about me
Welcome! My name is MILENA SUNDARI and I am a freelance dancer and choreographer based in Berlin. Dance has been a part of almost my whole life. I completed my professional contemporary dance education in Berlin in 2020. I am a member of the interdisciplinary collective Zookunft.Project based in Zurich (CH) and Berlin (DE).
When I decided to study contemporary dance I very soon understood my interest not only flips around contemporary dance but sneaks to other forms and techniques too. So here I am, finding my own language in dance somewhere between contemporary, modern, acro-dance and other styles which are not developed enough yet to be written down.
A particularly important choreographic and dance project for me is my dance solo friedhofen (verb) including an intense, eleven months research process before premiering in October 2022. It is about my own movement motivations in relation to loss, grief and pain related to suicide.
As a choreographer I realize my artistic focus around macrosocial processes dealing with people’s coexistence. I am interested in social structures and struggles being built in space and time. How can they be found in people’s every day life? What is the moving nature of social commonalities as well as differences? Working with youngsters and non-professionals is as important for my research as evolving projects with professional movers.
Until now my work was funded by the Jewish Museum Berlin, DIS-TANZ-SOLO, A.PART, GVL, Fonds Soziokultur/Jonge Kunst and Theater Na de Dam.
My wish to dance always fuses with my desire to travel. So I combine both and share some wonderful experiences dancing and getting to know people in Montréal/Tiothi:ake, Canada, at the four month professional development program BIG BANG, in Israel at Repertoire Dance Intensive D7 in Tel Aviv (with dancers from Vertigo, Barak Marshall, Sharon Eyal and more), Namibia with the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation (some presentations were in slums and prisons), Turkey (ballet classes at Neriman Balet Okulu, Bursa) and Spain at Marta Buscamente Dance School (Summer Intensive with Natalie Wagner and more).
Starting my dance journey several years ago at the age of 6 with my ballet teacher Marica Kersten I always experienced great joy in every single of her dance lessons. It is only about warm memories coming along with Maricas spirit of work. Her caring interest in detailed working with our different bodies and little souls is my basic dance experience and almost a fundament of trust and energy for me. My first appearances in Maricas dance choreographies of „Karneval der Tiere“ makes me happy until today remembering that I can always be a truly dancing salad-eating turtle, a squirrel or a silver fish.
Curriculum Vitae
2025
– performer in FUZZY LOGIC by Jantien Fick at Oerol Festival, Terschelling, Netherlands
– choreographic assistance for a dance scene in the series Schwarzes Gold directed by Tim Trachte and Nina Wolfrum, choreography by Lina Rohde
– dancer in the music film REQUIEM, directed by Christine Boock, choreography by Lena Zinnen
– performance of the solo piece little things choreographed by me at OPEN STUDIO: Stage by Sasha Waltz and guests in Berlin, Germany
– artistic direction of the piece SCHOCK at ACADEMY – Bühnenkunstschule für Jugendliche in Berlin, about 20 min, 9 young performers (15-26 years old), Germany
– co-artistic direction with Rachel Hameleers of the piece ICH STEHE STILL und rühre mich at ACADEMY – Bühnenkunstschule für Jugendliche in Berlin, about 90 min, 18 young performers (15-26 years old), Germany
– teacher of the Basis Program by motion*s Berlin
2024
– performance and co-choreography of the piece X by Zookunft.Project at Kunst Im Depot, Winterthur, Switzerland
– multiplyer in Spiegelneuronen by Stefan Kaegi (Rimini Protokoll) at Radialsystem Berlin, Germany
– performance of the solo piece little things choreographed by me at Panda Platforma as part of KÜRA, at Alte Feuerwache e.V. and Kurt-Lade-Klub in Berlin, Germany
– April-July member of AWAKE CREW by Roman Varava
– light design for AUF DIE FRESSE by ACADEMY – Bühnenkunstschule für Jugendliche in Berlin, Germany
2023
– rehearsal and creative assistant for iRiS choreographed by Joy Alpuerto Ritter for DART dsp in Potsdam/Berlin, Germany
