One of the main highlights of the coming days is the Ostrava premiere of Wild Geese (Divoké husy) – a brand-new MOVE Ostrava production created in co-production with the Prague ensemble FysioART. On stage at the Puppet Theatre, movement will intertwine with live music by Vladivojna La Chia, creating a poetic, playful, and touching story for children aged six and up and their parents. Jana Ryšlavá, director of MOVE Fest and also a performer in the piece, invites audiences: “…to set out with us on a journey with the Wild Geese, a story that is as fragile as it is powerful. It’s a performance about the search for freedom and the ties that keep us grounded. We believe that everyone will find a piece of themselves in it.” Wednesday’s Ostrava performance is part of the Czech-Slovak premiere tour, giving MOVE Fest audiences a unique opportunity to witness the birth of a new work that is sure to become a fixture of Czech movement-based theatre.
MOVE Fest Ostrava 2025 is on! Seven days of movement, emotion and resonance ahead
On Sunday, September 21, MOVE Fest Ostrava 2025 kicked off at the cultural center Provoz in Ostrava with the Czech premiere of the dance film Zenit! Before the screening, young and adult audiences alike enjoyed the family punk-rock concert Rock Me Baby, presented by MOVE Ostrava at the Puppet Theatre for the second year in a row due to its great success. And the most eager festival-goers opened the 12th edition in true MOVE Fest style – in motion – with a morning yoga class on the breathtaking rooftop of the City Campus of the University of Ostrava. The first day of MOVE Fest was truly packed, and that was only the beginning. The festival still has five more days ahead, with over fifteen events offering audiences contemporary dance, new circus, physical theatre, workshops, and even a student symposium.
On Thursday, the festival program presents the legendary production A Dance Tribute To The Art Of Footballby Norwegian choreographer Jo Strømgren, whose work Ostrava audiences know well from previous editions of MOVE Fest and even from the National Moravian-Silesian Theatre. This time, audiences can look forward to an unconventional fusion of football and dance in a choreography full of humor, energy, and team spirit. This world-renowned performance demonstrates that sport and art are much closer than they might seem.
On Saturday, audiences can experience something truly extraordinary in an unusual setting for dance – the National Agricultural Museum. Here, Slovak dancer Tomáš Janypka will perform his solo Lonesome Cowboy. In the museum’s industrial environment, an intimate story of loneliness, inner strength, and freedom comes to life. Jana Ryšlavá adds: “Audiences can look forward to an intimate testimony by a charismatic dancer who, with both subtlety and strength, opens up themes of solitude, searching, and identity. In the unique setting of the Agricultural Museum, his solo gains an additional layer – an atmosphere that will only deepen the impact of this performance.”
From the very beginning, MOVE Fest has never confined itself to theatre halls. This year too, audiences will find dance and movement in the streets of Ostrava. The program includes four outdoor performances and one special outdoor evening (weather permitting)! For example, Friday’s public interventions Serve and Protect by the Norwegian collective Direct Action Theatre will take to Ostrava’s streets twice – at 12:30 from the New City Hall and at 16:30 from Masaryk Square. Their movement-based events are a prime example of so-called artivism – works at the intersection of art and civic activism – holding a mirror to the pressing issues of society.
In another outdoor project – the participatory performance Lion’s Den UNLIMITED (Jáma lvová UNLIMITED) – audiences will see students of movement disciplines, who are part of this year’s student symposium Emergencee. This international gathering brings together young creators with leading European performing arts experts. Over the course of the festival week, participants not only attend performances and discussions but also engage directly in creation, collaboration, and the practice of receiving instant feedback.
This three-day artistic-educational conference, organized by MOVE Ostrava in cooperation with Vize tance, is one of the professional cornerstones of this year’s edition. The project responds to the current needs of the field and aims to systematically support the education, self-realization, and professional establishment of the next generation of dancers, performers, and creators. MOVE Ostrava and Vize tance together provide a platform for sharing, inspiration, and expert reflection, connecting emerging performers with established professionals in the field. The goal is to equip young artists with the experience and skills necessary for entering the professional stage while opening space for new impulses that can enrich contemporary European performing arts.
Nearly thirty students from Czech and Slovak art schools will take part in:
● A creative process with PocketART – together with Johana Pocková and Sabina Bočková, they will rehearse the Ostrava version of the site-specific project Lion’s Den UNLIMITED, culminating in a public presentation within the main program.
- Fresh Dance – MOVE Ostrava’s traditional platform for student choreographies.
- Pitch sessions – short and punchy presentations of their own projects and artistic visions, followed by expert feedback from invited professionals.
● Discussions and lectures with experts including Markéta Málková from Vize tance, Lucia Kašiarová from Štúdio tanca Banská Bystrica, and Jaan Ulst from Tartu 2024. This conference block will focus on the employability of young artists in cultural practice and the specifics of entering the professional field.
The students involved in the symposium will also become full participants of MOVE Fest Ostrava 2025, with the chance to see the entire program – from top international productions to domestic premieres. For students, it is a rare opportunity to soak up inspiration, discover current trends in European dance and movement theatre, and gain invaluable experience that ordinary studies rarely offer.
Tickets for all festival performances are available in the Pay What You Can format – pay as much as you can or wish. Some outdoor performances can even be attended completely free of charge. Beyond the stage, festival visitors can also look forward to shared moments – such as the festival bonfire at Pavilion, Saturday’s group bike ride, or the festival party with the band Fekete Seretlek.