by Thjerza Balaj
Photo: Benedicte Ramfjord
In slavic folklore, the rusalka is a typically feminine entity, often malicious towards mankind and frequently associated with water.
Her main purpose is to lure young men into the depths of waterways where she will entangle their feet with her long hair and submerge them.
In "Ruzalka" the performer becomes a personification of this hybrid, embodying a fictional character, drawing from both personal stories and societal narratives. Instead of viewing it as a “typical feminine entity” she embraces the in-betweens, proposing alternative codes on what and how the “She” entangles more complex identities than what the eyes see.
The work revolves around the female gaze, ownership, the mythical and power structures. The performer embraces and intensifies her relation to the audience, by inviting them in, looking at them, letting herself be looked at, and in an instant flipping who’s in charge by dominating the audience's gaze.
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Thjerza Balaj is a Norwegian / Kosovo-Albanian multi-hyphenate artist, working with performance, fashion design, and film. Immediacy and intimacy are important elements in her works. Her choreographic practice deals with the female gaze, power dynamics and the uncanny. Playing with shifting intensities is a consistent approach in her seemingly hard-core yet ephemeral practice.
Thjerza lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark.
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Dance, choreography & performance Thjerza Balaj
Sound producer S. Rieser
Additional music Smerz
Light designer Ingunn Fjellang Sæther
Costume designer Ditte Marie Tygesen