Overground Physical Theater Company is an international award-winning contemporary dance theater troupe that has produced cutting-edge interdisciplinary work in New York and across the US for the past 20 years.
The company’s maverick vision is reflected in the rich repertoire of devised hybrid works that have garnered critical plaudits and received critical acclaim across professional media and journals.
Overground Physical Theater creates devised work by blending dance, theatre and film. The company’s works belong to the less explored niche of “urgent theatre,” which morphs kinetic sensibility with esoteric vision. The company utilizes expressionistic post-modern European “Tanz-theater,” contact improvisation and performance art to create a transpersonal experience that borders the quotidian and the existential.
Overground Physical Theater has produced over 30 full-length devised performances at renowned NY dance and theatre venues, such as BAM Fisher, City Hall, New York Live Arts, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, La MaMa Experimental Theater, Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church, Judson Memorial Church, Center, Here Arts Center, Dance New Amsterdam, Salvatore Capezio Theater, New Dance Group, BRIC, White Wave, Ellens Hall, Connecticut University, Harvard Dance School, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, among others. The company invites visionary artists from around the world to create original groundbreaking work. It promotes international exchange through workshops and festivals, and raises urgent social, philosophical and global concerns while providing space for cultural and spiritual growth.
Company Members
Artistic Director/ Dance-Theater Scholar
Antonia Ka is an award-winning physical theater scholar and choreographer, and senior yoga teacher with more than 30years of international academic, directing and performing experience. She is the author of Trends of contemporary dance and theater, & Intuitive gesture – a manual for training contemporary dancers, as well as numerous articles on dance and theater published in national and international art & culture magazines and journals.
She is currently correspondent of Theater Dance Magazine and Artistic Director of Overground Physical Theater” – a New York based experimental dance troop. She holds a BA in Theater, an MA in Theater Directing & Choreography, a Ph.D & D.Sc. in Dance Theater, and is a graduate of Zurich Tanz Theater Akademie, in Switzerland.
Antonia has traveled, lectured and researched dance and theatre traditions in Asia, South America, North Africa, Europe and the U.S., and has directed and performed her groundbreaking works at dance and theatre festivals across the globe.
Her cutting-edge interdisciplinary works have been presented at the International Theater Festival, Nancy, France; Experimental Dance Festival, Milan, Italy, Impulz Tanz Festival, Vienna, Austria; Democratic Arts Forum Festival, Tunis, Tunisia; Zurich International Theater Festival, Switzerland; Singapore International Dance Festival; Zyke International Theater Festival, Bremen, Germany; Denpasar Performing Arts Festival, Bali, Dumbo Dance Festival, NY.
Antonia’s U.S. credits include Brooklyn Academy of Music, City Center, New York Live Arts, La Mama, Danspace Project at St. Mark’s Church, Harvard Dance School; Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, Connecticut College, Skirball Theater, Judson Church, New Dance Group, Gibney Dance, Salvatore Capezio Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, Movement Research, Gelsey Kirkland Theater, to mention but a few.
Antonia is currently teaching Physical Theater and Experiential Dance Theory at Overground Arts Alliance and devising the company’s upcoming work “Decentraland.”
Antonia Ka Ph.D., D.Sc.
Repertory Director/Choreographer/Dance Educator
Born in Sicily, Italy, Valentina Priolo is an internationally recognized performing artist and choreographer, and repertory director of Overground Physical Theatre Company, a New York based experimental physical theatre company that utilizes expressionistic post-modern European “Tanz-theater,” contact improvisation and ultra-contemporary performance art to create a transpersonal experience.
Valentina studied “Choreography and Interpretation Techniques” at the Conservatory School “Institut del Teatre” in Barcelona, where she had numerous opportunities to perform and was exposed to a wide range of somatic practices and dance styles. Some examples of theater directors and artistic directors with whom she has collaborated in Spain and Italy are, Maria Teresa de Sanctis, Paola Cassara’, Lollo Franco and Mizar Martinez. She came to New York to expand her dance theatre training at the Limon Institute and explore the vibrant multi-cultural New York dance scene. She has integrated her rich European theatre background into the “fall and recovery” philosophy of Limon to coin a new dramatic and visual movement language that borders the quotidian and the existential. Her maverick vision of modern dance forges new horizons in the complimentary fields of visual design and coherent movement. Her choreographic quest reflects the intimate relationships of family, friends and society.
In addition, Valentina earned her bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design at Fashion Institute of Technology, New York where she continues to bridge the fields of contemporary dance and sacred design. Valentina has integrated her rich European theatre expertise in coining a new dramatic and kinesthetic language that borders the quotidian and the existential.
Her credits as a dancer and choreographer include BAM Fisher, New York Live Arts, Alvin Ailey Theater, Danspace Project, Judson Memorial Church, Here Arts Center, Dance New Amsterdam, Salvatore Capezio Theater, White Wave, Ellens Hall, Connecticut University, Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, among others.
