Zhana Pencheva is a dancer and choreographer based in Bulgaria. She holds a Bachelor and Masters degreee in Dance and Theatre from New Bulgarian University, Sofia. With strong interests around body and movement, Pencheva continued her education through a series of workshops and non-formal programmes such as Nomad Dance Academy and DanceWeb. She is co-founder of Garage Collective, Sofia, a member of Nomad Dance Academy – Bulgaria and member of the board of Hamalogika, Burgas. As a performer, she is actively collaborating with Dune Dance Company, Bulgaria. She works pedagogically with groups of different constellations and needs, focusing her teaching around dance technique and choreographic structures. Artistically she is interested in the potential of the body as a moving structure and the role emotions play within it. In her last solo work, “Six love songs”, (prized by Tri3avisim 2018, Bulgaria, and nominated for IKAR prize 2020 in the category “Contemporary dance and performance”, Bulgaria), she explores pop figures in contemporary culture and the identification of self in performative contexts. Her latest fascination is pole dancing.
