Eva Urbanová is a Slovak choreographer, performer, and dance educator whose work explores transformation, sensory intelligence, and deep relationality. Her practice moves beyond performance into somatic and collective processes—where altered states, touch, and the unruly body unsettle normativity and awaken embodied knowledge.
A central figure in her research is what she names the creep — a self-defined, monstrous, shape-shifting embodiment that moves through tension, friction, and felt disruption. Inhabiting the creep allows Eva to access an altered sensory state where pain and pleasure reconfigure, and the body becomes a site of intuitive perception and resistance. This figure disorients linear time and normative rhythms, inviting both performer and witness into a queer, posthuman terrain of becoming.
Drawing from feminist and queer theory, Eva engages with the monstrous not as spectacle but as a practice of emancipation — reclaiming the body as a site of transgression, ancestral memory, and embodied knowledge.
Through what she calls witcho-graphy, she fuses movement, ritual, experimental drag, and immersive dramaturgies to challenge patriarchal aesthetics, rupture linear time, and foster individual and collective empowerment rooted in somatic inteligence, intuition, and embodied resistance.
Eva holds a master degree in choreography from Prague’s AMU and has studied at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London. Her main success is her solo piece THE ESSENCE (2021), her first work after completing her studies. It has been presented at numerous international festivals, winning first place at the Gdansk Dance Festival in 2022, second place at the Tanz Theater Stuttgart International Competition in 2021, and was selected for the Slovak Dance Platform in 2023. Her second work after graduation, ANOMALIE (2022), was included in the main program of the Czech Dance Platform in 2023. Her last work, titled CREATURES OF TOUCH (2025), premiered in March 2023 in Bratislava, Slovakia. The piece invites a heightened sensory experience—especially through touch—offering an alternative, sensitive way of relating to materiality and connection.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Eva Urbanová
Residence: Vienna, Austria
Nationality: Slovak
Date of Birth: 17.12.1993
@ev_urbanova_
Pronouns: she/they
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Eva Urbanová is a dancer, choreographer and dance teacher. Her practice delves into altered states of mind, the biography of the body, and the power of touch aiming to access the creative potential and deep knowledge embedded within our subconscious. In her work Eva blends dance, somatics, experimental drag, and sensory exploration to craft immersive performances. In addition to her choreographic work, she is an experienced contemporary dance teacher, teaching both professionals and non-professionals, including students at dance conservatories and children as young as seven.
AWARDS
- 1st award at the Gdansk Dance Festival 2022 for the work THE ESSENCE
- 2nd Choreographic Award at the Solo Tanz Theater Stuttgart International Competition 2021 for the work THE ESSENCE
- Public Award at the Solo Tanz Theater Stuttgart International Competition 2021 for the work THE ESSENCE
ARTISTIC EDUCATION
- Master's degree in Choreography, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, 2020
- Bachelor's degree in Choreography, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, 2017
- Erasmus Exchange Program, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, London, 2015-2016
CHOREOGRAPHIC WORKS
CREATURES OF TOUCH
- Premiered in Telocvičňa, Nová Cvernovka, Bratislava, 03/2025
- Movement installation
WATCHOUT TOWER
- Site – specific performance in a public space
- Commission work for Kunsthalle Prague, 08/2023
IDIOSSINCRASIA
- Created during the artistic exchange with Brazilian dancers Gabriela Moriondo and Maicom Souza in Estúdio Victor Córdon (PR) and Colectivo Emarnhado Studios (BR)
- Premiered in Sesc Gloria, Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil, 12/2022
ANOMALIE
- Premiered at Divadlo X10, 10/2022
- Selection of the Czech Dance Platform 2023
- Invited to Kiosk Festival 2023 (SK) and Flora Theatre Festival 2024 (CZ)
THE ESSENCE
- Solo choreography premiered at the Solo Tanz Theater Festival Stuttgart 2021
Awards: 1st place at the Solo Dance Contest at Gdansk Dance Festival 22, 2nd Prize for Choreography + Audience Award at the Solo Tanz Theater Festival Stuttgart 2021
- Invited to the Jerusalem International Solo Dance Festival 2023, Bazzar Festival 2023 (CZ), Slovak Dance Platforme 2023 (SK), Flora Theatre Festival 2022 (CZ), Mono Tancz Budapest 2022, and KoresponDance Festival 2021 (CZ)
GALLERY WITHOUT THE BOARDERS
- Invited as a dancer and choreographer to co-create an evening performance at the National Gallery in Prague curated by the SE.S.TA Choreographic Development Center (CZ) and CoreDance (USA)
- Prague 10/2021
SYNC
- Dance film
- Created during the pandemic as a virtual exchange project (BRA/SK/CZ)
- Produced by Bule production
HUNGRY HEARTS
- Master's thesis
- National Gallery in Prague, 09/2020
DANCE is not DEAD!
