Wandering Through the Branches

This artistic excursion into a Prague forest builds on the ensemble’s ongoing collaboration with Baobab Publishing and the 4+4 Days in Motion festival. Inspired by Timothée de Fombella’s novel Tobiáš Lolness, this dance-theatre production is an outdoor reimagining of the ensemble’s successful show, which was staged in Prague theatres between 2009 and 2022. In its new form, Wandering Through the Branches unfolds as a walk through the forest, where children encounter characters from the novel and step into scenes from the story of young Tobiáš, who confronts injustice and the curtailing of his rights. At the same time, the child protagonist fights to protect the environment for future generations, becoming a genuine guide and role model for young participants. In spite of his “smallness,” he proves capable of “great” things.

The creative journey uses the terrain and natural obstacles to develop children’s movement skills while offering unexpected adventures. Audiences enter the world of the sprawling tree alongside dancers and actors, becoming, for a moment, little people for whom this Tree is their entire world. They wander through the branches from crown to roots, around the lake and over soft grass, discovering its secrets, which ultimately serve as a grand allegory for our planet.

Dance Studio Light is an artistic collective with a twenty-year tradition, based at ZUŠ Popelka in Prague 5. Founded and led by Lenka Tretigová, the ensemble has developed a unique approach to working with children, combining enjoyment with the cultivation of values important for personal growth, relationships, and life. TSL focuses on contemporary dance and theatre for children and youth, blending regular dance technique classes and creative drama with original productions that connect the worlds of children, amateurs, and professionals. The studio develops alternative pedagogical methods, organizes workshops, nature retreats, community theatre projects, and school programs, collaborates internationally, works in socially excluded communities, and regularly represents Czech artistic work at international festivals. Art is understood as a tool for communication, education, and social change.

…this type of work, as Lenka Tretigová carries out with her students and collaborators at Dance Studio Light, provides not only a theatrical experience but also functions as a kind of exchange (in the spirit of Eugenio Barba’s Third Theatre) between performers and audience members. Both sides contribute according to their abilities, and both—I believe—take something away from the encounter. All performances emphasize interactivity, rather than offering a purely passive viewing experience. Beyond the originality and novelty of the ideas, both in theme and form, the work serves as a gentle Schola Ludus. Additionally, there is a social dimension, as the topics address issues often neglected in practical child-rearing—whether ethics, aesthetic perception, or tolerance for diversity…
— Jana Soprová, www.scena.cz

Duration: 120 min.

Information for spectators:

This is an experiential trip with an artistic twist, which starts in Galaxie, is about 3 km long (approximately 4 km including the return to Galaxie), and leads from the housing estate through Milíčovský Forest and ends at the dam of Homolka Pond. The route is accessible by stroller and bicycle. Participants will need suitable footwear and clothing for the forest, as well as a backpack with drinks and snacks, and, at their own discretion, a seat cushion or folding stool (seat cushions can be borrowed on-site). The route begins at the bar in Galaxie and ends near the zoo corner, where refreshments are available. The trip will take at least two hours, and for your own safety, it is in your best interest to stay together as a group.

Concept, script, direction: Lenka Tretiagová
Performers: Vojta Švejda, Jan Čtvrtník, Michal Vodenka, Eliška Kašparová, Lenka Nahodilová, David Králík/Jakub Kohout
Musicians: Jan Holeček, Agnes Kutas, Jaroslav Kořán
Main children’s roles: Matěj Závada, Johana Dámová, Fabián Fousek, and children and students from TS Light.
Set design collaboration: Tomáš Žižka
Costumes: Ondřej Lipovský
Technical support: Sebastián Vích