Portfolio

ELENA HIZAAR

Dance artist

elenahizaar@gmail.com

BIO

Elena Hizaar is a dancer, choreographer, poet, acrobat, robot, a bit of botanical garden, a bit of cotton. She does this kind of dance where the inner kiya! comes out and the inner Krishna pushes Vishnu.

Was born and raised in the Republic of Buryatia, Russia. She began her dance journey with street dance but being a peculiar individual by nature, she was always drawn towards exploring other worlds within herself.

Intuitively, she discovered her own dance by sensing her presence within her own body and realizing how this presence uniquely influences space - more than dancing without this special presence. From an early age, Elena was interested in exploring the limits of body tension. At that time, she knew nothing about performative practices and was not yet involved in dance; she was simply curious about how long the body could endure tension, where the limit was, when it became impossible, when the body convulsed in spasms, and discovering that even when it seemed impossible, when one wanted to jump out of the spasm, there was still a small gap where one could endure for just another second.

All of this strange, childlike experience of exploring her body influenced Elena's dance.

In 2019, she moved to Moscow, where her artistic career began. She participated in numerous theatrical and performative projects as a dancer, performer and choreographer. She also created a solo performances. At the end of 2021, she founded and was the artistic director of the performance and experimental dance festival "Razmykanie" in the format of an underground cabaret.

In 2022, due to her categorical disagreement with the Russian political regime, she moved to Berlin where she continues her artistic endeavors.

Elena also writes prose and poetry in Russian language, in her writing Elena explores her anthropology and tries to write her texts - in ligature .

CV

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

Performer in the collaboration with a "Poem" art group for the “Humano Biotop” project.

Volksbühne Theater - Roter Salon

Berlin 2024

“MY EYES ARE HOLES”

Solo dance performance “My Eyes Are Holes” explores the fragility of human existence, delving into the profound depths of vulnerability as inspired by Elena Hizaar's poetic text.

Throughout the performance I incorporated a visual element by utilizing a Soviet monkey mask. It seems to cast a shadow over the innocence of childhood, forcing the audience to reflect on the delicate threads that connect our inner self with the outside world.

In this context, the Soviet monkey mask is not just a costume element, but rather a tool that opens the door to a world of complex emotions and philosophical reflections. This visual embodiment invites each viewer on a journey into their own depths, stimulating a mental dialog about how we express our vulnerability while hiding it behind masks taken from our daily lives.

"The Despair of Love" is a solo dance performance created by Elena Hizaar in collaboration with artists Siarhei Otkydacmex and Siarhei Navitskiy.

The performance features a striking set piece crafted by Siarhei Otkydacmex using upcycled materials—a spinning five-pointed red star, repurposed from the remains of a dismantled house. Using the upcycling method, artists give a second life to old things, unlocking their creative potential and providing a new perspective on familiar objects.

The five-pointed star, a symbol with deep historical and cultural significance, takes center stage in the performance. Its multifaceted meanings encompass love, passion, chaos, mystical powers, religious symbolism and even political ideologies. By presenting this symbol to the audience, Elena creates a figurative and poetic space that invites introspection and taps into the viewer's subconsciousness and memories.

PERFORMER IN A SERIES OF PERFORMANCES "THE DIVINE COMEDY" OF DANTE

Art residence "RADI SVETA", Olkhon island, Russia. 2020

I was a performer in the performances of "Inferno" (Hell), "Purgatorio" (Purgatory), and "Paradiso" (Paradise). Each performance delved into the layers of Dante Alighieri's epic poem, exploring themes of sin, purification, transcendence and paradise.

DANCE FILM "TRANSUMANATO"

Director: Elena Skripkina

Official selection:

InShadow – Lisbon Screendance Festival 2021

Short Waves Festival 2021

Unknown Film Festival 2021

Context Festival. Film. 2022

A film capturing the experience of living Hell from Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy through dance. A visionary journey into the depths of one's self, changing and reincarnating into a new image. Heaven begins in Hell..

СHOREOGRAPHER AND PERFORMER IN

“THE POWER OF THE WORD”

Director: Elena Nenasheva. Leo Tolstoy Festival 2021.

The performance "Power of the Word" was part of the Leo Tolstoy Festival, where I had the role of choreographer and performer. This site-specific production, created by director Elena Nenasheva, unfolded within the premises of one of Russia's oldest factories for electroacoustic equipment.

The project aimed to reinterpret the industrial space, transforming it into a realm where Tolstoy's thoughts and ideas would resonate in a different way. The audience experienced two distinct spaces within the performance: the sound laboratory and the conference of words. They were invited to explore the power of the word in both literal and metaphorical senses.