- Collaboration with the Central European Dance Theatre – Sassi Autumn Dance Week - evening of the young choreographers
- Budapest 11/2019
THE HEAVINESS OF BEING
- Commission work for Bohemia Ballet Dance Company
- Prague 04/2018
SPRING’S ARRIVAL
- Commission work for Prague Dance Conservatoire
- Prague 01/2018
WORK AS A DANCER AND PERFORMER
CREATURES OF TOUCH
- Movement installation
- Telocvičňa, Nová Cvernovka, Bratislava, 03/2025
WATCHOUT TOWER
- Site – specific performance in a public space
- Kunsthalle Prague, 08/2023
The Pool
- National Gallery in Prague, 11/2023
- Director: Tomáš Moravanský (INSTITUTE INSTITUTE)
WRECK/The list of extinct species
- Prague Quadrennial 2023, Tanec Praha Festival 2023, 06/2023
- Choreographer: Pietro Marullo
Intervention is enough evidence. Finally.
- Kunsthalle Prague, 06/2023
- Choreographer: Alex Mirutziu
Did you understand?
- Nu Dance Fest 2023, Kunsthalle Bratislava, 03/2023
- Choreographers: Giulia Cermelli and Tommaso Cavalcanti
Bariolé
- Galéria Umelka, Bratislava, 02/2022
- Choreographer: Jana Tereková
Tour of the Winners of the 25th Internationales Solo Tanz Theater Festival Stuttgart 2021
- Germany (different cities), 11/2021
Soft Play
- Performance in a public space
- Prague, 10/2021
- Choreographers: Bianca Hisse, Shahrzad Malekian
Collectron
- Digital interactive performance
- KoresponDance Festival (CZ), 07/2021
- Concept: Jana Bitterová, Ian Biscoe
Movement Collaboration on NIVVA Project
- Use of the xses motion capture technology
- Lunchmeat Festival 2020, Prague, 10/2020
Suburbia
- interactive performance in public spaces
- Prague, 06/2020
- Director: Jana Stárková
Whistleblowers
- International Studio Farm in the Cave
- Prague 05/2019
- Director: Viliam Dočolomanský
Adeiu
- dance movie
- Film Academy Prague, 04/2018
- director: Hasan Can Dagli
... (and other relevant experiences)
SELECTED TEACHING EXPERIENCE
2025
Becoming a Creature of Touch – Telocvičňa, Bratislava, Slovakia
2024
THE ESSENCE (exploring core principles of the choreography THE ESSENCE) - Prague, Czech Republic
ANOMALIE: Exploration of New Body Forms – Žižkostel in Movement Festival - Prague, Czech Republic
Sensations in Movement Workshop – Telohra - Bratislava, Slovakia
2023
Contemporary Dance Workshop – Storm Ballet dance group - Czech Republic
Contemporary Dance Teacher – Dance Conservatory, Liptovský Hrádok, Slovakia (January – May 2023)
2022
Contemporary Dance Workshop – Colectivo Emaranhado Studio, Vitória, Brazil
Body Zero Workshop (practice based on the use of the biography of the body) – Telocvičňa, Bratislava, Slovakia
SCHOLARSHIPS
2024
Tanzquartier Wien Scholarship – granted to support professional development in contemporary dance
Slovak Arts Council Scholarship – granted for movement research and development of the choreographic work Next New Collection
2023
Slovak Arts Council Scholarship – granted for research on the project Hitting the Sweet Spot, focusing on the use of altered states of consciousness and heightened sensory experience in dance practice
2022
