ICC

Introducing the hottest part of the ❤️‍🔥 HOT BODIES team - the accompanying artists of 2026 👉 @acenow and @israelaloni . 🔥 Aleksandar Georgiev (Ace) is a choreographer and artistic researcher operating through artistic and cultural work at the intersection of performance, choreography, and critical practice. His work focuses on the body as a site of political, social, and affective transformation, investigating how movement can challenge normative structures and generate alternative forms of relationality. He holds a 🎓 BA in Dance Theatre from New Bulgarian University (Sofia) and an 🎓 MA in Choreography from DOCH (Stockholm). His practice has developed through both formal and independent research contexts, including 👉 DanceWEB, NOMAD, SPAZIO, and Critical Practice Made in YU. _ HOT Bodies #5 is produced by ICC / @imaginativecc , Garage Collective, and ZONA - Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realised with the financial support of the @nationalculturefund (Program Debuts), the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme "Mobility", ArtSofia and the Austrian Culture Forum Sofia. HOT Bodies #5 is organised in partnership with @danceframecollective , iIDance (Gothenburg), @drama_theatre_burgas , Youth Cultural Center Burgas, @toplocentrala , @baza.space - Space for Choreographic Research, @derida_dance , @sito.studio , @bobbina_cs , and @onedance.festival .

SHARING PRACTICE Within the framework of HOT Bodies #5, we invite you to join 7 international artistic encounters – Sharing Practice with artists from the program, taking place in Burgas and Sofia. entrance: free ⚡️⚡️⚡️ working language: English 🌊B U R G A S🧜‍♀️ Studio @amrita.burgas / Bratya Miladinovi, bl. 145 Burgas, Bulgaria Studio Architects building May 18, 10:00–11:30 Sharing Practice with Elena Marinova @chocolenna session with invitations May 19, 10:00–11:30 @amrita.burgas Sharing Practice with Bibi Bauer @b2au4er May 20, 10:00–11:30 Studio Architects building Sharing Practice with Anton Mladenov @antonmladenov03 May 21, 10:00–11:30 Studio Architects building Sharing Practice with Linn Lindström @linnlindstroms May 22, 10:00–11:30 @amrita.burgas Sharing Practice with Emilia Radicheva @emiliaradicheva S O F I A May 26, 10:00–11:30 Sharing Practice with Aleksandar Georgiev (Ace) Hall 1, @toplocentrala @acenow May 29, 10:00–11:30 Sharing Practice with Israel Aloni Hall 2, @toplocentrala @israelaloni Sharing Practices is a part of HOT Bodies #5, and produced by ICC / Imaginative Choreographic Center, Garage Collective, and ZONA – Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria, Program Debuts, the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme “Mobility ’26” and “Dance, Dance Theatre, and Performance”, ArtSofia, and the Austrian Culture Forum, Sofia HOT Bodies #5 is organized in partnership with Dance Frame Collective, Burgas, iIDance, Gothenburg, Adriana Budevska Drama Theatre, Burgas, Toplocentrala, BAZA – Space for Choreographic Research, Studio MIRA, Derida Dance, SITO Studio, Bobbina Cultural Space, Sofia, and One Dance Festival, Plovdiv.

🌸POETIC Bodies 🌸 Critical and Choreographic Practice for Young People (ages 10–14) proposes critical thinking as a living practice — poetic, playful, situated, and deeply connected to the body… and to the joy of moving, sensing, and having fun together. This first circle is led by @georgievnow & @zhanapencheva !!! Meet Ace & Zhana 15.05 – 06.06 / @Toplocentrala , Sofia Do you want to play with dance and choreography?
Do you want to watch performances unfold?
Do you want to talk, share, and wonder about them? Come join us in this game, 
a space to move, imagine, and discover together. POETIC Bodies and HOT Bodies #5 are produced by ICC / Imaginative Choreographic Center, Garage Collective, and ZONA – Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria, Program Debuts, the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme “Mobility ’26” and “Dance, Dance Theatre, and Performance”, ArtSofia and the Austrian Culture Forum, Sofia POETIC Bodies & HOT Bodies #5 is organized in partnership with Dance Frame Collective, Burgas, iIDance, Gothenburg, Adriana Budevska Drama Theatre and Youth Cultural Center, Burgas, Toplocentrala, BAZA – Space for Choreographic Research,Stidio MIRA,  Derida Dance, SITO Studio, Bobbina Cultural Space, Sofia and One Dance Festival, Plovdiv.