– four month professional dance development program BIG BANG in Montréal/Tiohtiàke, Canada, with the realization of two work-in-progresses:
(1) Solo piece little things performed and choreographed by me, 9 min
(2) Bling Blang / a flying piece (working title), choreography by me, four dancers, 13 min
– substitute performer in PERMEANCE by Alica Minar & col. at Festival für Freunde, Dahnsdorf, Germany
– dancer in the piece INBETWEEN by Sophie Karlin Schauerte at Bremer Höhle, Berlin, Germany
– funding from DIS-TANZ-SOLO
2022
– Resideny with Hoyoung Im – research phase for the piece TAEMONG at Tanzzentrale in der Region Nürnberg, Berlin, Germany
– dancer in the piece Zweisamkeiten by Simon Köslich and Laura Witzleben at Culterim – Ehemalieger Luftschutzbunker Charlottenburg, Berlin, Germany
– Solo piece friedhofen (verb), performed and choreographed by me, 22 min, at Theater Expedition Metropolis, funded by DIS-TANZ-SOLO
– Creation of the piece #13 rückwärts for ACADEMY Berlin – about 50 min, at Alte Feuerwache, Berlin, Germany, funded by Theater Na De Dam and Jewish Museum Berlin
– Choreographer and dancer in A.PART festival 2022 in the duet Ist das normal? (about 18 min) by Tatjana Mahlke and me in Berlin, Germany
2021
– Dancer and co-creator in the interdisciplinary performance museum NULL by Zookunft.Project in Winterthur, Switzerland
– Participant of the A.PART festival 2021 in Berlin, Germany
– Residency with Tatjana Mahlke and Maureen Zollinger (members of Zookunft.Project) in Munich, Germany, offered by Tanztendenz
– Actress of small parts in the piece Sinkhole by So Young H. Kim at Ernst Deutsch Theater/Fluctoplasma Festival, Hamburg, Germany
– Dancer in the interdisciplinary piece Ching Chang Chong Sonata by Kyungran Park at Nirgendwo, Berlin, Germany
– Grant holder of GVL Stipendium
– Teacher for JU Company at motion*s Berlin (until summer 2025)
2020
– Choreography PPPressure by Milena Sundari Nowak and Tatjana Mahlke for ACADEMY Berlin – 22 min, at Alte Feuerwache, Berlin, Germany. Sponsored by Jonge Kunst/Fonds Soziokultur
– Graduation from Die Etage (3 year contemporary dance education) Berlin, Germany with miming, acting, acrobatic classes, with the title Staatlich anerkannte Bühnentänzerin
– Dancer in listen. A solo choreography by Milena Sundari Nowak and Nadine Haas – 5 min, at theaterforum kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
– concept video I don’t do drama by Milena Sundari Nowak, music by Louxy
– dancer in music video Winter by SAAY, choreography by Hoyoung Im
– dancer in music video Life is calling by Raphy&Adry, choreography: Julek Kreutzer
– concept video Vacation at home – a Corona home dance by Milena Sundari Nowak
2019
– Dancer in the piece Das Bauhaus – ein rettendes Requiem by Schorsch Kamerun at Volksbühne Berlin, Germany
– Internship with ACADEMY – Bühnenkunstschule für Jugendliche on how to create a piece on 50 teenagers (shortened due to the first covid-lockdown)
– Dancer in the piece Schaf im Wolfspelz by Viola Mikolasch at Summer Intensive in Torres Vedras, Portugal
– Dancer in the piece NOT DOMESTICATED by Alessandro Marzotto Levy at Wagenburg Lohmühle, Berlin, Germany
– dancer in the concept-video Cerol – SUPERFÍCIE by Lena Zinnen
– Participant of Repertoire Dance Intensive D7 in Tel Aviv, Israel (with dancers from Vertigo, Barak Marshall, Sharon Eyal, Ohad Naharin)
2018
– Dancer/Actress in the piece Dystopia Legacy by So Young H. Kim at BellEtage in Berlin, Germany
– dancer in the music video Dialog, music by Irakli Mamrikishvili
– Participant of the 30h Workshop focus your research with Constanza Macras in studio Verlin, Berlin, Germany
2017
– Dancer in the piece Thiasus by Philippe Talavera with the dance troupe of the Ombetja Yehinga Organisation in Windhoek, Namibia
– Dancer in the Solo – Performance Außer Rahmen by Eleonora Alexandrova Meyden at the Mall of Berlin, Germany
– Dancer in the Solo – Performance All in with live music (drums and choir) by Eleonora Alexandrova Meyden at Atze Musiktheater in Berlin, Germany
2004 – 2016
– 2016: A levels at Evangelische Schule Berlin Zentrum (Berlin, Germany), Abitur
– 2015
: Dancer at the Tanzgala in Euskirchen, Germany
– 2013: Dancer in the piece Gräfin Báthory by Jozef Madar in Bratislava and Piešťany, Slovakia
– 2004: Dancer in Karneval der Tiere, choreography by Marica Kersten, Darmstadt (DE)