Szeged Contemporary Dance Company opens new season with two premieres
The Szeged Contemporary Dance Company is preparing two new productions, international tours and the return of several works from its repertoire as it begins its 2026-27 season.
The company outlined plans for its 39th season at a press conference last week, with the first premiere, Marilyn, set for Nov. 13 at the Szeged National Theater’s Kisszínház. Italian choreographer Giovanni Insaudo will create the full-length dance production marking the 100th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s birth.
Rather than retelling Monroe’s biography – something Insaudo noted audiences can easily look up themselves – the production will explore the contrast between Marilyn, the glamorous public figure known around the world, and Norma Jeane, the person behind the image.
Insaudo said the creative process is still at an early stage and the final form of the production has yet to be determined. The company plans to work with photographs and film footage as it develops the piece, using familiar aspects of Monroe’s life and image as a starting point while presenting them from a different perspective.
The production will examine the divide between public image and private identity, as well as the transformation of a person into a celebrity and cultural icon. The theater describes the work as a non-narrative exploration of Monroe rather than a conventional biographical portrait.
The company’s second premiere, Zion, is planned for next spring at the Szeged National Theater. Choreographed by Artistic Director Tamás Juronics, the production will explore the relationship between the individual and the community, including both its unifying and restrictive forces.
Several productions from previous seasons will remain in the repertoire, including Carmina Burana, Lear, Amadeus, The Divine Comedy and Black Swan. The children’s productions The Nutcracker and Cinderella will also return.
The company will also continue its international touring. On Oct. 20, it will perform Carmina Burana at the Admiralspalast in Berlin as the internationally successful production celebrates its 25th anniversary.
Next March, the company will travel to Finland to perform Black Swan in Turku, Tampere and Helsinki. A visit to Zurich will follow in May, where audiences will also have the opportunity to see Carmina Burana.
Four dancers have joined the company for the new season: Gaia Lo Cascio and Anna Dal Maso of Italy, Nina Lowe of Australia and Dániel Varga. Juronics said the company recruits internationally to bring together dancers with strong technical skills, artistic commitment and a willingness to work.
He said the company defines itself according to international rather than solely Hungarian standards and seeks out choreographers who can introduce new ways of thinking, theatrical perspectives and movement languages.
The season begins amid some financial uncertainty. Director András Echéry-Pataki said decisions have yet to be made on several forms of funding for dance organizations, making longer-term planning difficult.
The National Dance Theatre, which has previously served as both a host venue and co-production partner, has not yet scheduled the company’s November and December performances. The Szeged company will also have to finance Marilyn entirely from its own resources.
While the company gave more than 100 performances in each of the past two seasons, 54 performances had been booked for the new season as of last week. Echéry-Pataki said he hoped the difficulties would prove temporary and that the company would seek new sponsors while continuing to rely on substantial support from the City of Szeged.
Photo: Szilvia Molnar / Szegedify
