NIŻYŃSKA piano forte is a choreographic performance inspired by the life and work of Bronisława Niżyńska—one of the most important figures of the 20th-century avant-garde in dance. The performance engages in a dialogue with *Les noces* (1923)—Niżyńska’s groundbreaking choreography to the music of Igor Stravinsky, often interpreted as a proto-feminist work. Daniela Komędera—choreographer and performer—creates a contemporary portrait of the artist through movement, rhythm, and physical expression.

Katarzyna Piszek (Kasai) performs the music and vocals live. Sound becomes an integral part of the choreography and remains in constant dialogue with movement. An important element of the performance is a sports trampoline, which serves both as a stage and a choreographic tool.

NIŻYŃSKA piano forte raises questions about the position of the contemporary choreographer and dancer, as well as the possibility of developing one’s own creative language in the face of social, historical, and institutional expectations. Movement and sound become a way of telling a story about reclaiming one’s own voice and emancipation.

As Katarzyna Tokarska-Stangret writes about the performance:

The creators draw on the biography and artistic legacy of Bronisława Niżyńska, though knowledge of these is not necessary to interpret the portrait of the woman depicted in the performance. [...] Daniela Komędera, a dancer and choreographer (responsible, among other things, for the choreography in the film adaptation of *The Peasants*), performs in an essential and intensely focused manner. Using simple means, she accurately conveys the creative tensions of this great modernist and her emotions—ranging from piano to forte. And she does so brilliantly.

Choreographer, dancer, actress. She is a member of the Sticky Fingers Club collective and the choreographer for the film *Chłopi*, Poland’s Oscar nominee. She created the choreography for the performance *Chłopi Tańcuj Remixed*, presented at EXPO 2025 in Osaka, Japan, among other venues. She is the choreographer for the film *Brzydka Siostra* (premiered at Sundance), which received an Oscar nomination in 2026. She is an actress in the film *Glorious Summer*, directed by H. Ganjalyan and B. Szpak (premiered at SXSW in Austin, USA), for which they received the Sapphire Lions award at the Gdynia Film Festival and for which she received the Wielki Jantar acting award at the Młodzi i Film Festival in 2026. Together with the Sticky Fingers Club collective, she created the performance *Glory Game*, choreographed by D. Więcek, which was selected for Aerowaves 2025. In 2024, they presented Sticky Fingers Club at the Beijing Fringe Festival. She is a scholarship recipient from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. She graduated from the State Higher School of Theater in Kraków, from the Department of Dance Theater. She has performed at festivals in Brazil, the U.S., Mexico, the Netherlands, Japan, Greenland, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Austria, Ukraine, Georgia, and elsewhere.

Daniela Komędera