sacre du printemps (Croatian national ballet Split; choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen,)
Faust- opera (Serbian National Theatre Novi Sad; directed by: Aleksandar Nikolić, choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
Night&Day (choreography: Trina Mannino and Stephen Kelly, Green Space Studios NYC)
Atlantida- opera (Croatian national ballet Split; directed by: Goran Golovko, choreography: Igor Kirov, composer: Mirko Krstičević, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
1924 (choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, National theatre Belgrade)
Bernstein is dancing ( Ivan Zajc Croatian National Theatre Rijeka, Croatian National Theatre Split; choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
Twinkle Sleepyhead (Balkan Dance Project, Festival Velenje; choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, directed by: Aleksandar Nikolić)
On the Edge (Croatian National Theatre Split; choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
Death and the dervish (Croatian National Theatre Split; choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
Balkan Dance Project Vol. 3 (Balkan Dance Project, Festival Velenje, Tanzelarija BIH, Institut za umetničku igru Beograd and PUBS); Blasphemy in St. Florian’s valley; choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, directed by: Aleksandar Nikolić), Signs by the roadside; choreography: Ivana Hadžihasanović, Što te nema; choreography: Igor Kirov)
Tri Botr’ce (Festival Velenje; choreography: Polona Boruta, Lucija Boruta, Mateja Rožič, directed by: Boštjan Oder)
Between us (Dance Gallery Maribor; choreography: Mojca Ussar)
Red Room (Macedonian Opera and ballet; choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
On The Road (Croatian National Theatre Split; choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
Balkan Dance Project Vol. 2 ( Festival Velenje, Madlenianum Opera&Theatre Beograd, Institut za umetničku igru Beograd), The Cube Untold; choreography Igor Kirov), After Sonnets; choreography: Aleksandar Saša Ilić& Natalie Iwaniec)
No exit (Dance Gallery Maribor; choreography: Mojca Ussar)
Alma.Alone (ArtBark International, Cankarjev Dom, Hiša Kulture Celje; choreography: Misa Mandigo Kelly, Stephen Kelly)
5 till Midnight (Croatian National Theatre Split; choreography: Igor Kirov, assistant: Mojca Majcen)
Balkan Dance Project Vol. 1 (Festival Velenje, Hiša Kulture Celje, Directorate for arts and culture Skopje and PUBS; choreographers: Aleksandar Saša Ilić and Igor Kirov)
Two of us (Dance Gallery Maribor; choreography: Mojca Ussar)
Steamship X (ArtBark International; choreography: Misa Mandigo Kelly)
Nadar (ArtBark International; choreography: Misa Mandigo Kelly)
He He Helium (Balkan dance project, Hiša Kulture Celje, Festival Velenje, Kirov Dance Company, Happy Family Theatre, choreography: Igor Kirov)
Alma (Art Bark International ZDA; choreography: Misa Mandigo Kelly)
Titanic.si (Dance Entropy ZDA; choreography: Valerie Green)
Klic gozda ali materin poljub (Cankarjev Dom, Zavod Federacija; choreography: Etcha Dvornik)
Reflections (Dance Gallery Maribor; choreography: Mojca Ussar)
A Bao Qu (Sonnenblauma Danscz Theatre USA; choreography: Misa Mandigo Kelly)
Moki’s Wedding (Sonnenblauma Danscz Theatre USA; choreography: Misa Mandigo Kelly)
Falling and Flying (Sonnenblauma Danscz Theatre USA; choreography: Stephen Kelly)
Three. Sisters. (Dance Theatre Igen; choreography: Igor Jelen)
Memorandum for Evita Peron (Dance Theatre Igen; choreography: Igor Jelen)
XYZ (Dance Theatre Igen; choreography: Igor Jelen)
Aquasphera (Dance Theatre Igen; choreography: Igor Jelen)
House 22 (Dance Theatre Igen; choreography: Igor Jelen)
Lady of the camellias (Dance Theatre Igen; choreography: Igor Jelen)
Callas (Dance Theatre Igen; choreography: Igor Jelen)
What is missing? (DBUS; choreography: Tamara Divjak)
Seasons; choreography: Henrik Neubauer
Puppenfee; choreography: Henrik Neubauer
Swan lake (pas de quatre)
Giselle (Wills)
Nutcracker
INSTALLATIONS AND PERFORMANCES
2022: Ballet in shop windows (Pravljično Celje)
2020: Today is never tomorrow (Likovni Salon Celje)
2019: Veronika, Barbara, Alma
2018: Moving paintings (Erotic gallery Račka Celje)
2017: Teater in Gallery (Center for contemporary arts Celje)
2015: Dialogues (Horizontal/Vertikal)
2014: Dialogues (a dialogue between a visual artist Anka Rener Kremžar and a dancer Mojca Majcen)
2012: Red Room (Happy Family Theatre)
2010: Fast Cheap Good (Erotic gallery Račka Celje, a date of three authors: Ivona Novak, Nik Jarh and Mojca Majcen)
2008: Lepa Vida (Center for contemporary arts Celje)
2008: Rodin (Likovni Salon, Dance Theatre Igen Igen)
2008: Exhibition of Zoran Lešić (Lapidary Bale Vale, Happy Family Theatre)
MOVIES
2020: Nutshell (Mannakin Dance Theatre; choreography: Aleksandar Ilić, directed by: Nathan Cottam)
2014: Wild is the Wind (Happy Family Theatre, directed by: Zoran Lešić)
2012: Moment of the heat (Arkadena, Radio and Television Slovenija, directed by: Svetlana Dramlić)
FESTIVALS
