Anna Vnuk: I Feel Provoked When People Discuss Special Child

 

Dancer Anna Vnuk's journey began when her mother met a charming disco guy in Gran Canaria during the 70s. Her father, who has never acknowledged her, becomes the focus of her performance "The Bastard," where she confronts the pain and shame of being an unwanted child.

In a small studio in Stockholm's Midsommarkransen, we sit with Anna Vnuk as she shares her story. She is not just a dancer but also a director and choreographer. Currently, she awaits the regrowth of her jawbone, a result of a cyst creating a hole in the skeleton, now healed but in the process of reconstruction.

Anna points to a dish of cookies on the table, joking about the liquid food she's limited to while waiting for her jaw to heal. Despite the physical setback, she exudes a sense of resilience.

The broken jaw becomes a metaphor intertwined with her personal narrative, especially concerning her father. Anna explores this void, comparing it to the body's broken and rebuilt state after the cyst's removal—a personal transformation at its core.

In her latest performance, "Anna Vnuk is the Bastard," she unveils the emotional layers of being her father's unwanted child. Born in 1974 on Hertsön in Luleå but conceived in Gran Canaria, Anna's mother fell in love with an Indian man on vacation. The relationship was fleeting, and the man, committed to an arranged marriage, never acknowledged Anna as his child.

Anna Vnuk was raised by another man, her mother's partner, and has had limited contact with her biological father. The performance delves into the complexity of identity and the pain associated with being chosen yet

Dance, a central aspect of Anna's life, has been a source of healing. Abstract and expressive, dance has provided solace when faced with life's challenges. It served as a form of anxiety management, offering a space where understanding is not a prerequisite. For Anna, dance has been a lifeline, a means of navigating difficult emotions.

As she rehearses her new performance, "Anna Vnuk is the Bastard," the monologue captures the essence of her journey: "When this performance is over, I will no longer be your bastard." A powerful statement that reflects not only her personal story but also the transformative potential of art in confronting and overcoming emotional pain

Moulin Rouge Stockholm

Anna Vnuk

woke up

chago rodriguez

moneybrother

Jens Johnson

särkullbarn

bob fosse

anna vnuk moneybrother

anders wendin

ellos mattor stora

go kväll boktips