Maria Canterc

Berlin, Germany / Spain

西 班 牙

Performer ｜ Contemporary Dancer ｜ CI Facilitator

Academic & Artistic Lineage María holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, an academic foundation that profoundly informs her intellectual and somatic approach to movement. She specializes in Physical and Anthropological Theatre, having refined her craft at the prestigious Odin Teatret (Denmark) and Studio Matejka (Poland). Her contemporary dance trajectory includes rigorous training under masters such as Janet Novás, Pau Aran, David Zambrano, and Faustin Linyekula. Currently, she is immersed in advanced Axis Syllabus research under the guidance of Kira Kirsch and Antoine Ragot in Berlin.

ocial Mission & Arts-Education Since 2019, María has acted as a promoter of Equality and Social Awareness. Through her projects Con-Tacto and Danza entre Mujeres, she brings CI and performing arts to rural areas and equality centers. Her work focuses on:

Gender ¦ Identity ｜ Healing ｜Empowerment Addressing structural violence through the transformative power of dance.

Pedagogical Vision: "The Infinite Body" Her research-based pedagogy, The Infinite Body, offers a synthesis of physical theatre, somatic techniques, Axis Syllabus, and contemporary dance. She explores the word as a motor for movement, facilitating workshops for both professional artists and practitioners.

Philosophical Statement: The Micro & The Macro Her current focus lies at the intersection of biomechanics and somatic revelation: exploring how to dance from internal sensation and the body as it reveals itself.

"I seek to get to know our cellular memory to make possible other dances and the creation of other possible worlds together. Every dance and every space is political. We must know the Micro in order to deactivate the Macro."

Artistic Practice & Community Building Contact Improvisation (CI) serves as the quintessential thread through her practice, acting as a constant locus for her research and pedagogy. Having trained with prominent figures like Linda Bufali, Mirva Mäkinen, Katja Mustonen, and Anya Cloud, María has become a vital "cultural architect" in the CI community. She co-founded and co-directs:

  • Cuerpo Colectivo & Espacio A Rigueira: Dedicated research spaces for CI and performing arts.

  • Galicia Contact Festival: Now in its 4th edition.

  • Interwoven Encounters: A performance practice platform active since 2016.

Selected Performance Credits

  • CAMINANDO by Laura Garmo (Surge Madrid & CENIT Atalaya Festival, Seville).

  • VOCES: A documentary dance piece directed by Silvia Galán.

  • Current Work-in-Progress: A performance piece in Berlin (with Rosalind Holgatesmith) exploring fragility, support, and the mechanics of encounter.

NATURE: THE INNER SPACE

I. Core Objective: The Somatic Inquiry I propose an exploration focused on the internal landscape of the body and its foundational contents. Utilizing diverse somatic practices and anatomical mappings, we will establish a profound dialogue with our organs and tissues.

  • The Goal: To access the subtlety of movement emerging from visceral sensations—weight, inertia, and biological pulses.

II. The Movement Engine: From Content to Container This research navigates the trajectory from internal impulse to external form:

  • The Internal Engine: Investigating CI (Contact Improvisation) dances that arise from these deep-seated sensations, tapping into their elastic potential and spatial projection.

  • The Architecture of Play: A dialogue between "Content" (the internal self) and "Container" (structures, forms, and contours). This interplay will be explored through three dimensions:

    1. The Solo: The individual inquiry.

    2. The Duo: The relational dynamic.

    3. The Collective Organism: The body of the whole.

III. Ecological Composition: Relating to the External Extending beyond the human form, we will study the nature of living matter as it manifests in the environment:

  • Dynamics of Elements: Engaging with the qualities, shapes, and rhythms of natural materials and external spaces.

  • Compositional Service: Observing and composing movement not merely in nature, but in service to it.

IV. Existential Inquiries The residency will be guided by two pivotal questions:

  1. How can the human ego disappear to allow the "Dance of Life" to manifest spontaneously?

  2. How can we dance with the forces of gravity and falling without the imposition of conscious control?

"As within, so without."

Photography courtesy of Maria Canterc