/ABOUT
Maya Selezneva is a dance artist driven by curiosity for creating multilayered realities, charged by humanimalistic transformation, shifting movement qualities & sense of totality. Through intense physicality, groove exploration, power of touch, body-to-body connection and bond with other mediums as sound/film/word, she navigates human behavioral patterns and social choices focusing on theme of displacement, identity, state of being in between and mutation as protective mechanism of adjusting body and mind.
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Maya has been working as a performer/dancer with Emma Waltraud Howes, Sade Mamedova, SOBO Productions, HeaMin Jung, Tatjana Chizhikova, Alina Belyagina project, James Finnemore, Guy Shomroni and Yaniv Abraham, "Naprimer" dance company, Tomislav English, MUALEM/de Fillipis project, THIRD RAIL PROJECTS and in her own creations.
She worked with Impulstatz festival (residency 2024), Schwindelfrei festival, Tanzfabrik residency, Nuova Officina Della Danza residency, Schloss Broellin residency, Zirka space, Dance house Lefkosia, Ges-2, CN-D Pantin, YAA residency and Napa gallery, Netzwerktanz, Vittoria theater, New stage/Alexandrinsky, Escabo stage, ERARTA museum, Rezidentsia theater.
She works as independent choreographer and movement director. Her pieces «SLEEP TIGHT», «Northern spaces, Southern sounds» «Gone», «Bien, maman», «Mandragoras» were presented for «Open Look Festival» and «Novie formi festival» for New stage/Alexandrisky theater, Escabo stage, Vittoria theater in Italy, Norway, Finland, Israel and Russia.
Her short dance film in collaboration with Vasiliy Zhitlov “Let’s call it a tie” 2022 became the winner of Braga international film festival’23 , Girona en moviment festival’23, Corposensibile’23, finalist of Messums dance film festival’23, Interfaccia digitale’23, HONOURABLE mentioned by Greenwich film festival’23 and got to official selection of many more.
Maya was a selected Russian artist in frame of artistic cultural bridge with Nordic countries (Barents region), where she danced, taught and choreographed, working with teenagers and kids for UKM/Tromse (2014-2022).
She taught in Dock11, TanzFabrik, Studio für künstlerischen Tanz, NOD, Herzen University, Vaganova Academy and DAR Project . She also teaches short workshops and classes internationally.
She graduated from Vaganova academy with MA in choreography’16 and has medical degree in psychiatry/northern state medical university’ 2005-12. She studied in Nuova officina della danza/ ICD’ 21-22, Research international program’17-18 and Arkhangelsk college of culture and arts’12-13.
She worked with Impulstatz festival (residency 2024), Schwindelfrei festival, Tanzfabrik residency, Nuova Officina Della Danza residency, Schloss Broellin residency, Zirka space, Dance house Lefkosia, Ges-2, CN-D Pantin, YAA residency and Napa gallery, Netzwerktanz, Vittoria theater, New stage/Alexandrinsky, Escabo stage, ERARTA museum, Rezidentsia theater.
She works as independent choreographer and movement director. Her pieces «SLEEP TIGHT», «Northern spaces, Southern sounds» «Gone», «Bien, maman», «Mandragoras» were presented for «Open Look Festival» and «Novie formi festival» for New stage/Alexandrisky theater, Escabo stage, Vittoria theater in Italy, Norway, Finland, Israel and Russia.
Her short dance film in collaboration with Vasiliy Zhitlov “Let’s call it a tie” 2022 became the winner of Braga international film festival’23 , Girona en moviment festival’23, Corposensibile’23, finalist of Messums dance film festival’23, Interfaccia digitale’23, HONOURABLE mentioned by Greenwich film festival’23 and got to official selection of many more.
Maya was a selected Russian artist in frame of artistic cultural bridge with Nordic countries (Barents region), where she danced, taught and choreographed, working with teenagers and kids for UKM/Tromse (2014-2022).
She taught in Dock11, TanzFabrik, Studio für künstlerischen Tanz, NOD, Herzen University, Vaganova Academy and DAR Project . She also teaches short workshops and classes internationally.
She graduated from Vaganova academy with MA in choreography’16 and has medical degree in psychiatry/northern state medical university’ 2005-12. She studied in Nuova officina della danza/ ICD’ 21-22, Research international program’17-18 and Arkhangelsk college of culture and arts’12-13.