“Moon Odyssey" is a solo dance performance that delves into the mysterious and captivating realm of moon and the intangible feelings that the moon evokes—loneliness, curiosity, and the allure of the unknown.

The stage is shrouded in mist, creating a sense of ethereal uncertainty. The dancer moves through this foggy landscape, inviting the audience to experience the hidden mysteries that lie beyond ordinary perception. The performer follows the moon, which moves in a circle as if beckoning to another world.

Through the medium of Butoh, the moon's mysteries become a vessel for exploring the deeper layers of the human psyche. Loneliness becomes a shared experience, curiosity transforms into a universal language, and the allure of the unknown bridges the gap between performer and spectator.

SOLO PERFORMANCE "U! A! E! O!"

“Butoh Festival” St. Petersburg, Russia, 2021.

The performance about a boy who died on the war but didn't realise he was dead and this is his last dance. U!A!E!O! - the sounds that the body disintegrates into after death. The performance based on Elena Hizaar’s poetic text about the body as a weapon.

ACTRESS IN THE AUDIO DIARY PERFORMANCE

“I'M THE SEA FOR YOU”.

Russia, 2021.

Director: Ekaterina Uglenko

Dramaturg: Martha Raytses.

The performance took place on the second floor of a shopping center, across from the food court, where a large cube was installed to accommodate up to 10 people. All they needed was a smartphone and headphones to immerse themselves in the digital format of the play.

FOUNDER AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE AND EXPERIMENTAL DANCE FESTIVAL “RAZMYKANIYE”.

Moscow 2021-2022

"Razmykanie" is a festival that embraced the spirit of underground cabaret, performance art, and experimental dance. As the founder and creative director, my vision was to provide a platform for independent artists, performers, dancers, and creators who fearlessly express themselves on stage.

The festival celebrates non-conventional approaches to dance, performative arts, and theater. It seeks out individuals who engage in stage arts with boldness, intimacy, curiosity, nonconformity, and honesty.

"Razmykanie" focuses on the diverse nature of individuals, their predispositions to self-expression, and the coming together of these individuals on a single stage. It is an attempt to see the commonalities within differences and to explore the beauty of humanity as a phenomenon. Here it is, human nature in all its diversity—a celebration of our shared experiences.

SOLO PERFORMANCE “HOME”

St. Petersburg, Russia, 2019

In the solo performance "HOME" I explored the theme of the body as home. This performance is about the depth of human nature. "HOME" was an ode to the human being, its uniqueness and inner harmony. This performance challenged the audience to expand their perception of beauty.

PERFORMER IN THE OPERA “DARK”

Director: Ekaterina Vasileva

Meyerhold Center, Moscow 2020.

SOLO PERFORMANCE “RETURN TO THE ROOTS”

‘”Butoh Festival”, St Petersburg, Russia. 2020

In the solo performance “RETURN TO THE ROOTS” I explored my Buryat roots and tried to rethink the culture of my homeland – The Republic of Buryatia.

"RETURN TO THE ROOTS” was an exploration of one's own identity. Through this piece I aimed to reinterpret the cultural heritage of Buryatia. Wearing a traditional costume, I embodied the essence of my roots, highlighting the depth and significance of my cultural identity. The performance was a fusion of traditional and contemporary elements.

I sought to evoke a sense of connection with my ancestral past and to unlock the deeply hidden knowledge contained within my physical being.

"Return to the Roots" became a tribute to the enduring memory carried by our bodies, transcending time and space. It emphasized the idea that our physical selves hold the imprint of generations before us, their triumphs, struggles, and traditions woven into the very fabric of our being.

CHOREOGRAPHER AND DANCER IN THE PERFORMANCE “PEONY SELIN DION”

Director: Ekaterina Uglenko.

Alexandrinskiy Theater, St. Petersburg, Russia. 2021.

This performance was part of the theatrical festival "Reverberation" held at the New Stage of the Alexandrinskiy Theater in 2021.

“Piony Selin Dion” is a thought-provoking theatrical concert that delves into society's sensitive and often taboo subjects such as oncology, drug use, fear of death, and family relationships. It explores the depths of pain while also touching on themes of death, narcotics, fractals, shimmering lights, love, power, helplessness, entry, and exit.

The performance, based on Marta Raices' play, tells the story of a woman who refuses to surrender to an incurable illness. Instead, she finds solace and escape from physical and emotional pain through the use of drugs.

SOLO PERFORMANCE "ON THE THRESHOLD”.

Moscow 2020

The performance unfolded at the festival of underground theatre in Moscow. In the solo performance "On the Threshold" I explored the theme of the unknown, immersing myself in uncertain spaces and states. Embodied on stage I became a symbol of the traveller on the threshold of an unknown world.