Ewa Dziarnowska’s “This resting, patience” Is Captivating Audiences Across Europe

Ewa Dziarnowska’s performance “This resting, patience” has been steadily gaining recognition on the international dance scene, with presentations in Berlin, Helsinki, Dresden, and other major European cities. Moving away from the traditional division between performers and audience, the piece invites viewers into a shared experience of movement and explores the possibility of building community through dance.

Over the course of this year, the performance will travel to more than 10 cities across Europe. The next presentations will take place on April 13 and 14, 2026, as part of FOG Performing Arts 2026 in Milan.

Ewa Dziarnowska is widely regarded as one of the most compelling voices of the younger generation of Polish performance artists. Her work occupies a unique space between choreography, performance, and artistic research, and improvisation remains at the heart of her creative practice. Rather than treating dance as a fixed form, Dziarnowska approaches it as a living process shaped by rhythm, attention, human connection, and the experience of time.

These themes alongside her sensitivity to the social and cultural realities surrounding contemporary dance today have made her work resonate strongly with audiences internationally.

Her performances are marked by a poetic atmosphere, but also by a desire to create genuine engagement and empathy between performers and viewers. Through experimentation and a constant rethinking of theatrical conventions, Dziarnowska has emerged as one of the most interesting figures in contemporary European dance.

Her works have been presented at festivals and institutions across Europe, including Sophiensæle in Berlin, Tanzquartier Wien in Vienna, Santarcangelo Festival, MDT Moderna Dansteatern in Stockholm, and the Mind Eater Festival in Oslo.

Building Community Through Dance

“I wanted to create a space where people could simply be together, feel relief, and breathe. To look for ways of spending time together that might help us momentarily step away from environmental or political polarization,” Dziarnowska said in an interview for Culture.pl.

The title “This resting, patience” already points to the core ideas behind the work: stillness, patience, and rest. The performance becomes a quiet act of resistance against constant productivity and consumption. Dziarnowska creates a space where audiences can slow down, observe the performers’ movements at their own pace, and simply exist alongside others. In this sense, the work responds to one of the most urgent needs of contemporary life –  the need for real rest and meaningful human connection.

What makes the performance particularly distinctive is its rejection of dance as something distant and untouchable, unfolding far away on a stage. Instead, Dziarnowska restores dance to its social dimension, presenting it as a shared, sensory experience open to everyone.

Relationships lie at the center of the performance – both between the performers themselves and between the performers and the audience. Physical contact becomes one of the ways these connections are formed. At certain moments, the performers seek subtle forms of touch with viewers: brushing gently past them, leaning against their chairs, or inviting them to change seats and experience the work from a different perspective.

An Experimental Form Rooted in Improvisation

“This resting, patience” explores loneliness, intimacy, and the human need for closeness. Dziarnowska performs the work together with Leah Marojević, drawing on improvisation and their extensive experience in performance practice.

The minimalist, almost raw visual setting is accompanied by music composed by Krzysztof Bagiński and lighting designed by Jacqueline Sobiszewski.

Using an open and experimental structure, Dziarnowska challenges the idea of passive spectatorship as well as traditional dramatic narratives with clear beginnings, climaxes, and endings. The performance lasts more than three hours, but audiences are free to move in and out of the space throughout. In fact, when viewers enter, the performance has already begun.

The moving body becomes a universal means of expression and a way of making sense of the world around us. The performers focus their attention on the audience, inviting viewers into a shared experience of movement. Rather than positioning themselves as experts speaking from a place of authority, Dziarnowska and Marojević encourage everyone to pause together and reflect on what movement does to us.

From Tanztage Festival Premiere to International Success at Santarcangelo Festival 2025

Although “This resting, patience” first premiered in 2024 during Tanztage Festival at Sophiensæle in Berlin, the work gained major international attention after its presentation at Santarcangelo Festival 2025 as part of the Polish Focus programme organized in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

The 55th edition of Santarcangelo Festival, held under the theme “not yet,” took place from July 4–13, 2025. It is one of the oldest and most important performing arts festivals in Europe, organized continuously since 1971. For the fourth time, the event was directed by Polish dramaturg, critic, and curator Tomasz Kireńczuk. Santarcangelo serves as a vibrant platform for the exchange of ideas, artistic exploration, and critical dialogue. For many artists, participation marks a major step in their international careers, while for audiences it offers a unique opportunity to encounter the most current developments in contemporary performance art.

For many artists, participation in Santarcangelo marks an important step in their international careers, while audiences encounter some of the most exciting developments in contemporary performance today.

Alongside Dziarnowska, this year’s Polish Focus also featured works by Hana Umeda, Wojciech Grudziński, Aleks Baczyński-Jenkins, and the KEM collective.

Upcoming Presentations of “This resting, patience”

  • March 13–15, 2026 – Tanzplattform Deutschland 2026, Dresden 

  • April 13–14, 2026 – FOG Performing Arts 2026, Milan 

  • April 17–18, 2026 – Punta Della Dogana, Venice 

  • May 2–3, 2026 – Replika Teatro, Madrid 

  • May 9–12, 2026 – Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels 

Selected presentations of the performance are supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.

Credits

  • Creator: Ewa Dziarnowska 

  • Performed with: Leah Marojević 

  • Sound: Krzysztof Bagiński 

  • Lighting: Jacqueline Sobiszewski 

  • Costumes / Styling: Nico Navarro Rueda, Franziska Acksel 

  • Dramaturgical Support: Jette Büchsenschütz 

  • Artistic Dialogue: Suvi Kemppainen 

  • Photography: Spyros Rennt 

  • Video Documentation: Margarita Maximova

Media Contact: 

Natalia Cierniak 

e-mail: [email protected]      

The Adam Mickiewicz Institute (IAM) brings Polish culture to people around the world. Being a state institution, it creates lasting interest in Polish culture and art through strengthening the presence of Polish artists on the global stage. It initiates innovative projects, supports international cooperation and cultural exchange. It promotes the work of both established and promising artists, showing the diversity and richness of our culture. The Adam Mickiewicz Institute is also responsible for the Culture.pl website, a comprehensive source of knowledge about Polish culture. More information: https://iam.pl/en.

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