Rosana Ribeiro

Artistic Director, Choreographer, Performer

(PT/BR)

Rosana is a Portuguese/Brazilian choreographer based in Salzburg, Austria. She holds a BA in Contemporary Dance from the NSCD (Leeds, UK). Her freelance career began in London where she has performed for Jean Abreu, Hofesh Shechter, Cie.7273, Paulo Ribeiro and São Castro & António Cabrita. She also recurrently worked in opera productions at the Royal Opera House, English National Opera and Barbican Centre. Furthermore, she was the Cultural Programmer of the festival Jardins Abertos in Lisbon (2017-2022). In 2021, upon a relocation to Salzburg, Rosana co-founded Selva with Verena Pircher and as of 2022 she is an associate member of the tanz_house Salzburg. In 2023, Rosana was invited to choreograph for the opera “Oryx & Crake”, directed by Daniela Kerck at the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden and in 2024 this collaboration will continue with a staging of “Turandot”.

@ Eva Zagorova

Verena Pircher

Dramaturg, Performer

(AT)

Verena holds an MA in movement research from Bruckneruni Linz, as well as a BA in dance performance from Codarts Rotterdam. Between 2015 and 2019 she was dancing with Norrdans (SWE). In 2018 she became a certified Countertechnique teacher and has been sharing workshops across Europe ever since. In 2020 she assisted Anouk van Dijk at Münchner Kammerspiele. Verena also works as a production manager for Sommerszene and Flavourama festival in Salzburg, and is the co-founder of Selva.

Melissa Ugolini

Performer, Rehearsal Assistant

(IT)

Born in Italy in 1989, Melissa currently works as a performer for Anouk Van Dijk and Falk Richter (Münchner Kammerspiele), Laurence Yadi and Nicolas Cantillon (Cie7273) and Peter Svenzon (Art of Spectra). After graduating in 2011 from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance (UK) winning an award for Outstanding Achievement, she started off her career with the Akram Khan Company (2012), the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet Theatre (2013 - 2017) and the Aakash Odedra Company (2016 - 2021). In addition to her performative path, she also works as Rehearsal Director and Choreographer Assistant and shares her practice internationally. In the last few years she has engaged with several multi-disciplinary creative partnerships, including choreographer Rosana Ribeiro (Selva) and several other musicians and colleagues. She is currently based in Berlin.

Jadwiga Mordarska

Performance

(PL)

Jadwiga Maria Mordarska was born in 1997 in Cracow, and began her dance training in Vaganova ballet technique, jazz, modern dance, rhythm, and folk dance at the age of five. In 2016 she received her dance diploma from L’Art De la Dance Academy in Cracow as well as “The Diploma of professional dancer” conferred by the Association of Artists of Polish Scene in Warsaw. She was hired by Ludowy Theater in Cracow and worked with them for four years in three different pieces. In 2016 she began her contemporary dance education at SEAD- Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance working with numerous international teachers and choreographers. Right after graduating from SEAD in 2020, she became a member of TRAK Dance Ensemble Salzburg, performing a duet choreographed by Barnaby Booth and collaborating on various projects. Simultaneously she began teaching contemporary dance as well as BASI^TM Pilates training in order to become a certificated BASI^TM Pilates teacher.

Tomaž Simatović

Performer

(SL)

Tomaž Simatović is a choreographer, performance artist, and improviser. He graduated in dance performance at SEAD, and gained his MA degree in choreography at ArtEZ Arnhem. As a dancer Tomaž performed with editta braun company, Susan Quinn, Andreja Podrzavnik, Hubert Lepka, Erik Kaiel, Uwe Bertram, and Georg Blaschke. Since 2012 Tomaž collaborates with Mirjam Klebel and composer Matej Bonin. In his autonomous yet collaborative performance practice Tomaž has been developing performative, experimental and interdisciplinary works. His practice has been presented in Europe, USA and Eastern Asia, in the form of performances, lectures, workshops, and writing.

Sara Chéu

Costume Designer

(PT)

Originally from Portugal, her artistic path began by studying at the Circus School Chapitô, followed by a Masters in Performing Arts at the FCSH. When relocating to Brussels, she worked as assistant director for Radouan Mriziga at the Kaaitheater. In 2019 she began her studies in Historical Costumes for Theater and Cinema at EFP in Brussels and has since then designed the costumes for the short films La Protagoniste by Sarah Carlot Jaber and Marianson by Thierry Knauff. Sara has been collaborating with Selva since 2021.

