“Ion (a Play on Adoption)” is a documentary dance performance delving into the topic of adoption in Bulgaria. The play offers insights into the dynamics of ‘different’ families in Bulgaria, exploring themes of empathy and prompting reflection on tolerance and the essence of family.
This performance emerged from a collaboration with the Bulgarian Association of Adoptees and Adoptees BAOO. Director Stephanie Handjiiska adopted an anthropological approach, conducting field research and engaging in conversations with Bulgarian adoptive families and adopted adults. The work also integrates interviews with social workers and psychologists, enriching its narrative.
These interviews form the core of the dance performance, where artists, through movement and verbatim recitals, transport the audience into the world of adoptees and adoptive parents.
Director and Choreographer: Stephanie Handjiiska
Dancers: Boyan Arsov, Vasilia Drebova, Deyan Vladov, Plamena Pencheva
Music: Georgi Atanasov
Cello: Stefan Hadjiev
Costumes: Nevena Georgieva
For upcoming events, follow: Stephanie Handjiiska
Stephanie Handjiiska
Director and Choreographer
Stephanie Handjiiska is a Bulgarian choreographer and dance artist based between Sofia, Bulgaria, and London, UK. Her work revolves around themes of femininity, migration, and identity and has been curated by prestigious organizations such as Dance Umbrella Festival, Arts Council England, Resolution festival at The Place center for contemporary dance in London, Rambert Dance, ImPulsTanz festival in Vienna, Antistatic, Moving Body, and ACT Festival in Bulgaria.
Stephanie holds a master’s degree in Contemporary Dance from the London Contemporary Dance School, as well as degrees from NATFA “Krastyo Sarafov” in the “Dance Theater” BA program and from NBU in the “Anthropology” BSc program. She was a company dancer with ballet “Arabesque” from 2014 to 2016 and a finalist at the XI International Choreography Competition “Margarita Arnaudova” in 2023.
Her work spans contemporary dance, socially engaged dance, and dance film. Since 2016, Stephanie has served as the Chairwoman and Program Director of the “Man with a Hat” foundation, a Bulgarian non-governmental organization dedicated to developing dance and dance film in Bulgaria. Since 2022, she has also been the Program Director of the Bulgarian platform of ACT Festival. Stephanie is the creator of the program “Фокус Кино Танц” for dance film, which was awarded by the Municipality of Sofia with the award for outstanding achievements in the field of culture in 2022 and the special award “IMPULS” in 2023. Since 2023, Stephanie has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Guild for Contemporary Performing Arts at UAB (Union of Bulgarian Artists), where she aims to develop the ecosystem for contemporary arts in Bulgaria.
Awards and Recognition:
“Ion (a Play on Adoption)” was nominated for the IKAR Award for Contemporary Dance and Performance in 2017.
Acknowledgments:
The performance received financial support from the “V/HOD” platform of the “Vox Populi” association and the “America for Bulgaria” foundation, with additional support from the “Hope for the Little” Foundation and their project “Little House.”
Photo Credits: Phelia Barouh (pheliabarouh.com)
The show ION has now come to the end of its stage life and Stephanie Handjyska is kindly making an archive recording of the entire work freely available, especially for Move for Change!
Additional Resources:
Explore related materials from the Bulgarian Association of Adoptees and Adoptees BAOO website.