Workshop held by Assist. Prof. Cristina Olar-Iușan, Phd, University of the Arts, Tg. Mureș
Tuesday, April 21, 2026, Ground Floor Hall C, 11 AM – 1 PM
The topic of the workshop
The contemporary dance workshop within ICCD 2026, The Reactive Body, is designed as a process of refining movement qualities, enhancing creativity, and increasing awareness of the relationship between internal impulses and physical responses. Structured in two complementary parts, the workshop offers: in the first part, a focus on strength, flexibility, adaptability, body awareness, and floor work; in the second part, an exploration of movement and composition themes related to external and internal stimuli. We will play with tactile, olfactory, gustatory, auditory, and visual sensations through dance. Through this workshop, we aim to discover new, unknown forms of movement that help us become braver and freer. Work will occur individually and with other participants in improvisation and bodily dialogue. Together, we will explore the effects sensory exploration can have on the mind and body through activating our inner resources. The workshop intends to introduce participants to a bodily exploration that contributes to the improvement of cognitive, physical, and thinking capacities. The Reactive Body proposes a space for physical, artistic, and sensory research, accessible to both experienced dancers and those interested in bodily exploration within a contemporary context.
Cristina Olar – Iușan is a choreographer, dancer, and teacher with extensive training in theatre and performing arts. She holds BA and MA degrees in theatre and acting from the University of Arts Tîrgu – Mureș, as well as BA, MA, and PhD degrees in choreography and performing arts from UNATC Bucharest. She has collaborated with notable directors and choreographers such as Ducu Darie, Erwin Șimșensohn, Gigi Căciuleanu, and Răzvan Mazilu. Cristina has also trained with international artists including Mirva Mäkinen, Hilde Rustad, Massimo Gerardi, and Brice Moussette. Her artistic work includes performances like Folklorica, Cabaret, Carmina Burana, Don Quixote, Avatar, and Orpheus and Eurydice. She has contributed to numerous national and international theatre and dance productions. Cristina teaches contemporary dance workshops for students, dancers, and actors at festivals and universities. She also participates in conferences and publishes research in the field of theatre. Currently, she is a lecturer at the University of Arts Tîrgu-Mureș, focusing on applied performing arts research and practical work with student actors and dancers.