Dear all who read these lines,

I am Markéta. I love to dance. I love to live.

I am 41 years old. I am performing physiotherapist or physio-performer. And emerging choreographer. Which means I am graduated physiotherapist and have become a professional dancer/ performer a couple of years ago. Now I do perform either my solo piece, or a duet which was premiered right before the lockdown. And right now, I’m slowly getting back into the work rhythm since the new season is coming soon. No matter if there is another series of restrictions or lockdown, I keep on planning and organising and applying and rehearsing and creating.

I’ve danced since I was a little girl and in age of six, I started to attend a folk dance group in my hometown. When I was twenty-five a got my left leg amputated, and that saved my life. However, from that time I was slowly loosing my dancing…because I thought it was not possible to dance while wearing a prosthetic leg or using crutches. Meanwhile I finished my university studies, worked in the field of physiotherapy, was more and more focused within the authorial and puppet theatre with my friends. BUT in 2012 I saw a great inclusive dance piece called Simulante bande.  Thanks to this performance and the dance lessons for public I entered a contemporary dance community in Prague. At that moment I realised there were other ways of dance, OF COURSE. My life has changed a lot. That was “the” breaking point.

In 2015 I performed in a professional dance piece of VerTeDance Company and in 2018 I premiered my solo debut which I keep on touring either in The Czech Republic or abroad. Me and the team we are more than happy for this!! I hoped that the piece and me as a differently abled (I do not much like the expression “disabled”) performer could be concerned as an equal part of the professional contemporary scene. And here we are!! We keep on with other creations, also site specific or film ones.

In 2018 I also went to London to take part in The International Summer Lab of Candoco Dance Company. To meet them and have a chance to collaborate with the company and their accompanied artists is always such a pleasure and a great source of inspiration.

Besides all these successful and lucky times, I also need to mention all those disappointments and failures during the creative processes, hopeless and lost days, an incredible physical and mental fatigue, several small injuries, both creative and personal misunderstandings within the team and within myself.

Out of those I learned - and am still learning – to stay openminded and not to judge myself, my ideas and creative proposals. I learn to be honest with myself, to trust my instincts, my body, the creation and the process. Actually, it is very often the creative process gets in its own flow and goes in a bit or a quite different direction then planned. And it is alright, from a certain point.

Yes, there are lessons we need to learn. And be grateful for all that struggle in the end. Since all these moments make us better humans, better artists, creators… I believe.

The best advices I got as an artist are: “Welcome, make and appreciate your own mistakes. Own and cultivate your unique way.”

And I say, do not hesitate and dare to step, create or live out of your comfort zone. Actually, we all do live “out of comfort zone” in these unprecedented times.

I my country I can see that site-specific or landscape creative options are more visible and attractive now. And we as artists have a chance to be more local and to see the actual needs of community we live or create in.

So, take a deep breath and let´s go …

Thank you for reading.

And wish you all the best with your next steps!