BIOGRAPHY
Nea Janković, born in Serbia, is completing her studies in contemporary dance at the Zurich University of the Arts, after beginning her training at the Lujo Davičo Ballet School in Belgrade, where she received multiple national awards. She has performed with the National Theatre of Belgrade and Bitef Dance Company, collaborating with choreographers such as Miloš Isailović, Felix Landerer, among others. She had a chance to perform at festivals across the region and in Germany, further shaping her artistic development. She is currently a dancer at Theater Regensburg, where she continues to grow and shape her artistic practice in the upcoming seasons.
- Date of birth: 11 September 2004
- Eye colour: Brown
- Hair colour: Brown
- Height (in cm): 175
- Languages: Serbian, English
CONTACT / KONTAKT
- nea.jankovic@gmail.com
- https://www.instagram.com/nea.jankovic
DANCE EXPERIENCE
- "Dollhouse" / choreo: Andrey Kaydanovskiy / director: Wagner Moreira / Theater Regensburg, Germany / 2026
- "Polish Wedding" / choreo: Gabriel Pitoni / director: Wagner Moreira / Theater Regensburg, Germany / 2026
- "Sacre - Ein Rausch" / choreo: Wagner Moreira / director: Wagner Moreira / Theater Regensburg, Germany / 2025/2026
- ZHdK Shows – Gessneralle, Zurich, Switzerland in pieces by Nadav Zelner, Phoebe Jewitt, Dimitry Khamzin, Antonio Ruz, Dor Mamamlia, Beatrice Goetz, Caroline Finn, Ido Gidron, Filipe Portugal, Edouard Hue and Antonin Rioche / 2023/2024/2025
- "Years of the Crows" / choreo: Isidora Stanisić/ director: Siniša Kovačević / National Theatre in Belgrade, Serbia / 2022/2023
- "Animal Farm" / choreo: Miloš Isailović / director: Jelena Kajgo / Bitef Dance Company, Serbia / 2022/2023
- "Dunjaluk" / choreo: Miloš Isailović / director: Jelena Kajgo / Young Bitef Dance Company, Serbia / 2022
- Dancer (alternation) in the production / "Sofia" / choreo: Felix Landerer / director: Jelena Kajgo / Bitef Dance Company, Serbia / 2021
- Music video / song: "Hearts Lust" / by artist: Milune / Sony Music, Switzerland
AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
- First Festival of Young Choreographers "Step Forward" – Children's Cultural Centre Belgrade (DKC) and Association of Ballet Artists of Serbia (UBUS), won 3 awards
- Twice Laureate of the national competition of music and ballet schools of Serbia, contemporary dance 2021. and 2023.
- Scholarship from Fund for young talents of the city of Belgrade
- Scholarship from Foundation for young talents "Dositej" - Ministry of Sports and Youth
- Scholarships for gifted pupils and students of the Republic of Serbia - Ministry of Education
- 10 Republic of Serbia dance champion titles in Sport Dance
- Student of the generation 2022/2023 Ballet School "Lujo Davičo"
DIPLOMA PROJECT / THESIS
- Project title: Physical Conditioning Training for Professional Dancers
- Description: I chose Analysis of Conditioning Preparedness in Dancers as the topic of my bachelor thesis, driven by personal reflection and my awareness of how my body feels at different moments throughout the season. Having previously practiced contemporary dance within a sports context, I experienced a training and physical preparation approach that was quite different from that of a dancer working within a company environment.
For this reason, I combined insights from my own experience with relevant scientific research in the field of physical conditioning in dance and sport. Through this process, I developed my own training model, which integrates theoretical knowledge and personal practice, with the aim of improving overall physical fitness, increasing functional strength and endurance, and reducing the risk of injury.
The goal of this work is to create a training approach that is both structured and adaptable to my personal needs as a dancer, incorporating key components of physical conditioning in a balanced way. I also hope that this model can be useful to other dancers and potentially serve as inspiration for their own training routines.
- Choreographer / Copyright: Nea Janković
Q&A WITH NEA JANKOVIĆ
What does dance mean to you?
- Dance is my safe place, where I feel steady, quiet in my thoughts, and untouched by everything outside. It’s a way of stepping out of everyday life for a moment and disappearing into something more internal. In movement, things make sense in a different way, and I find a kind of freedom that doesn’t really need words.
What memory will you take with you from your time at ZHdK?
- Honestly, I can’t point to one specific memory. But I know I will carry with me the people I had the chance to meet throughout my studies. ZHdK has given me so many precious connections along the way. I don’t think there is a greater gift than looking at a map of the world and knowing there are friends waiting for you in so many different places and that I am waiting for them, too.
Which work or choreographer particularly inspires you, and why?
- We had the opportunity to work with many wonderful choreographers, and it’s difficult for me to single out just one. However, working with Phoebe Jewitt on her choreography was one of my favorite processes during my studies. I really appreciated her way of working, her precision, communication, and the clarity of her vision throughout both the creation process and the piece itself. I also really enjoyed exploring and adapting her movement style to my own body, which was a challenging process, but one that felt very rewarding. In the end, the work came together beautifully on stage, and I felt amazing performing it.