💫POETIC Bodies💫 
Choreographic and Critical Practice for Young People (ages 10–14) 
15.05 – 06.06 / space of @toplocentrala , Sofia Led by: Aleksandar Georgiev & Zhana Pencheva @georgievnow @acenow @zhanapencheva Do you want to play with dance and choreography?
Do you want to watch performances unfold?
Do you want to talk, share, and wonder about them? Come join us in this game, 
a space to move, imagine, and discover together. SCHEDULE⚡️⚡️⚡️ * 15.05 (Friday), 18:00–19:30 / opening session/ Terrasse Toplocentrala * 16.05 (Saturday), 12:00-14:00 / session /Terasse Toplocentrala + 18:00 - 19:30 performance visiting/Bulgarian Dance Platform / Toplocenrala * 31.05 (Sunday), 16:30-18:30/ session, hall 4 Toplocentrala & 19:00-21:00/ visiting HOT Bodies #5 presentations, Toplocentrala, Hall 1 * 06.06 (Saturday), 12:00-14:00 / Closing session, Terrasse in Toplocentrala This artistic situation opens a new program line of ICC within the 5th edition of HOT Bodies — imagined as a playground for practicing together around choreography and critical thinking. It invites young people (ages 10–14) to enter the worlds of dance, choreography, and critical practice. Through watching, talking, playing, and experimenting, participants begin to shape their own language — a language to express: 
what they see,
what they feel,
what they think. POETIC Bodies and HOT Bodies #5 are produced by ICC / Imaginative Choreographic Center, Garage Collective, and ZONA – Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realized with the financial support of the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria, Program Debuts, the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme “Mobility ’26” and “Dance, Dance Theatre, and Performance”, ArtSofia and the Austrian Culture Forum, Sofia POETIC Bodies & HOT Bodies #5 is organized in partnership with Dance Frame Collective, Burgas, iIDance, Gothenburg, Adriana Budevska Drama Theatre and Youth Cultural Center, Burgas, Toplocentrala, BAZA – Space for Choreographic Research,Stidio MIRA,  Derida Dance, SITO Studio, Bobbina Cultural Space, Sofia and One Dance Festival, Plovdiv.

Introducing the next ❤️‍🔥 HOT BODIES artist of 2026 👉 @emiliaradicheva . Emilia Radicheva is a performer and choreographer working across contemporary dance and performance, physical and dramatic theatre, musicals, and video projects. 🔙 In 2023, she graduated from the 🎓 National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts “Krastyo Sarafov” with a degree in Dance Theatre. In 2025, she created her debut original performance “Moment.Silence”. 👀 Her stage experience includes works such as “Shilo” and “Echo and Nobody” (choreography by Yanitsa Atanasova), “The Secret of Music” and “The Book of Dreams” (directed by West Hyler), “Gala” (choreography by Jérôme Bel), “Rabbit” (choreography by Stephanie Handzhiyska), “Dead Souls” (directed by Gergana Dimitrova), as well as “Amalgamate” by Anton Mladenov and “Reflections 2.0” by Iskra Prodanova, among others. We’re excited to support Emilia’s 💭 upcoming research and creation. Stay close 👉 more artists will be 👀 announced soon. _ HOT Bodies #5 is produced by ICC / @imaginativecc , Garage Collective, and ZONA - Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realised with the financial support of the @nationalculturefund (Program Debuts), the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme "Mobility", ArtSofia and the Austrian Culture Forum Sofia. HOT Bodies #5 is organised in partnership with @danceframecollective , iIDance (Gothenburg), @drama_theatre_burgas , Youth Cultural Center Burgas, @toplocentrala , @baza.space - Space for Choreographic Research, @derida_dance , @sito.studio , @bobbina_cs , and @onedance.festival .