Valentina Priolo
Director, Editor, Film Maker
Ana is a graduate of the Faculty of Journalism and Communications at Sofia University, with a Master’s degree in Communications. Since 1997 she works in the field of advertising, film production, multimedia and photography and serves as a creative consultant to various Bulgarian and international companies. Ana is co-founder of ArtVanguard, an independent film and video production company, based in New York.
ArtVanguard actively collaborates with Overground Arts Alliance. Ana has created original video artwork, design and photography for numerous Overground productions amongst which Lactobacillicum Bulgaricum, Blueprint, Peripheral Visions, Shifters, Avatar, Urban Tao, Ecocentric. Ana is co-producer and editor of Yogea Artflow Yoga, an innovative yoga web series.
Ana Atanassova
Producer, Videographer, Film Maker
Kalin Ivanov holds a BA and MFA in Cinematography from the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria and an MFA in Television Production from Brooklyn College CUNY. He has many film and television credits as a Director of Photography, cameraman, director, producer, photographer and editor (Irish writers in America; Theatre Talk; Canape; Nueva York; Even the Score; The Beaches; The Gates of Jeanne-Claude and Christo; The Girl, the Boy and the Frog; Houben Paints Money, etc.). Since 2000 Kalin is a senior videographer, produce and editor at CUNY TV, Channel 75 in New York. In 2012 Kalin has won two Emmy Awards for producing in the categories of Environmental Program and Best Magazine Program (Nueva York). His work was also distinguished with a Telly Award and four Communicator Awards for Canape, Theatre Talk and the documentaries Sloan at 75 and UFT. Kalin’s photographs have been selected for various exhibitions and private collections.
Kalin actively collaborates with Overground Arts Alliance, a NY based not-for profit arts and culture promoting organization. Kalin has created original video artwork and photography for numerous Overground productions amongst which Lactobacillicum Bulgaricum, Blueprint, Peripheral Visions, Shifters, Avatar, Urban Tao, Ecocentric. Kalin is co-producer of Yogea Artflow Yoga, an innovative yoga web series.
Kalin Ivanov
Performing Artist
Daan Bootsma began dancing at the age of 8 in Alkmaar, The Netherlands, at Grapelli Dance Studios. He started out doing street dance and jazz classes then later attended Lucia Marthas Institute for Performing Arts in Amsterdam, where he studied musical theatre, show-dance, hiphop, modern, acting and singing. During his studies in Amsterdam, he danced with Samadhi Dance Company, performing in shows for national TV and concert halls.
After working with Hollands Showballet for a year, Daan moved to New York City to study at the Ailey School, where he became a scholarship student. In the same year he joined New York Dance Project where he danced for a season. Over the summer he attended Springboard Danse Montreal, where he performed works by Maxine Doyle and Michael Getman. This season he started working with Overground Physical Theater and Dance Entropy Inc.. He has performed works by Darshan Singh Bhuller, Anthony Burrell, Laurent Flament, Bob Fosse (staged by Valarie Pettiford), Tyler Gilstrap, Gabrielle Lamb, Tara Masimer and Ray Mercer.
Daan Bootsma
Performing Artist
Richard became a dancer and ventured into the art of dance at the age of 18, after realizing that sciences were not his path in life. He soon began to dance for dance companies in southern France, his birthplace, such as Les Ballets des Alpes Maritimes, Horizons and Corps Accord. Every dance company owned a particular style: neo-classical, contemporary-jazz, modern-jazz. He also worked in a musical comedy in a cabaret, Swinging Fantasy.
Since moving to New York about 7 years ago, he has attended different dance programs including Cunningham’s summer intensive, and Limon’s PSP programs, where he discovered a special affinity with this technique and met Jim May who became his mentor. He soon became one of the dancer of Anna Sokolow Theatre/Dance Ensemble. His professional experience extends through illustrious New York based dance companies, such as Barkin/Selissen Project, Brice Mousset OUI Danse, HT Chen Dance and Dancers, Overground Physical Theater, Shadow Box Theatre as co-director, dancer and puppeteer, Eva Dean Dance Company, Valerie Green Dance Entropy.
Richard Scandola
Performing Artist
Motoko was born in Japan and started her dance training in ballet at the Michiko Nomura Ballet Academy in Tokyo. She has worked as a lead dancer and soloist for the Ballet Academy. Motoko has performed for numerous dance festivals all over Japan. She has completed the trainee program of Martha Graham School for Dance in New York and has frequently performed in showcases and international dance festivals. Motoko is expanding her knowledge and skills by working with choreographers of various styles, for instance Oriental Fusion Dance Performance with Diva – JPN, Hip-Hop Performance for the NYC local TVshow and, most recently, Overground Company. She has performed as a lead dancer in Overground Physical Theatre Company, which she joined in 2006.