Peter Kastner

Composer & Sound Designer

(AT)

Originally from Klagenfurt, Peter holds a Master's degree from the LA Music Academy. He co-founded the label Bad Owl in Los Angeles where he has produced, played and collaborated with a wide variety of artists. Recently relocated to Vienna, he is a full time member of the band Karmic and I Am Flora Fauna.

Cristovão Cunha

Light Designer

(PT)

Cristovão began his artistic path in 1997 at Teatro da Academia and at Teatro Viriato in Viseu. His has collaborated with a variety of artists such as Madelena Vitorino, Circolando, Paulo Ribeiro, Tânia Carvalho, Filipa Francisco, Romulus Neagu, Leonor Keil, John Mowat, Rosana Ribeiro, Rui Catalão, Miguel Castro Caldas, São Castro and António M Cabrita. He is currently the technical director and lighting designer for Dançando com Diferença, Yola Pinto, Miguel Castro Caldas, Sónia Barbosa, Produções Independentes and Jardins Efémeros. He was also part of the tours as technical staff for Marlene Monteiro Freitas and Jonas&Lander.

Danny Rico

Composer, Musician, Content and Dramaturgy Advisor

(AT)

Daniel is an Austrian pianist, drummer and composer based in Salzburg. In 2012 he graduated from the Klagenfurt Conservatory of Music
with an MA in Jazz and Classical Piano. From 2011 to 2020 he lived and worked in London and Lisbon. Apart from his solo work he has
toured, composed, recorded and performed drums and piano internationally with artists including: Andreya Triana, Derek Trotson, Dani
Siciliano, Ray Warleigh, Stroy, Mathias Krispin Bucher, Ro Bergman, Army of One, et.al. He has also composed the music for various dance productions and plays drums for the “Steaming Satellites”.

Furthermore, he studied Romance languages in Salzburg and works as a copywriter and translator.

Philipp Rirsch

Video Artist

(AT)

Philipp Rirsch studied Film at the Friedl Kubelka School for independent film in Vienna. In 2014, together with childhood friend and photographer Fabian Rettenbacher, they founded Studio p.o.t.f., an independent art space in the Center of Vienna. His main approach to Film and Photography is through analog material, which is mostly developed by hand in the Studio.In 2019 he created the online community radio station Radio Rudina.

Caro Eisl

Graphic Designer

(AT)

Caro Eisl is a freelance Graphic Designer and Art Director. After spending two years in Milan, Italy she came back to her hometown Salzburg, Austria where she founded her design studio „Design Caro“ that is specialized in Corporate, Editorial and Print Design for international brands, institutions and companies. The female led studio develops meaningful brands for sustainable companies and artists with a profound understanding of aesthetics and design.

Heide Tömpe

Light Designer

(AT)

Mag.a Heide Tömpe MA, is an Austrian Lighting Technician/Designer, living in Steyr/ Upper Austria. Since 2000 she is working and cooperating with various cultural institutions and partners in the Performing Arts field such as Salzburger Festspiele, Mozarteum Salzburg, Szene Salzburg, Arge Nonntal, Wiener Festwochen, tanz_house Festival, Dance in Kortijk, Kunstnetzwerk Ohne Titel, Theater Ecce, Odeion Salzburg, Lawine Torrén, Bodhi Project and Museum Arbeitswelt Steyr. She is also a teacher at SEAD Salzburg and Mozarteum Salzburg.

Kate Krachler

Light Designer

(AT)

Katharina "Kate" Krachler, based in Graz, has been working as a freelance lighting designer for over 10 years. She collaborates with various artists, such as Sohn and Granada, on national and international tours & is engaged with various Austrian playhouses and festivals.

Anna Hainsworth

Tour Producer - UK

(UK)

Anna Hainsworth is Senior Producer for Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre and a freelance producer working across dance, theatre and opera. For the last 15 years, Anna has worked in a breadth of roles within the arts sector, beginning her career in fundraising before moving into creative learning and producing, with companies including Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, Opera North and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. From 2018 to 2022, Anna was the Tour and Projects Producer for National Dance Company Wales, managing the company’s varied programme of commissioning new work and touring throughout the UK and internationally. In 2021, she began a freelance practice, working on projects with independent artists and established companies, with clients including Scottish Opera, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Surrogate Productions and Jasmine Ellis Projects. Anna holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Arts, Festival and Cultural Management from Queen Margaret University and is Chair of New Opera in Scotland Events (NOISE).