Sanja Krsmanović Tasić

Performance artist, theatre director, choreographer, dance and drama teacher. Graduated at the Philological Faculty, University of Belgrade, Department of Spanish language and literature and at the Faculty for Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, group for Modern and Jazz Dance (dance teacher and choreographer). Founder and artistic director of Hleb Teatar, independent theatre group from Belgrade, Serbia, and Association Artistic Utopia-UUU.  President of Centre for Drama in Education and Art-CEDEUM, where she actively advocates and creates projects for the promotion of drama/theatre and dance education. CEDEUM is also the producer of Bitef Polyphony side program of Bitef Festival since 2000. Elected officer of IDEA (International drama/theatre and education association) and member of the Coordination Commetee of IDEA Europe.

Her professional career started in 1981, in the realm of contemporary dance. 1993-2014 actress, core member of DAH Teatar and Program Director of DAH Theatre Research Centre. Author and producer of numerous programs and projects including  Art for Social Change and innovative educational projects. She has presented her work on festivals, congresses and conferences worldwide, lecturing, delivering papers, performing or presenting performances she directed and leading workshops. Since 2011, as an author she has started to develop new forms of performance, theatrical essays,  with a variation of an essay in movement.  

As artist creates work that is on the border line of activism and art, dealing with subjects that are important politically and socially. She believes that through art transformation and healing can be achieved. One of the concept she develops and presents is the concept Ecology of the Soul, indicating  the influence and benefit of art and art education for every human being, and especially children and young people. This concept is developed also through the children’s and youth theatre festival Mater Terra she organizes every year with her team. 

Initiator, author of the concept, curator and producer of the project and festival “Days of Smiljana Mandukić” as former dancer in the Belgrade Contemporary Dance of Smiljana Mandukić in the eighties. The program consists of performances, panels, artistic evenings, talks and dialogues, digitization of material, screenings of archived choreographies and films about this pioneer of modern dance in Serbia,  The project has so far produced two documentary films about the non material heritage of contemporary dance in Serbia. Selector and programmer of INFANT (International Festival of Alternative and New Theatre) in Novi Sad, Serbia.