BIO
Vassiliya Drebova is a Bulgarian based theater, dance and performance artist. Although her background is in dramatic theatre, her work in the last few years is mainly in the field of documentary verbatim theater, experimental dance, video and mixed genre projects, exploring themes such as social inequality, weirdness, addictions, creative energy. Since 2015 she has been part of the company Documentary theater studio VOX POPULI and since 2021 she has started making her own artistic projects. Her debut performance as an author and director "Common People" (2021) combines documentary and movement theater and is focused on the theme of success, based on the stories of artists who drew back from their careers. She is giving workshops for teenagers and from 2022 till present she is a part-time lecturer in the Theater Department in New Bulgarian University.Some highlights in her career that received local recognition are:
- The long-term collaboration with the artistic director of VOX POPULI – Neda Sokolovksa and, especially, taking part in the performances "Crime scene evidence" (ICARUS 2016 nomination for Best Dramaturgy), "This is where Bulgaria begins" (ASKEER 2016 nomination for "Best Performance"),"Underwater" - collaboration with the American company Built for collapse and co-directed by Sanaz Gadjarahimi, presented at a residence in New York at Laguardia Performing Arts Center in 2016;
- working with the choreographer Stephanie Handzhiyska on “Ion - a play for the adopted” - nominated for the ICARUS 2017 award for Best Performance in the category of Contemporary Dance and Performance.
- being part of the process of the movement performance “Impossible Actions” led by the playwright Yassen Vassilev (ICARUS 2022 nomination for Contemporary Dance and Performance);
- taking part in the Bulgarian cast of “In C” by Sasha Waltz and guests in season 2022-2023 in Toplocentrala, Sofia.
She is currently interested in searching for and defining her own artistic language that bases movement on speech rhythm and musicality and looking forward to creating her first autobiographical solo project. She is also exploring the fluidity of dance and all forms of everyday movement and gesture that could be part of it.