Bruno Isaković

Delving into Dance

Bruno Isaković is a performer, teacher and choreographer based in Zagreb, Croatia. Bruno’s dancing emerged from rave parties.

"I loved it, a wave took me away from all the things I couldn’t connect with in Croatia”

Dance lead Bruno to studying contemporary dance at the Amsterdam School of the Arts, graduating in 2009. Bruno’s work often explores the "body as a reflection of society." I spoke to Bruno while he was in Australia, with his work Denuded being presented at Philip Adams Ballet Lab, Temperance Hall as part of Midsumma Festival. Created in 2013, Denuded has toured to New York, Tokyo, London, Sao Paulo, Melbourne and Hobart, posing question about how performance might read differently depending on context.

Starting as a solo show, and also developed into a group show, Denuded becomes a site for investigating the way the body communicates to an audience. The work is driven by the breath of the performer. His partner, NAME, lovingly describes Bruno as a “stage breather”. In the work Denuded, the gaze is returned to the audience, averting the potential for a more voyeuristic gaze: "I am observing them, observing me." He received the Jury Award and Best Solo Dance at Solo Dance International Festival in Budapest and Croatian national award 2016 as a best choreographer for Denuded (ensemble version).

Bruno regularly teaches workshops and dance classes, in places such as Bilgi University of Performing Arts – Istanbul, contemporary dance department at The Academy of Dramatic Art – Zagreb – , TSEKH Summer School – Moscow.