Semela Skënderasi
Semela Skënderasi is a young Albanian dancer, performer, and choreographer. She trained in classical ballet at the National Ballet School of Albania and holds a Master’s degree in Choreography & Pedagogy.
She was a ballet soloist for two years with the Stara Zagora State Ballet in Bulgaria, performing in numerous repertory masterpieces. Active in the Albanian alternative dance scene since 2018, she is a member of the Albanian Dance Theatre Company, directed by Gjergj Prevazi. In collaboration with the company, she has performed in Albania and abroad in productions such as I Always Have a Handkerchief in My Pocket, The Bald Soprano, Alone Together, Shkundem, Sorry I Have Rehearsal, Benching, and Suspended Movement.
Skënderasi has participated in numerous International Dance Festivals across Albania, Italy, Austria, Poland, Macedonia, China, and Croatia. As a freelancer, she has performed in Del Celeste Confine by Simona Perella, Be Different by Eltion Merja, Where by Giulio Deleo, and Tirana My Rhythm, a co-production between the Albanian Dance Theatre Company and Menhir Compagnia.
She has choreographed the solo Benching, the theater piece Free Women, and co-choreographed the duet God Fell in Love with a Stripper. Other works include the show I’m Scared, Dark Red, and two children’s dance productions: Giraffes Can’t Dance and Be Brave, Little Penguin.
Creations
The SHIFT e-magazine documents the project’s two-year journey through photographs, videos, texts, artists’ voices and reflections from its different activities. Published on Citerne.live, it traces how ideas, practices and relationships travelled and evolved across the project’s cities, partners and communities.