Csilla Nagy

Artist statement

Csilla Nagy is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and Craniosacral Therapist. She pursued her studies at the Hungarian Dance Academy and furthered her education at CODARTS- Rotterdam Dance Academy. Her early dance education also included time at the Budapest Dance School under the guidance of Goli Táncműhely. From 2008 onward, Csilla Nagy engaged in collaborative efforts with ARTUS – Gábor Goda Company. Notably, she became a part of the L1 Association between 2013 and 2015. Since 2012, she has held the position of collective leader within CIPOLLACOLLECTIVA.

In the realm of artistic philosophy, Csilla Nagy’s perspective is encapsulated by her statement:

“As an artist, I have always been interested in the abstraction and the universal aspects of the personal stories of individuals. As a creator, I am thrilled about incorporating theparticipant artists’ personal experiences into the production. In the layers of our own character – likewise the peel of the onion -, we all have sweeter and bitterer parts, but theyare all necessary for constructing our identity. The aim is to reconcile the contradictory elements, accept human frailty, assume vulnerability, and research the possible ways ofsurpassing them. In my opinion, the use of theatrical means gives an opportunity to explore those attributes of human nature and the research of harmony can be openly shownthrough the art of dance. The irony is almost as important as humor, we shouldn’t take ourselves seriously just as much as definitely needed!”

Csilla Nagy’s affinity for dance originated from a young age, with her journey commencing at the age of six. Dance, for her, became an indispensable means of self-expression, with her body serving as the medium for her artistic voice. An advocate for the innate wisdom of the body, she attributes great significance to the interconnectedness of movement, body awareness, and nature. The onset of the pandemic precipitated transformative shifts in her life, leading her to embrace body awareness movement practice and forge a deeper bond with the natural world. During periods of isolation, she came to recognize the profound value of touch and its therapeutic potency.

Further delving into her motivations, Csilla Nagy’s artistic focus as a dancer and choreographer gravitates toward movement-improvisational experimentation. Her explorations center on diverse movement qualities, which she endeavors to reinterpret and convey through a variety of artistic mediums. A central theme in her work is the manipulation of energy flows inherent in movement, aiming to evoke a sense of existence or state of being that transcends the physical realm and attains a touch of the ‘magical’ and natural.

This artistic approach draws from a range of established techniques, notably the Skinner Release Technique-body awareness method (under Eszter Gál’s influence), Tai Chi – Qigong (through association with the Artus Company), BodyMind Centering (inspired by collaboration with Eszter Salamon), and Craniosacral Biodynamics (informed by her Craniosacral therapy training under Zsolt Tar). Regular engagement with these practices has led her to her current artistic juncture, characterized not merely as a fixed point but an ongoing journey. This journey has facilitated a deeper connection with her creative process and has attracted an array of collaborative partners, including Júlia Vavra for the creation ÖBÖL/Bay, the ensemble behind AMŐBA/Amoeba, and ongoing collaborative endeavors such as the current project with Dávid Mikó titled A testmisztériuma/Mystery of the body.