Towards the ensemble—a short history of En–Knap Group
The origins of En-Knap Group date back to 1998, when Iztok Kovač first envisioned a repertory ensemble built around long-term collaboration with dancers. Until 2009, EN-KNAP operated without a permanent stage, working with changing casts and developing its work on a project-by-project basis. Individual projects were financed separately through municipal and state funding, as well as support from Slovenian and international co-producers. At the same time, the growing need for greater professionalisation became increasingly evident—one that would create the conditions for sustained artistic research and long-term development.
The founding of En-Knap Group grew out of this ambition: to establish Slovenia’s first permanent contemporary dance ensemble while exploring new possibilities for the long-term development and work of a non-governmental cultural organisation in Slovenia.
Under Iztok Kovač’s artistic direction, a closely knit artistic collective took shape—united by a shared physical language, discipline, resilience and a strong sense of solidarity. Its movement vocabulary was shaped by the industrial landscape of Trbovlje, his hometown. The mining environment, forged through labour, perseverance and physical exertion, also informed a particular understanding of the dancing body—disciplined, grounded and resilient. A body shaped by work. A body that endures. A collective body. The industrial past was transformed into an artistic method: discipline became repertoire, perseverance became structure, and movement became infrastructure.
Among the ensemble’s distinctive creative methods were 3Q and Open Parts—two complementary choreographic devices developed by Kovač, both grounded in the use of chance, whether in structuring the choreography or in its interpretation, and employed in most of his performances. Dancers were constantly placed in unpredictable situations—both in the studio and through collective initiation experiences outside the theatre, ranging from climbing trips to visits to miners underground—expanding their field of experience before it entered the choreography.
In 2009, En–Knap took over the management of Španski Borci Cultural Centre, which became the central venue for the activities of En–Knap Group and a cultural centre in the broadest sense. The acquisition of a permanent home made it possible to realise more fully the vision of En–Knap Group and the wider scope of En–Knap Productions’ activities.
In 2015, En–Knap expanded this work through the EKG+ project, which, with the support of European Union funding, created new opportunities for young dancers to develop their skills and gain professional experience within the ensemble. For a period, the project enabled the ensemble to expand with a younger generation of dancers, further strengthening knowledge transfer, dance education and audience development. The aspiration to build a permanent ensemble of younger dancers remains alive to this day.
