Adrienn Hód, Hodworks

Charlie

90 min

#guest performances

2026

Charlie (2025) is an inclusive dance performance created by Adrienn Hód, the work foregrounds the stage presence and personality of performer Károly Tóth, a non-normative bodied artist who uses a wheelchair. Drawing on an in-depth interview process, the performance translates experiences of everyday life into an immersive physical and performative space, free of taboos. Through movement, speech, and presence, Charlie invites audiences to reflect on patience, openness, and diversity of embodiment. Following Harmonia (2022) and Idol (2023), Charlie is the third inclusive creation by Hód, continuing her long-term exploration of collaboration between normatively able-bodied and non-normative bodied performers, and reaffirming contemporary dance as a space of more inclusive futures.

The body is never singular or fixed; it is shaped by norms, expectations, and systems that define what is considered functional, capable and worth being visible. Each movement carries intention and direction, yet remains open to unpredictability and transformation. Exactly the same goes for Charlie. In his movement, limitation is not merely an obstacle but a generative force: at times shaping dance, at other times being produced by it. His performative presence changes the politics of visibility, inviting us to reconsider how bodies are seen and valued within contemporary culture.

When a disabled body rewrites the rules of dance

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Even though I speak in another way, even though I move in another way, I try to make an impact on people with these tools.

Károly Tóth

I deliberately avoided creating heroic images — including by not framing bodies with disabilities as “overcoming” limitations. I work a lot with improvisation and physicality. It was very important for us to share each other’s preparation, warm-up, movement strategies — how do you connect with your body? Where and how do you use the weight? The aim was to bring dancers together on a horizontal level. Horizontal level means recognizing our differences but being aware of what we have in common.

Adrienn Hód

bio

Adrienn Hód is a unique and innovative creator of the Hungarian contemporary dance scene, well-known internationally. Her pieces, Basse Danse in 2012, Dawn in 2014, and Conditions of Being a Mortal in 2015, have been selected into the 20 most outstanding contemporary dance pieces by the European dance network Aerowaves. Her company Hodworks regularly appears at international festivals and theatres.

Her choreographies tend to deconstruct, destabilise, and re-build already existing dance structures. The focus of her work is the performer’s status, as related to extreme human states and verbal and physical expression. Hód’s performances challenge taboos, enriched with a robust but delicate humour: a radical study of the body, free of prejudice. She opens up a parallel reality, which is built up from the unconscious and the ecstatic. Her audience is attracted to a "grey zone" where "presence" dominates "meaning".

credits

Choreographer Adrienn Hód

Performer Károly Tóth

Sociologist, consultant Judit Surányi

Music Rozália Mákó

Light Kata Dézsi

Supported by OFF Alapítvány, Eötvös10, NKA

Co-producer DansiT Choreograpic Center

Special thanks to Ádám Czirák, Ágnes Gyulavári, Ármin Szabó-Székely, Csaba Molnár, Eszter Gál, Imola Kacsó, Imre Vass, Katalin Erdődi, Marcio Kerber Canabarro, Márton Gláser, Natália Nagy, Szilvia Artner, Veronika Szabó, Viktor Szeri

Guest performance production En–Knap Productions

With support of Liszt Institute – Hungarian Cultural Centre in Ljubljana.

En–Knap Productions

Founder and artistic director Iztok Kovač

Managing director Marjeta Lavrič

Executive director and head of finance Julija Travančič

Executive producer Nataša Ramovš

En–Knap Group artistic director Mattia Cason

En–Knap Group rehearsals director Ana Štefanec Knez

Communication and creation executive Valerija Intihar

Design Marko Damiš

Event coordinator and organiser Katja Gabrijelčič

Technical support Omar Ismail, Hotimir Knific, Gal Škrjanec Skaberne, Maja Pahor, Aljaž Zaletel, Fabijan Purg

Special thanks Zavod Brez ovir in TaktilPro d.o.o

The programme of En–Knap and the Španski Borci Cultural Centre (managed by En–Knap Productions) is financially supported by the City of Ljubljana – Department of Culture and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.