Ivana Balabanova is a Zürich/Skopje-based dancer, choreographer and transdisciplinary artist originally from Skopje, North Macedonia. Her artistic journey is deeply rooted in identity, temporality, and liminality, exploring themes that challenge societal norms and disrupt conventional narratives. By interpolating the techniques of urban and contemporary dance, Ivana creates striking visuals and performances that interrogate the intersections of body, politics, and cultural constructs. A recipient of the prestigious “Excellence Scholarship” at ZHdK University of the Arts, Ivana’s work examines the political body, queer identities, the influence of patriarchy, and feminist perspectives on corporeal expression. Through collaboration, empathy, and play, she crafts transformative and thought-provoking experiences.
Ivana’s practice is a vibrant exploration of identity, liminality, temporality, and rhythm. Her work investigates the ways bodies negotiate their existence within socio-political structures, highlighting the tensions between queerness, patriarchal frameworks, and the search for autonomy. This inquiry fosters an egalitarian relationship between all elements of creation—light, sound, space, costume, and scenography—transforming them into collaborators in a shared artistic narrative.