Slovak Arts Council Scholarship – granted for the research project Body Zero, exploring the personal and physical history of the body through movement
2021
Slovak Arts Council Scholarship – granted for choreographic research on the project With Light into the Darkness and Further, which uses the metaphors of light and darkness to explore emotional depth and the dynamics of internal transformation
OVERVIEW OF THE RESIDENCY PROGRAMS PARTICIPATED IN RECENT YEARS
2025
January – Creation of the production CREATURES OF TOUCH at HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts (Dresden, Germany)
2024
January – Creation of the production CREATURES OF TOUCH within the residency program Jobel Art for Earth (Sabina, Italy)
April – Creation of CREATURES OF TOUCH at Telocvičňa (Bratislava, Slovakia)
August – Creation of CREATURES OF TOUCH at Bears in the Park (Vienna, Austria)
September – Creation of CREATURES OF TOUCH at Plam Yard (Malovice, Czech Republic)
2023
August 2023 – February 2024 (in several time blocks) – Movement research project Hitting the Sweet Spot at Theatre Malý Berlín Trnava, Studio Alegria Trnava, and Telocvičňa (Bratislava, Slovakia)
2022
March – Creation of the production ANOMALIE within the residency program of the Center for Choreographic Development SE.S.TA (Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic)
March – Creation of ANOMALIE within the ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE 2022 program at Rezi.dance v lese (Komařice, Czech Republic)
May – Creation of ANOMALIE during the dance residency at Estúdios Victor Córdon (Lisbon, Portugal)
June – Movement research project Body Zero at Telocvičňa (Bratislava, Slovakia)
October – Creation of ANOMALIE during the dance residency at KC Vozovna (Prague, Czech Republic)
November – Creation of the production Idiossincrasia at Coletivo Emaranhado studios (Vitória, Brazil)
COUCHING RESIDENCIES FOR THE CHOREOGRAPHERS
Couching residency for choreographers - SE.S.TA, Prague 2021, coached by Alice Chauchat
Couching residency for choreographers - SE.S.TA, Prague 2020, coached by Kathy Casey
Couching residency for choreographers - SE.S.TA, Prague 2017, coched by Jean-Christophe Paré
SELECTED WORKSHOP/MASTERCLASSES
- Dramaturgy Blind Inclusive - Fia Neises and Liv Schellander - Brut, Vienna 2025
- Adrien Hód/Hodworks: Inclusive vibe - WUK, Vienna 2024
- Jess Curtis - Accessibility in Arts, Telocvičňa, Bratislava 2023
- Benoîte Lachambre – ImpulsTanz 2023
- Keith Hennessy – Bratislava 2023
- Maria F. Scaroni – Bratislava 2023
- Adrien Hód – B12 Festival, Berlin 2022
- Hannes Langolf – Share workshop, Berlin 2022
- Theatre Continuo Summer Residency, Czech Republic 2020
- Butoh workshop by Tiziana Longo, Berlin 2020
- Emanuel Gat Intensive, Rome 2019
- Tina Afiyan Breiova – contemporary dance, Prague 2019
- Stories in Movement – dance film workshop, Bucharest 2018
- Gaga Intensive, Tel Aviv 2018
- Martin Kilvády – contemporary dance, Prague 2018
MOVEMENT BACKGROUND
- Rhythmic gymnastics – 1st place in the Junior B category at the Slovak Championship
LANGUAGES
- English – Fluent
- Japanese – Intermediate
- Czech – Fluent
- Slovak – Native Speaker