Beholding

Who was Yanka Rudzka—a dancer and choreographer born in Łódź who left Poland after the war, became a pioneer of modern dance in Brazil, and has largely disappeared from Polish historical records?

Yanka Rudzka (1916–2008) was one of the most fascinating figures in 20th-century Polish modern dance. In prewar Łódź, she helped shape the rapidly developing scene of expressive dance, which became a tool of emancipation for many Jewish female artists—a path to achieving self-determination and transcending traditional social roles. After the war, Rudzka left Poland and never returned. In Salvador (Brazil), she left a lasting mark as a charismatic artist and educator, as well as the founder of Brazil’s first university-level dance institute.

In 2013, Joanna Leśnierowska began rediscovering Rudzka’s story and devoted more than a decade to researching and artistically engaging with it. “Beholding” is the latest chapter in this process—an international collaboration realized jointly by artists from Poland, Brazil, and Germany.

“The Yanka Rudzka Project: Beholding” does not attempt to reconstruct her biography or create yet another portrait of a great artist. Instead, through dance, photography, and film, the project explores the elusive aspects of her story: absences, omissions, interrupted genealogies, and an identity that unfolds across different places, languages, and cultures.

Please register in advance via:

schallenberg@hellerau.org