KARLOVAC DANCE FESTIVAL
Festival of Contemporary Dance and Performing Arts
KDF015 Summer Edition / 30 June – 4 July 2025 / Karlovac, Croatia
Tesla on the Beach | 2 July 2025 | 20:00 | Kino Edison
Kino Edison, Šetalište dr. Franje Tuđmana 13, 47000 Karlovac
Tesla on the Beach is a multidisciplinary dance performance that unfolds through three foundational narratives from Nikola Tesla’s childhood, each giving rise to an act accompanied by a “knee play” — a brief transitional étude.
The production is both conceptually and thematically enriched by the portrayal of three distinct episodes from Tesla’s life, each intimately connected with rivers that mirror his visionary insights.
The performance explores profound themes — the elemental power of water, feelings of vulnerability and loss, alongside a prophetic vision of what lies ahead. Through these interwoven motifs, Tesla on the Beach transcends the conventions of dance theatre, becoming a medium for contemplation, understanding, and inspiration, drawing strength and energy from the symbolism of rivers.
The waterways that shaped Tesla’s formative years, and later inspired his pioneering ideas on wireless energy transmission, serve as the foundation for an exploration of the delicate balance between technology and nature.
In this work, Tesla emerges as a beacon of inspiration, while the rivers embody a source of vitality, together crafting a space for meditation, reflection, and harmony.
Creative Team:
Choreography: Melita Spahić Bezjak
Direction and Texts: Mario Kovač
Co-authors / Performers: Branko Banković, Larisa Lipovac Navojec, Melita Spahić Bezjak, Mario Kovač
Music: Damir Šimunović
Voice Consultant: Davorka Horvat
Lighting Design: Saša Fistrić
Technical Direction: Robert Pavlić
Costume Design: Ana Mikulić
Costume Assistant: Ana Paulić
Video: Majda Džanić
The Performance’s Guiding Spirit: Deborah Hustić
Firefighters in the Film: Dražen Petrić, Luka Mejašić, Stjepan Pirinčić, Martin Radočaj, Dražen Ljubenko
Photography: Denis Stošić
Video Footage: Miran Barjaković
Visual Identity: Hrvoje Jelinčić
Set Design: Majda Džanić and the performance’s creative team
Set Construction: Vladimir Bezjak
Public Relations: Ivana Sansević
Project Collaboration: Radiona.org – Zagreb Makerspace
Video Support and Collaboration: Firefighting Association of the City of Karlovac, Karlovac Volunteer Fire Brigade, and the Firefighting Association of Karlovac County
Production: Free Dance
Co-production: PC TALA, Melita Spahić Bezjak, UPUH
Financial Support and Patronage: Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, City of Karlovac, Croatian Association of Dance Artists, Kultura nova Foundation.
Previous Performances
Zagreb Premiere & Reprise:
🗓 5 & 6 April 2025, 19:00 | TALA PLE(J)S, Zagreb
Karlovac Premiere:
🗓 11 April 2025, 19:00 | Kino Edison, Karlovac
Karlovac Dance Festival is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia, the City of Karlovac, and with financial support from the “Kultura nova” Foundation.
KDF015 Summer Edition takes place as part of Karlovac’s Zvjezdano ljeto (Stellar Summer).
Admission to all events is free of charge.
More information about the festival: https://freedance.hr/kdf-hr/