Introducing the next ❤️‍🔥 HOT BODIES artist of 2026 👉 @chocolenna , who will rejoin the programme after her participation in the first edition. Elena Marinova (she/her) is a Bulgarian contemporary dance artist, choreographer, and cultural entrepreneur. She graduated from 🎓 Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London in 2023 and will begin her 🎓 MA degree at Erasmus University (Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship) in 2026. 💭 Elena is the founder and Artistic Director of @danceframecollective and the creator of @headunderwater_dancecompany . She also develops educational platforms in the field of dance, including Dance Frame Residency and Dance Frame University, supporting emerging artists in their professional paths. In 2025, she established Dance Frame Fest, a festival for young international choreographers held annually in Sofia, Bulgaria. As a performer, she has been part of Derida Dance Company and DUNE Dance Company and is active in multidisciplinary projects connecting dance, sound, text, and visual art. As a choreographer, she has worked with the National Contemporary Dance Company of Bulgaria - Ballet Arabesque, ATOM Theatre, DUNE Youth Company, her own company Head Under Water Dance Company, and on independent projects. We’re excited to invite Elena Marinova again within 🔥 HOT BODIES. _ HOT Bodies #5 is produced by ICC / @imaginativecc , Garage Collective, and ZONA - Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realised with the financial support of the @nationalculturefund (Program Debuts), the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme "Mobility", ArtSofia and the Austrian Culture Forum Sofia. HOT Bodies #5 is organised in partnership with @danceframecollective , iIDance (Gothenburg), @drama_theatre_burgas , Youth Cultural Center Burgas, @toplocentrala , @baza.space - Space for Choreographic Research, @derida_dance , @sito.studio , @bobbina_cs , and @onedance.festival .

Next ❤️‍🔥 HOT BODIES artist of 2026 👉 @linnlindstroms . Working between dance and 🎙️ voice, Linn Lindström develops a practice rooted in rhythm, layering, and imagery 👉 where movement and everyday life continuously inform one another. For her, dancing and creating function as a way to better understand and articulate the world and the living beings within it. Based in 📍 Stockholm, Linn is a contemporary dancer and singer. She graduated from 🎓 Balettakademien in 2020 and has since worked as a freelance artist across Sweden, Germany, and Armenia, collaborating with choreographers such as Sebastian Matthias, Helena Franzén, Fabian Wixe, Maria Ulriksson, and Liv Aira. Alongside her performing career, she has been increasingly engaged in her own choreographic work, while also seeking interdisciplinary contexts that allow her to deepen the relationship between body, breath, and voice. 👀💭 We’re looking forward to supporting Linn’s research within HOT BODIES. Stay close 👉 more artists will be announced soon. _ HOT Bodies #5 is produced by ICC / @imaginativecc , Garage Collective, and ZONA - Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realised with the financial support of the @nationalculturefund (Program Debuts), the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme "Mobility", ArtSofia and the Austrian Culture Forum Sofia. HOT Bodies #5 is organised in partnership with @danceframecollective , iIDance (Gothenburg), @drama_theatre_burgas , Youth Cultural Center Burgas, @toplocentrala , @baza.space - Space for Choreographic Research, @derida_dance , @sito.studio , @bobbina_cs , and @onedance.festival .

Introducing the next ❤️‍🔥 HOT BODIES artist of 2026 👉 @b2au4er . Bibi Bauer is a 📍 Vienna-based dance artist working at the intersection of contemporary dance, pedagogy, and community-based practice. Her work is shaped by interdisciplinary experiences 👉 as a performer, teacher, video editor, and contributor to trauma-transformational projects. 💭 A founding member of @arashi.collective and the Vienna Soundpainting Collective, she develops an artistic approach grounded in physical research, care-based methodologies, and the creation of spaces centered on shared agency and exchange. Her work has been presented across 🌎 Europe, including venues such as OFF Theater, WUK, and Porgy & Bess (Vienna), Dschungel Wien, Schwere Reiter and Theater HochX (Munich), Residenz (Leipzig), as well as Derida Stage (Sofia) and festivals such as the 30th International Bühnenwerkstatt Graz. Her connection with the Bulgarian scene includes multiple invitations to Dance Frame Festival, where she presented the solo anicca and the trio “HUGS”, as well as leading a 10-day class series during the Dance Frame Residency at Toplocentrala in Sofia. We’re excited to support Bibi’s practice within 🔥 HOT BODIES. _ HOT Bodies #5 is produced by ICC / @imaginativecc , Garage Collective, and ZONA - Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realised with the financial support of the @nationalculturefund (Program Debuts), the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme "Mobility", ArtSofia and the Austrian Culture Forum Sofia. HOT Bodies #5 is organised in partnership with @danceframecollective , iIDance (Gothenburg), @drama_theatre_burgas , Youth Cultural Center Burgas, @toplocentrala , @baza.space - Space for Choreographic Research, @derida_dance , @sito.studio , @bobbina_cs , and @onedance.festival .