2023: Festival Let’s Play Trieste
2023: Festival Purgatorije Tivat
2023: Mediteran dance Festival Budva, Montenegro
2023: Dani savremenog plesa, Sarajevo war theatre
2023: Area Danza Venzone
2022: Festival Mess Sarajevo
2021: Ohrid summer festival
2021: Skopje summer festival , Macedonian opera and ballet
2021: Festival Purgatorije Tivat
2021: Balet Fest Sarajevo, National Theater Sarajevo
2021: Makedonske esenske svečanosti, Macedonian opera and ballet
2021: Festival Lent- Open dance scene
2021: Festival Korpus Celje
2019: Purgatorije Festival Tivat
2019: Šibenik Dance Festival
2018: Šibenik Dance Festival
2018: FIAT Festival Podgorica
2017: Sarajevo Winter Festival, BIH
2017: Šibenik Dance Festival
2016: Sarajevo Winter Festival, BIH,
2016: Festival of choreographic miniatures Belgrade
2014: Sarajevo Winter Festival, BIH
2014: Dance Gallery Festival, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre, NYC, ZDA
2014: No ballet competition, Ludwigschafen, Nemčija
2013: ADAPT FESTIVAL – Brooklyn, NYC, ZDA
2013: SIDANCE FESTIVAL, Seul in Busan, Južna Koreja
2013: Makedonske esenske svečanosti, Macedonian opera and ballet
2012: ADAPT Festival Vienna and Pariz
2011: Santa Barbara SB-ADaPT
2011: International choreography competition, Peking, Kitajska
2010: Bienalle di danza Venezia
2010: International platform for contemporary choreography Almada, Portugalska
2010: International women film festival, Rabat, Maroko
2010: Last minute jazz festival 2010, Bale, Hrvaška
2010: International dance and theatre festival Iquique, Čile
2009: Semana de la Moda y Turismo Venezuela
2009: Balkan Blues festival, Haag 2010: Teaterfest Sarajevo
2008: Promoter of Slovenian culture during the presidency EU, Malta in Ciper
2008: Promoter of Slovenian culture during the presidency EU Haag, Nizozemska
2008: FIAT, Podgorica, Črna gora
2008: Last minute jazz festival, Bale vale, Hrvaška
2007: International dance festival, New York, ZDA
2007: Aberdeen International youth festival, Aberdeen, Škotska
2007: Dance Project Trieste, Italija
2006: Dance and theatre festival, Kairo, Egipt
2006: Dance Project Trieste, Italija
2000: Womad Sori World of Music, Arts & Dance, Seul, Južna Koreja
1998: Dance festival Skopje, Makedonija
1999: International show exchange – BIS Udine, Italija
1999: International Children festival, Ankara,Turčija
AWARDS
2022: Dancer of the year 2021 according to the Parada plesa
2016: 1st place and 2nd award on Slovenian choreography competition with choreography Between us by Mojca Ussar
2012: best dancer chosen by the viewers of the Parada plesa portal
2011: finalist of the International Ballet and Choreography Competition in Beijing (Lady of the Camellias, Dance theatre Igen); selection: John Neumaier
2011: bronze coat of arms of Celje for artistic achievements in the field of dance
2010:finalist of the International Competition in Modern Ballet and Choreography, Vitebsk (Lady of the Camellias, Dance theatre Igen)
2009:finalist of the International Competition of Choreographic Arts, Serghei Diaghilev Prize, Lodz(Lady of the Camellias, Dance theatre Igen); selection: Vladimir Malakhov
2002: 3rd prize at the International Competition of Contemporary Dance and Dance Theater – Prize of Jarmila Jeřábkova and Isadora Duncan Praga (Three. Sisters., Dance Theatre Igen)
2001:2nd prize at Dance Platform Tokyo, Japan (Three.Sisters., Dance Theatre Igen)
2000: 1st prize at the Festival of Choreographic Miniatures Belgrade, Serbia (Three. Sisters., Dance Theatre Igen)
1998: special recognition and audience award at the OPUS young dancers competition
1992: 2nd prize at the OPUS competition of young dancers
1991: 1st prize at the OPUS competition of young dancers
COMMERCIAL SHOWS
Black Dinners, Lisca – fashion shows, Mik Celje, Kempinski Portorož, The Slovenia Times, Bangkok Street City Park Ljubljana, Viktorji, Guest Star Slovenia, Gala Unicef Concert, Europark Maribor, Maxi Ljubljana, Mercator shopping mall, Rits Celje, Cinkarna Celje,, Etol, MOS (International Slovenia fairs), Zlatarna Celje –fashion shows, CMC, Vecronia, Gorenje – Pininferino, Ljubljana & Beograd, Triglav insurance , Integra Maribor, Eho, Schwarzkopf Profesional, Krka Cosmetics, Krka Prenessa, Aero Celje, Cetis Celje, Merkur, Lions Club RS, Rotary Club RS, Oskar Kogoj Celje & Haag, Europa Donna, Holding Slovenskih elektrarn, Elektro Celje, Sejem dom Ljubljana, RTS Maribor, NT Konferenca, Ex Tempore Piran, Radenska, EMA, Gorenje IFA Berlin, Srebrna Nit, MOX Unija, Slovenian song, Open days of the Slovenian Embassy in Washington, performances for ambassadors, presidents of countries (Turkey), the King of Morocco
TOURS AND PERFORMANCES IN COUNTRIES
Austria, Italy, Serbia, Hungary, Montenegro, Poland, Czech republic, Germany, USA (New York, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Connecticut), Spain, Croatia, Venezuela, Turkey, Japan, South Korea, Scotland, Morocco, Egypt, Canada, Malta, Cyprus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Portugal, Chile, Belarus, Netherlands, China, France, Macedonia, Bulgaria