Warmly, Giovanna" (work in progress) 2024.
Research of intricacies of visibility, the yearning to be noticed, the aspiration to leave a lasting impression and pursuit of recognition. The work and immersive audition experience navigates through the competitive landscape of body and mind, presenting strategies to triumph over rejection and foster resilience among receiving many “no”.
It explores the choices of creative desperation placed into the process with selection and competition in its core and investigates the fervent desire to make an indelible mark.
Through experimenting with the idea of multiple avatars one personality can contain today, the work unfolds the complexity and surreality of audio/video/digital and PHYSICAL dimensions of one identity, serving the idea of “being seen” and “being seen cool".
It explores the choices of creative desperation placed into the process with selection and competition in its core and investigates the fervent desire to make an indelible mark.
Through experimenting with the idea of multiple avatars one personality can contain today, the work unfolds the complexity and surreality of audio/video/digital and PHYSICAL dimensions of one identity, serving the idea of “being seen” and “being seen cool".
Choreographer: Maya Selezneva
Sound artist: Farhad Farzali
Performers: Alena Egorkina and Polina Sonis
Supported by Tanzfabrik Residensy, Nuova Officina Della Danza Residency, on/off/pro Helvetia Residency '24.
My hair smells like wet grass 2022-2023.
Dancer explores her bodily archive through revisiting parts of her biography that appear on stage in a form of movement material and text.
A practice of self-colonization, appearing under compulsion of the Western European contemporary dance world, forces the dancer from East to retrain her body in the techniques recognised as the ones that belong to Western European contemporary dance.
However, all the qualities, skills and inspirations gained from her life and dance experiences do not dissolve in the void, but on the contrary, shape her way of moving and relating to the world.
PERFORMERED in 2023 for NETZWERKTANZ/ Austria.
A practice of self-colonization, appearing under compulsion of the Western European contemporary dance world, forces the dancer from East to retrain her body in the techniques recognised as the ones that belong to Western European contemporary dance.
However, all the qualities, skills and inspirations gained from her life and dance experiences do not dissolve in the void, but on the contrary, shape her way of moving and relating to the world.
PERFORMERED in 2023 for NETZWERKTANZ/ Austria.
Choreographer: Alina Belyagina
Dramaturgy: Polina Fenko
Performers: Maya Selezneva and Polina Sonis
Photo: Alena Egorkina
The production supported by Freistaats Bayern “Junge Kunst und Neue Wege Residency, Tanzhaus Kempten and R.E.D. arena.
Hold me, hold me, hold 2021-2023.
The work is inspired by research "Transgenderism in shamanism" and by the book "Can the monster speak" by P.Preciado with idea of "fragility" and metaphoric image of it in the center. The work was produced during the war time and addresses to the idea of fragility and monstrosity.
Premiered: in GES-2 contemporary space in 2022, selected to the program of WDF Festival in Taiwan, ON_BODIES festival in Cyprus, Altofest in Italy, Zirka space in Munich, Arena festival in Erlargen.
Premiered: in GES-2 contemporary space in 2022, selected to the program of WDF Festival in Taiwan, ON_BODIES festival in Cyprus, Altofest in Italy, Zirka space in Munich, Arena festival in Erlargen.
Choreographer: Alina Belyagina
Co-created and performed: Maya Selezneva and Veronika Tikhonova
Media artist: Polina Zinziver
Music: Ilya Symphocat
Video and photo: Alena Egorkina
Costumes: Dmitry MGNy
Photo: Anna Todich
Researched in GES-2 and CND Pantin artistic residencies.
Co-created and performed: Maya Selezneva and Veronika Tikhonova
Media artist: Polina Zinziver
Music: Ilya Symphocat
Video and photo: Alena Egorkina
Costumes: Dmitry MGNy
Photo: Anna Todich
Researched in GES-2 and CND Pantin artistic residencies.
Supported by Tanztendenz Munchen and fonds Darstellende Kunste, V-A-C fund and Chanel culture fund, Goethe institute.
“Let`s call it a tie”/ short dance movie 2022.
