Anna Protsiou
Anna is a versatile artist whose journey spans both in contemporary dance and circus arts. Since moving to Montreal, Canada in February 2023, she has been working on her solo creation funded by the Canada Council for the Arts and supported by the TOHU creation residency. Anna is currently seeking performing opportunities and is open to pursuing new projects. She is also in creation for “Altération” directed by Aly Keita, planned to be presented in 2024.
In June 2022, Anna co-directed, choreographed, and performed in Moving Roots: Reflections, a multidisciplinary contemporary arts show also supported by the Canada Council for the Arts. Her debut creation, TANGLED, a collaboration with Anastasia Evsigneeva, took shape in late 2019, resulting in both a live performance piece and a film version. Under the mentorship of Robin Poitras and Edward Poitras, Anna became an artist in residence with New Dance Horizons in the summer of 2020, an ongoing residency to date.
Anna's dance career has been marked by numerous workshops, intensives, and performances. Notable highlights include collaborations with choreographers such as Odette Heyn, Stephanie Ballard, Peter Quanz, and Harold Rhéaume. Her performances encompass works with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the Winnipeg Preservation Initiative, Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers, and Le fils d'Adrien danse in Quebec City, as well as participation in the New Blue Dance Festival in Toronto. In the summer of 2019, Anna expanded her artistic horizons by participating in Creando Lazos a Traves De La Danza in Mexico with Ilse Torres and Roberto Mosqueda.
Anna graduated with a Bachelor Honours Degree in Contemporary Dance from the School of Contemporary Dancers’ Professional Program, affiliated with the University of Winnipeg. During her dance studies, Anna discovered her fascination for circus arts which led her to a journey in contortion, hand-balancing, and aerial hoop. Originally under the guidance of Samantha Halas and later on with mentors such as Serchmaa Byamba and Valerie Doucet. Anna is now training with Anna Ostapenko on contortion and Tanya Burka on aerial hoop. As a circus artist she has performed with Frostbite Circus, One Trunk Theatre in Winnipeg, Hit and Run Dance Productions in Toronto, and Les Productions Haut-Vol in Montreal.
Anna finds the limitless possibilities of a moving human body powerful and mesmerizing and loves exploring themes drawn from psychology and perception, Greek mythology, nature and animals as well as human relationships and evolution.
Venturing into multidisciplinary collaborations, Anna delves into the intersection of dance and circus constantly seeking new possibilities for artistic creation.