Centre for Dance and Performing Arts F.R.E.E. D.A.N.C.E.
DANCE STUDIO: Contemporary Dance Atelier, Korzo, P. Zrinski 15, Karlovac, Croatia
OFFICE: Jurja Križanića 13, 47000 Karlovac, Croatia
MOB:
00385 99 388 72 07
00385 99 388 73 07
EMAIL: info@freedance.hr
WEB: freedance.hr
FB: @contemporarydanceatelier
IG: @freedance_karlovac
MB:01863380
OIB:35353673981
IBAN:HR74 24840081106703057
The Centre for Dance and Performing Arts F.R.E.E. D.A.N.C.E. is an independent, non-profit organisation founded in 2004. It brings together artists and professionals who are passionate about advancing contemporary dance and culture. Our focus is on education, producing performances, and developing dance as an art form. We actively involve both creators and audiences, promote cultural and educational goals, and work to support a thriving independent cultural scene. Free Dance operates in two locations and participates in a range of community projects, including those for children, young people, and the wider public.
Free Dance launched the Karlovac Dance Festival (KDF) in 2011 as a space for collaboration and sharing knowledge and experiences. The festival aims to enrich social, cultural, educational, and creative values. KDF’s goals include building and maintaining international dance partnerships, supporting multicultural and artistic collaborations, hosting residencies and research projects, and encouraging open dialogue among artists, audiences, and festival participants from around the world.
Vision
We connect different artistic disciplines with other fields and invite experts to join our work. We learn from them and share our own experiences, encouraging creativity in their areas. We also involve audiences directly in our performances, especially young people, preparing them for workshops and teaching them about dance, stage speech, and how text and dance relate. This approach builds a sense of community and helps people appreciate the value of art and different styles.
At Free Dance, our main philosophy is to explore new ways to perform and experience dance. We aim to create original, unique work and value diversity in everything we do.
Artistic works
Before creating Visible Time and A Dipper, An Artist and Doctor of Natural Sciences, we worked with natural science experts to encourage collaboration between science and art. We believe these fields can enrich one another and open new cultural possibilities. We use this same approach of connection and inclusion in all our artistic work. Both performances are multidisciplinary, blending different art forms so they influence each other. Vertical dance in these shows is used in both circus and dance. Contemporary dance and circus often overlap and can support each other as they grow. By combining disciplines, we look for new ways to perform that engage different audiences and inspire more events like these in the future.
Goal
We aim to share our work with international audiences, exchange ideas and knowledge with our partners, and start new collaborations. We also want to learn from other art communities and find inspiration in their work. Our goal is to create a lasting space for performing and sharing art.
Keywords
FOCUS
RESEARCH
EXPLORE
ENDEAVOR
DARE
ASPIRE
NETWORK
COLLABORATIVE
EXPERIENCE
Melita Spahić Bezjak
Melita Spahić Bezjak is a contemporary dance artist who trained at the Ana Maletić School for Contemporary Dance in Zagreb and continued her studies at the London Contemporary Dance School, where she earned her master’s degree. During her time in London (2004–2009), she participated in numerous dance, theatre, and opera projects.
Melita’s work spans dance, pedagogy, and choreographic research. Her projects are driven by collaboration, exploration, and experimentation, drawing inspiration from the intersections of science and art, nature, and the cosmos. Visual elements, multimedia, technology, and interactivity feature strongly in her choreographic work.
She is the author and choreographer of many dance-theatre projects in the UK and Croatia, presenting her work at festivals and choreography platforms, and teaching at the London Contemporary Dance School and Roehampton University. In Croatia, she has collaborated on drama, theatre, and dance productions with various artists and institutions.
Melita is the founder of the MSD Ensemble (UK) and Free Dance, and the initiator of the Karlovac Dance Festival (KDF). She is currently an independent artist in Karlovac, teaching contemporary dance at UŠ Matka Brajše Rašana Labin and the Contemporary Dance Atelier, integrating yoga into her practice, and actively contributing to Free Dance projects.
Alma Jerinić
Born in 1984 in Karlovac, Alma Jerinić trained at the Economic and Tourism School in Karlovac and gained informal dance experience at the Ballet Studio of Zorin dom Theatre (1990–2004). She performed in productions including Solacium Intro, GSM/GledamSlušamMislim, Solo Tango, and Rapsodia del Cante Jondo.
Alma is a co-founder of F.R.E.E. D.A.N.C.E. Karlovac, alongside Melita Spahić Bezjak and Ivana Frančišković Olrom. She has extensive experience in producing and coordinating contemporary dance projects, and since 2011 has played a key role in organising the Karlovac Dance Festival (KDF).
Since 2015, Alma has served as assistant and coordinator for various performances, volunteer programmes, and artistic projects. She continues to coordinate Free Dance programmes, including Naprijed s publikom and KDF, and manages operations at the Contemporary Dance Atelier.
Ivana Frančišković Olrom
Born in 1979 in Karlovac, Ivana studied dramaturgy before turning to writing. Nature is a guiding inspiration in all of her creative work. She is the author and editor at the small publishing house Šumeki, and since 2002 has been an active member, volunteer, and staff of Eko Pan, developing the social enterprise Klijanac i Pup.
Ivana has collaborated with Melita Spahić Bezjak on productions at the Ballet Studio of Zorin dom Theatre and later joined Free Dance to promote and strengthen contemporary dance in Karlovac.
Sonja Zalar
Sonja Zalar (b. 1983, Karlovac) is a multidisciplinary designer, creative director, and independent artist working at the intersection of design, visual arts, and new media. She holds a degree in IT Engineering (Digital Design, TVZ Zagreb, 2008), blending technical expertise with a strong conceptual approach.
Her international experience, from the UK to New Zealand, shapes a globally informed perspective and a sensitivity to diverse audiences and contexts. Sonja’s work is driven by a deep interest in aesthetics, movement, and expression, often drawing on disciplines such as dance to inform her creative direction.
Sonja joined Free Dance in 2023. She works on brand strategy and graphic and web design for the organization and the KDF platform. She also supports project coordination for selected initiatives.