Gathering for the late fancy evening celebration eleven members of one family are joyfully meeting each other around one table under the roof of parents` house. While the dinner is being served with every stage of festive family tradition they go through the sequence of memories, revealing the brokenness, ties glass fragility and swelling rift between them under the dominance of parents in charge and especially mother`s figure.
Starting point of film research became the personal experience of project participants based on break appearedin many families in Russia after the beginning of war russia started in Ukraine so the intergenerationalconsequences of propaganda influence.
The winner of Braga international videodance festival, Girona en Moviment festival, Corposensibile festival, finalist of Messums dance film festival, Interfaccia digitale festival, honorable mention of Greenwich film festival and officially selected to many more.
Starting point of film research became the personal experience of project participants based on break appearedin many families in Russia after the beginning of war russia started in Ukraine so the intergenerationalconsequences of propaganda influence.
The winner of Braga international videodance festival, Girona en Moviment festival, Corposensibile festival, finalist of Messums dance film festival, Interfaccia digitale festival, honorable mention of Greenwich film festival and officially selected to many more.
Movement directing, co-directing and choreographing: Maya Selezneva in collaboration with Vasiliy Zhitlov.
Created for ITZA dance company, May-September 2022.
Created for ITZA dance company, May-September 2022.
Supported by "Modern dance" in St. Petersburg
BUBBLELAND (work in progress) 2022-2023.
As we live in time where information becomes sharp knife, point of contact and disconnection and sometimes both together, in current research project with working title “Bubbleland” we want to face the idea of information perceiving and mind ability to differ the situation of illusion from reality.
We explored the state of being tricked and hypnotized by magic of memory and movement and shifted focus of attention in the situation of happening and performance in service of big little lie and its revealing possibilities embodied in the hyperrealistic made up world of inflammable residents with superpower to fake (or not?).
We explored the state of being tricked and hypnotized by magic of memory and movement and shifted focus of attention in the situation of happening and performance in service of big little lie and its revealing possibilities embodied in the hyperrealistic made up world of inflammable residents with superpower to fake (or not?).
Choreographer: Maya Selezneva
Dancers: Alena Egorkina and Polina Sonis
Researched in Nuova Officina della danza artistic residensy 2022.
Dancers: Alena Egorkina and Polina Sonis
Researched in Nuova Officina della danza artistic residensy 2022.
Supported by Nuova officina della danza.
Gone 2022.
Playful reality of half women, half animals, who are trying to get through the stages of getting to the adulthood inside of constant metamorphosing partly animalistic body.
Research of the work was based on the connection between animal and a man, particularly on the symbol of reindeer and its central leading part in the cycle of Saami (the indigenous people of northern territories of Russia, Norway, Sweden and Finland).
For Saami culture it's absolutely natural to follow the cycle of reindeer and concentrate their life and traditions around it, giving in and adjusting for nature to survive, not other way around.
The work absorbed the fluidity of shamanism and shift in between the layers in the body of the animal to enter the spiritual world.
Research of the work was based on the connection between animal and a man, particularly on the symbol of reindeer and its central leading part in the cycle of Saami (the indigenous people of northern territories of Russia, Norway, Sweden and Finland).
For Saami culture it's absolutely natural to follow the cycle of reindeer and concentrate their life and traditions around it, giving in and adjusting for nature to survive, not other way around.
The work absorbed the fluidity of shamanism and shift in between the layers in the body of the animal to enter the spiritual world.
Choreographer: Maya Selezneva
Dancers: Polina Sonis, Anna Barkalova, Evgeniya Krinkina, Alena Egorkina, Anna Solomkina.
Performed at Alexandrinsky theater 2021.
Dancers: Polina Sonis, Anna Barkalova, Evgeniya Krinkina, Alena Egorkina, Anna Solomkina.
Performed at Alexandrinsky theater 2021.
Supported by UKM ARCTIC and Escabo contemporary stage, Bye-Bye ballet dance center.
Sleep tight 2021.
“Sleep tight” is opening blended dreamworld of 4 exposed dancers and their sleeping mantra to win the sleep deprivation.
The work in progress was created for Nuova Officina della Danza and dancers of ICD in Turin in beginning of 2021. The research of the work was born around the idea of dreamworld, personal experience of dreaming while sleeping, meaning of dreams and influence of this mind and psychic phenomenon for our every day life.