Introducing the first ❤️‍🔥 HOT BODIES artist of 2026 👉 @antonmladenov03 . Anton Mladenov was born in Sofia, Bulgaria. He graduated from the 🎓 Ballettschule Theater Basel in Switzerland and has performed with companies such as Opera na Zamku in Szczecin and Ballet Arabesque in Sofia. He made his choreographic debut in 🔙 December 2024 with the work “AMALGAMATE”. In March 2026, he founded his own company 👉 @ampm_company . We’re excited to support Anton’s new 💭 research and upcoming creation. 🔥 Stay close - more artists will be announced soon. _ HOT Bodies #5 is produced by ICC / @imaginativecc , Garage Collective, and ZONA - Organization for Cultural Practices. The project is realised with the financial support of the @nationalculturefund (Program Debuts), the Culture Fund of Burgas Municipality, the Culture Fund of Sofia Municipality - programme "Mobility", ArtSofia and the Austrian Culture Forum Sofia. HOT Bodies #5 is organised in partnership with @danceframecollective , iIDance (Gothenburg), @drama_theatre_burgas , Youth Cultural Center Burgas, @toplocentrala , @baza.space - Space for Choreographic Research, @derida_dance , @sito.studio , @bobbina_cs , and @onedance.festival .

HOT Bodies #5 is almost here 🔥
The big dance gathering begins. @hot_bodies_icc In May 2026, the program unfolds as a multi-city international platform across Bulgaria, connecting Burgas, Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv, and Sofia. This edition is dreamed and curated by Zhana Pencheva @zhanapencheva , in dialogue with Aleksandar Georgiev (Ace) @acenow @georgievnow , and held together with Elena Marinova @chocolenna . Who are the HOT artists of the 5th edition? Where, what, when, and with whom you’ll find out very soon 🌸 HOT Bodies is a program line organized and produced by the Imaginative Choreographic Center (ICC) dedicated to supporting choreographers and dance artists entering the field, working across independent and freelance international contexts. The program is based in Bulgaria, Burgas, Sofia, Plovdiv, and Veliko Tarnovo, and is funded through Garage Collective and ZONA – organisation for cultural practices. It creates space for artistic proposals to grow into works-in-progress and to be shared publicly. A process.
A meeting point.
Between artists, audiences, cities, practices. A space for research.
For feedback.
For friction.
For pleasure.
For a party.
For being together. @imaginativecc Design by @despodovv #HOTBODIES5

ICC SHOWS 💙💚💖 ALL TICKETS INFO IN BIO 🎟️🎫 25 FEB @toplocentrala 19:00 Before Disappearing by @zhanapencheva 26 FEB @toplocentrala 19:00 Fantastic Futures by @georgievnow 27 FEB @derida_stage 19:00 The Power of S by @georgievnow 28 FEB @derida_stage 19:00 Anal Body / Anal Politics by @georgievnow and @bodying_in_common ATRÁS by @georgievnow 1 MAR @toplocentrala 19:00 PHANTOM by @dbardam 8 MAR @toplocentrala 19:00 I love when you’re watching me by @zhanapencheva “Bringing together seven artistic works, the programme insists on demystifying the body and expanding how it can be seen, felt, and imagined, not through provocation or spectacle, but through tenderness, pleasure, intimacy, and attention.” This project is curated, run, and produced by @georgievnow , realized with the financial support of the @minculturebg and supported by @toplocentrala and @derida_stage .  Graphic design by @despodovv . PR by @m.a.y.a_i . Social Media by @dbardam . Administrative assistance by Viktoria Kostova. #ICCSHOWS

YOU CANNOT MISS DARÍO´S WORK 🍑 1 MAR @toplocentrala 19:00
PHANTOM by @dbardam Tickets info in bio 🎟️🎫 Built around a body that never fully settles into presence, moving between appearance and disappearance. Rhythm becomes a force that distorts perception, producing a dance that is porous, unstable and difficult to locate. The ghost emerges not as an image of absence, but as a strategy to undo fixed identity and let movement circulate as sensation, residue and insistence. 💙💚💖 ICC SHOWS is curated, run, and produced by @georgievnow , realized with the financial support of the @minculturebg and supported by @toplocentrala and @derida_stage .  Graphic design by @despodovv . PR by @m.a.y.a_i . Social Media by @dbardam . Administrative assistance by Viktoria Kostova. #ICCSHOWS