"Traces" is a dance solo about the need for resistance, discipline as a mode of producing compliant bodies, and as a way of enduring punishment through uncertainty and duration. Drawing from memories of her family members’ experiences of imprisonment, the author explores the corporeality of transgenerational trauma, inherited behavioral patterns, and solitude. Within a time and space marked by repressive systems and a sense of powerlessness, she questions the possible ways of resisting.
Author and performer: Koraljka Begović
Dramaturge: Karla Mesek
Musician: Hrvoje Nikšić
Lighting designer: Andrija Santro
Costume and set designer: Ana Paulić
External eye: Emily Gualtieri
Photographer: Jelena Janković
Graphic Design: Ana Kunej
Trailer: Neven Petrović
Public relations: Ivana Sansević
Executive producer: Anika Cetina
Production: Koraljka Begović
Partner: KONTEJNER | bureau of contemporary art praxis
Friends of the performance: Hrvojka Begović, Nastasja Štečanić Kralj
Special thanks to: Martina Tomić, Mjesni odbor Voćarska, Zagreb Dance Centre, Angélique Willkie, and CCOV.
"Soft Underbelly" insists on the visibility of female bodies that rarely appear on stage – those that are ageing, unidealised, and untrained for athletic display. Drawing from her own experience as a woman with curves and a large bust (size 34H), Emily Gualtieri explores how softness moves, resists, and endures within a (dance) form that has long celebrated control. The work traces the fine line between effort and ease, exposure and dignity, bringing the female body back into a space of presence rather than perfection. With humour and candour, Gualtieri offers a body that apologises neither for its weight nor for its strength, revealing the unspoken hierarchies that still shape who has the right to be seen, and what is considered beautiful in contemporary dance.
Author and performer: Emily Gualtieri
Developed within the ATLAS programme at ImPulsTanz Vienna, under the mentorship of Angélique Willkie
Rehearsal director: David Albert-Toth
Dramaturgical support: Helen Simard
External eyes: Amelia Ehrhardt, Paul Chambers, Koraljka Begović
Composer: David Albert-Toth
Production: PARTS+LABOUR
Created with the generous support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ)
Partners and residencies: KONTEJNER | bureau of contemporary art praxis, Toronto Dance Theatre, La Otra Orilla, CCOV
Koraljka Begović (HR)
Koraljka Begović is a dance artist and yoga teacher based in Zagreb. She works as a creator, performer, choreographer, and dance educator. She holds a BA in Early Childhood Education from Zagreb, a degree in Cultural Communication from Zadar, and an MA in Contemporary Dance Performance from the University of Limerick. Upon returning to Croatia, she has focused on developing her own artistic practice as well as collaborating with numerous choreographers and dramaturges from Croatia and abroad. She is a member of the Croatian Freelance Artists’ Association and the Croatian Dancers’ Association (UPUH). From 2007 to 2020, she was also active as a creative producer, collaborating with various organisations in the fields of film and dance. Begović was a resident artist at Zagreb Dance Centre with her solo "Paravan". Her work "Reversing Proximity" was selected by the Croatian Dance Network, while her piece "Playing Reality" was produced through the BeSpectACTive network and presented over four years across Croatia and Europe. Through the Pogonator 2024 programme, she developed her work "The Happiness of Mr. J.", and in the same year, she took part in the ATLAS programme within the ImPulsTanz Festival in Vienna – a platform bringing together dance artists from around the world – where, under the mentorship of Angélique Willkie, she developed her new solo piece "Traces". For the past twelve years, she has been teaching regular individual and group yoga classes, as well as numerous masterclasses and lectures within teacher training programmes. She occasionally teaches stage practice at the Silvije Hercigonja School of Contemporary Dance.
Emily Gualtieri (CA)
Emily Gualtieri is a choreographer and dance artist based in Montreal, twice nominated for the Dora Award. After several years of independent choreographic work, Emily began a creative partnership with David Albert-Toth, and in 2011 they founded the collective PARTS+LABOUR. Their first major works, "In Mixed Company" and "La chute", quickly toured across Canada and received numerous awards. Emily and David’s works have been presented at festivals in Canada, the United States, and several European countries. Emily has participated in and led artistic residencies in Montreal, Toronto, Banff, Halifax, Massachusetts, Berlin, Vienna, and Italy. Among her solo works, notable pieces include "À la prochaine" (2013), performed by Ginelle Chagnon, "Re:Pairing" (2015), produced by DanceWorks CoWorks, and "Stealing Fire" (2016), a commission for the Mocean Dance ensemble. In addition to developing the repertoire of their own company, Emily and David are active as educators, and their choreographies have been commissioned by EDCM, EDQ, and OSOD. They are guest lecturers in the dance departments at UQAM and Concordia University.
