Plesna izba - Maribor Dance Room

Polnočna presoja (Mindnight Judgement), Plesna izba production, 2009 — *Polnočna presoja* (Mindnight Judgement), Plesna izba production, 2009

Plesna izba Maribor (Maribor Dance Room) has played a vital educational and cultural role in Maribor, introducing young people to contemporary artistic creation and providing opportunities for them to develop as performers through high-quality dance productions. It offers an extensive programme of dance and drumming education and stages performances that mainly showcase its own emerging talent.

The organisation was established in 1994 by Minka Veselič Kološa, a pioneer of contemporary dance education approaches in Slovenia.

Dance education

Plesna izba Maribor offers a broad spectrum of dance education, with regular classes and workshops across levels and age groups. The programme covers ballet, jazz, and modern techniques, alongside intensive classes in contemporary approaches to dance led primarily by Slovenian dancers and choreographers. The most talented dancers from the programme are brought together in the company Š.I.K., which alongside regular training collaborates with guest choreographers and creates its own performances.

Each year, Plesna izba Maribor prepares two larger productions, where students present their work to the wider audience: the New Year's production takes place in the Union Hall and the final performance at the Maribor Puppet Theatre. The young dancers also present their choreographies at the Opus - Festival of Dance Miniatures and the Živa Festival, organised by the Public Fund for Cultural Activities of the Republic of Slovenia.

Drums and percussion education

In addition to its dance education programmes, Plesna izba Maribor is offering all year-round drum and percussion education, including workshops for children and adults, taught by acclaimed percussion professionals. Participants of drum workshops join their forces with dancers in annual final productions.

The Maribum Afriqui Festival, a follow-up to the drum festival held from 2004 to 2008 and the later Maribum Festival, hosts a number of Slovenian and Malian musicians and offers workshops of African traditional and contemporary dance and drumming techniques.

Festivals

Since 2012, Plesna izba has organised the Maribum Afriqui Festival.

From 2007 to 2022, the organisation ran the Contemporary dance Platform, an annual international festival of contemporary dance and performance art.

Plesna izba also sets up dance improvisation events and workshops (often in non-theatrical spaces), alongside multimedia projects and various other interventions in the cultural life of Maribor. For a time it was also responsible for the NagiB Contemporary Dance Festival, now an independant cycle of events.

International cooperation

In 2010, Plesna izba Maribor joined the four-year project Modul-Dance, supported by the EU Culture 2007–2013 programme and coordinated by the Spanish organisation Mercat de les Flors. Bringing together 20 partners from 16 countries, the network aimed to support independent artists in production and international mobility. The Slovenian partners were Plesna izba and Kino Šiška Centre for Urban Culture in Ljubljana.