The performers explored the idea of how this phenomenon can twist the real relation to person, events, past and future for short period of time as an aftertaste of the dreaming.
Performers are trying to bring the audience in connection with their own hunger for sleep, hypnotizing with spiral and curving composition of piece here and now.
The work in progress was created for Nuova Officina della Danza and dancers of ICD in Turin in beginning of 2021. The research of the work was born around the idea of dreamworld, personal experience of dreaming while sleeping, meaning of dreams and influence of this mind and psychic phenomenon for our every day life.
The performers explored the idea of how this phenomenon can twist the real relation to person, events, past and future for short period of time as an aftertaste of the dreaming.
Performers are trying to bring the audience in connection with their own hunger for sleep, hypnotizing with spiral and curving composition of piece here and now.
Choreographer: Maya Selezneva
Dancers: Jesse Arnst, Jonathan Laython,
Dawson Walker, Alena Egorkina, Ulyana Kuzmina, Maya Selezneva
Premiered in Vittoria theater/Turin 2021.
Dancers: Jesse Arnst, Jonathan Laython,
Dawson Walker, Alena Egorkina, Ulyana Kuzmina, Maya Selezneva
Premiered in Vittoria theater/Turin 2021.
Supported by Nuova offiicina della Danza.
THE PLAYGOUND 2021.
Futuristic sunset on the mars and fantasy about groove in 22 century with the memory about being human.
Creation is turned on by idea of night body call and its transformation according to captivating world of night life, its inevitable tempting attraction for humanity in general as symbol of escape, socialization, turning into something/someone you don’t let yourself be during the
daytime.
Playground is a portal to sound, light, dressing up, shine and colors, voice, movement and most important
groove in different scale in focus of physicality, bounce and spontaneous movement as well as body habitual patterns in frame of night out phenomena.
Improvisation based performance for ITZA DANCE COMPANY and not professional dancers, merging in one grooving gentle monster in one piece immersing the audience to jump into the night with them.
Creation is turned on by idea of night body call and its transformation according to captivating world of night life, its inevitable tempting attraction for humanity in general as symbol of escape, socialization, turning into something/someone you don’t let yourself be during the
daytime.
Playground is a portal to sound, light, dressing up, shine and colors, voice, movement and most important
groove in different scale in focus of physicality, bounce and spontaneous movement as well as body habitual patterns in frame of night out phenomena.
Improvisation based performance for ITZA DANCE COMPANY and not professional dancers, merging in one grooving gentle monster in one piece immersing the audience to jump into the night with them.
Movement direction: Maya Selezneva
Live: Ermak
Keys and percussion: Hollywood
Light set: Escabo stage
Video: Alex Musikhin
Photo: Maria Shalagina
Premiered for the Neww stage/Alexandrinsky theater and Open look festival.
Live: Ermak
Keys and percussion: Hollywood
Light set: Escabo stage
Video: Alex Musikhin
Photo: Maria Shalagina
Premiered for the Neww stage/Alexandrinsky theater and Open look festival.
Supported by Escabo stage.
1/9 2020-2021
Screen dance with physical introduction performed for Escabo contemporary dance stage in 2020.
Created for the dancers of Masterskaya dance project, aiming to find creative process in between professional and non professional movers in one stage work.
Research of personal past, present and future in relation to the common memories of post
soviet chilhood, land, roots,and links to the wide, strict, tight and not letting go Motherland.
If it is banya day in your country side, can you wash away all the steins from your memory and your motherland?
Created for the dancers of Masterskaya dance project, aiming to find creative process in between professional and non professional movers in one stage work.
Research of personal past, present and future in relation to the common memories of post
soviet chilhood, land, roots,and links to the wide, strict, tight and not letting go Motherland.
If it is banya day in your country side, can you wash away all the steins from your memory and your motherland?
Choreographer: Maya Selezneva
Dancers: Первый course-collective, created as a mIxed cast performance of professional and not professional dancers
Guest dancer: Anna Barkalova
Video: Alex Musikhin
Dancers: Первый course-collective, created as a mIxed cast performance of professional and not professional dancers
Guest dancer: Anna Barkalova
Video: Alex Musikhin
Supported by Escabo stage
/LET’S TALK
