The Croatian Institute for Movement and Dance (The Institute – Hrvatski institut za pokret i ples “HIPP”) is a not for profit organization that has been instrumental in pioneering and enhancing support for the independent contemporary dance in Croatia for over three decades now. It was founded by Mirna Zagar in 1990, and is an organizer that operates on local, national  and international level in the field of contemporary dance practices supporting generations of Croatian dance professionals and their integration into the international world of dance. In close collaboration with local, national and international partners HIPP curates and organizes dance productions, performances, workshops and other projects for professional development and networking and collaborative opportunities for dance artists. HIPP also engages in nurturing the public awareness and appreciation of the art of contemporary dance, inviting citizens to engage with this art form and discover first hand the ways dance changes lives.

HIPP has been successful in lobbying for structural support for contemporary Croatian dance artists, specifically initiating the founding of Zagreb Dance Centre, Croatia’s first purpose built facility for dance.  HIPP successfully operated this facility since its opening in 2006 until eviction in 2017. Together with local and national funders as well as in collaboration with international partners, HIPP has successfully increased presence and awareness for Croatian contemporary dance and arts in general. 
HIPP is also producer of international Dance Week Festival (Tjedan suvremenog plesa), Croatia’s primary festival for dance established in 1981. The Festival has to date featured over 1000 internationally acclaimed dance artists and companies and produced over 100 works by national dance makers. Dance Week Festival and HIPP have been awarded for its achievements by the President of Croatia, Stipe Mesic (2010, povelja predsjednika Republike); HIPP and the Festival received recognition from the EFFE for artistic achievements 2017.

More information: www.tjedansuvremenogplesa.com and arhiva.danceweekfestival.com.

HIPP is member of European DanceHouse Network (EDN).
HIPP received acknowledgement regarding Dance Week Festi.val from the EFFE (2017).

Highights of achievements to date:

Presentation/ Promotion:

  • Modern Zagreb (1992) leading to Copenhagen, Cultural Capital of Europe (300 + artist across all sectors were presented in Copenhagen and in Stockholm 
  • Presentation of select Croatian dance artists in Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, France, Netherlands
  • MAPAZ  (1993-1999) network of independent mime/ dance operators across Europe connecting East and West/ North and South. Initiated by Mirna Zagar and Ide van Heiningen, the project continues to live in The Netherlands (Moving Academy for Performing Arts).  
  • 10 years member of Artistic Council of Rencontres Choregraphique Seine Saint Denis, producing 2 award recipients (Borut Separovic, Emil Matesic)
  • Produced and coproduced award winning works by Croatian artists MatijaFerlin, Aleksandra Misic, Zak Valenta, Marjana Krajac…
  • With 18 European and international projects and collaboration, HIPP is well positioned to respond to the challenges of current international cooperation.
  • HIPP has been instrumental in laying the foundation of current Croatian network for touring dance through strategic planning and collaboration with regional dance artists and presenters and a project entitled Putevi Plesa.

HIPP has collaborated with local partners to co-organize 2 IETM meetings in Zagreb.

HIPP has been instrumental in laying the foundation of current Croatian network for touring dance through strategic planning and collaboration with regional dance artists and presenters and a project entitled Putevi Plesa.
With 18 European and international projects and collaboration, HIPP is well positioned to respond to the challenges of current international cooperation.

Other past initiatives/ projects:

MAPAZ: an International collaboration and networking platform first introduced as an idea to members of the Informal European Theatre Meeting and with the European Mime Federation. This idea pitch  resulted in a unique model for alternative education in the performing arts: MAPA(Z) – Moving Academy in Performing Arts (Zagreb) with project spanning East-West and North South and hosted in Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague…The project, spearheaded by Mirna Zagar (Zagreb) and Ide van Heiningen (Amsterdam), resulted in a series of collaboration and research based projects bringing together independent dance and theatre makers from across Europe. This supportive network not only supported professional development but also provided solid ground for to  enhance mobility and collaboration in the arts between former Eastern Europe and Western European based artists. Through MAPA, HIPP introduced a unique model of alternative skill training through  seminars and workshops (Arts Management, Light Design, Technical and Performing Skills, Dramaturgy for Dance), for the practicing performing artists working in the independent sector in Croatia, but then also through workshops across former East Europe and also in Berlin and in Amsterdam. Numerous artistic leaders and practitioners active on the Croatian performing scene  were received  valuable management training; many artists leading today’s developments within the sector in Croatia had received opportunity to develop their practical skills and moved on to on to create their own performing units and/or to teach as MAPA instructors throughout Europe (Aleksander Acev, Matko Raguz, Ivana Muller, Branka Cvjeticanin, Denis Sesnic, Andrea Bozic, Zak Valenta etc). Through HIPP numerous Croatian dance students received opportunities to continue their dance education at European dance institutions. Moving Academy for Performing arts continues today as a society registered and operating in The Netherlands (mapa.nl).

Within its educational and networking activity in addition to collaboration within the MAPA network, HIPP partnered with a number of European dance programs including:  D.A.N.C.E. spearheaded by Random Dance (UK) , Cie Preljocaj (FR) and Charleroi/Danses (B). HIPP, along with CCN Ballet Biarritz and Festvial Le Temps d’Aimer Biarritz (FR), Dantzaz San Sebastian (E) partners with the Centro Ricerca Arti Sceniche Contemporanee and the Biennale Danze e Italia in the organization of the International Choreographic Competion in Pesaro, Italy 2006.