Iztok Kovač is a choreographer and founder of En–Knap. Following the international success of his solo How I Caught a Falcon (1991), he became one of the key figures in the development of Slovenian contemporary dance. He founded En–Knap Group, Slovenia's first permanent contemporary dance ensemble, and serves as artistic director of both En–Knap and the Španski borci Cultural Centre. His works have toured internationally for more than three decades. Additionally, his artistic practice includes six dance films, international pedagogical work, guest choreography and the direction of major national events in Slovenia. During the Covid period, he initiated Stage360, developing dance works in virtual reality.
Vertigo Birds traces its origins back to Vertigo Bird (1997), a dance film by Iztok Kovač and director Sašo Podgoršek, filmed in the industrial landscapes of Trbovlje, the choreographer's hometown. Created during a period of profound social and economic transformation, the work brought contemporary dancers into spaces marked by mining labour and industrial decline, placing the body in direct dialogue with a disappearing world.