Dance Dialogue: Focus on Risima Risimkin

Interart Culture Center, led by Choreographer Risima Risimkin, is a unique center in Macedonia dedicated to the development of contemporary dance. In the past 20 years, the center has established a wide program for development through different project lines, which are designed on multiple levels: education, production and presentation.

From the beginning (1996), Interart Culture Center has been connected with different contemporary dance centers, festivals and academies in Europe and the U.S., such as the choreographic competition in Bagnolet, Paris, Rotterdam Dance Academy, Holland Dance Festival, American Dance Abroad, and the Dance Union between the Central and Eastern European countries and China. Through those connections, Macedonia has gained the ability to host performances from different choreographers who represent the contemporary world dance stage, including the American companies Battery Dance and Philadanco!.

“We focus on innovative and avant-garde productions,” says Risimkin. “We present a wide spectrum of diversities in the artistic style, big and small companies that are fresh and original.” Rather than focus on particular genres, “we are open for different aspects of creativity and innovation, in general.”

Many companies visit Macedonia for the projects of Interart in Ohrid, including “Week of Modern Ballet,” part of the largest festival in Macedonia, Ohrid Summer Festival (1996-2002); and in Skopje, “April – Month of Dance!” (2003-2004) and “Dance Fest Skopje” (2005-present). The newest project line is DANCELAB, an international competition for young choreographers (2014-present).

Photo by Dragan Perkovsk. Choreography by Cauldron.

Interart has established a complete infrastructure for contemporary dance in Macedonia. In 2010, the center established Skopje Dance Academy as part of ESRA University in Skopje, which is the first academy for contemporary dance in Macedonia, in partnership with Rotterdam Dance Academy, CODARTS University, in the Netherlands. In 2011, Skopje Dance Theater was founded, which is the first official contemporary dance company in Macedonia. In 2012, the new dance stage ZEBRA was founded. Also in 2012, Interart Culture Center signed a contract with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Macedonia, which supports and promotes entrepreneurship in culture as a new model of working in Macedonia, coordinated with worldwide trends. Through those activities, Interart has become a leader in the development of the contemporary dance stage in the country.

In 2010, the Center developed an educational program for children 4 years and up, Risimkin Research Center, which includes more than 100 children per year.

Interart Culture Center has worked under the patronage of CID UNESCO since 2003 and has organized several congresses of CID UNESCO in Macedonia. The Center has also published several books about dance.

The Center is now working on an incubator program for culture as a platform for developing the artistic stage for youth in Macedonia, in the fields of contemporary dance, music and visual arts.

Interart Culture Center has produced over 30 dance productions, many guest performances abroad, and prestigious festivals, presenting Macedonia on the highest level.

Artists interested in participating with the Center should write with information about their company, the piece and a video link.

Risimkin is the artistic director of Dance Fest Skopje, an annual festival that takes place in April. The festival focuses on making strong connections between artists from different cultures and providing them the opportunity to work together and form lasting relationships. Learn more: http://www.dancefestskopje.com.mk.

Risimkin also leads Skopje Dance Theater, a professional contemporary dance company with an aesthetic that is modern, fresh and looking for new challenges. The company focuses on developing their own philosophy based on research of the connection between body and mind. Skopje Dance Theater has guest choreographers from abroad, but also promotes emerging artists and new choreographers. Learn more: http://www.facebook.com/skopjedancetheater.