Mission and Teaching Philosophy
We launched our Professional Dance Training Program in the fall of 2016. Since then, in addition to many Hungarian students, many foreign students have enrolled in our courses (from Spain, Great Britain, France, Italy, Mexico, Russia, China, Japan, Egypt, India).
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ZeroPlus DanceWorks functions as a school and as a creative dance lab specializing in contemporary dance and somatic activities. We ask our students to begin a spiritual quest to uncover their inner selves.
The methods may vary - improvisation, different body awareness techniques, dance therapy, contemporary dance, or classical ballet - but our messages are consistent: Discover yourself and others, form connections, be conscious of your presence, relax, create.
„Zero”, as understood by Hindu gurus, is more than a number; it stands as the symbol of anything and everything, the starting point, the nucleus of everything that follows.
Thus, zero is the point of transformation: Negative numbers become positive, the virtual becomes real. This process of transformation is the creation itself. The word „plus” refers to this process, progressing from „emptiness” towards „completeness”.
Gyula Berger is one of the founding members of the contemporary dance scene in Hungary, who - following thorough studies of various dance techniques - started his career as a choreographer in 1984. He had been running his own company for almost 10 years. In 1993, Gyula’s thirst for knowledge took him to The Netherlands where he studied post-modern dance at the European Dance Development Center for 4 years. His masters were the most renowned personalities in American post-modern dance. Returning to Hungary in 1997 he continued teaching and choreographing while also participating in international collaborations. With some of his colleagues, he formed L1 Association - a unique collaboration group of artists - in 1998 and was chairman until February 2011. The formations have changed over time, creation and teaching remained constant. Currently he is running ZeroPlus DanceWorks in Jurányi Production House.
Eszter Gál is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, ISMETA Registered Sometic Movement Educator (RSME) and a certified Skinner Releasing Technique teacher. She studied at EDDC in Arnhem, graduated in 1994 then taught there for 10 years. She has been practicing, studying, and teaching releasing work and improvisation including Contact Improvisation for over 25 years. She has been creating her work, performing solo and group improvisation since 1993, and has been a guest teacher at Master workshops and International Festivals since 1998. As a dancer she worked with Yoshiko Chuma, Mark Tompkins, Stephanie Skura, Peter Pleyer, Patrik Kelemen, and Zoltán Nagy. She is one of the co-founders of the ArtMan MM Association and co-leader of the mixed-ability Company Tánceánia. She was the artistic director and organizer of the annual Kontakt Budapest International Improvisation Festival from 2002 until 2015 and has been leading national and international events, and projects in Hungary and Europe.
Starting from the tradition of classical ballet education, Éva switched to explore the diverse fields of jazz and contemporary dance styles after graduation. Parallel to her contemporary theatrical projects, her interest turned towards some African ethnic dance styles. Participating in lighter genres such as musicals or classic theatrical performances came natural to her. In addition to her own contemporary projects, she has also choreographed for films and commercials. Free movement between genres has always been very important to her.
Miklós Csordás is an experienced Pilates instructor, he has been teaching the method for 5 years. He is also practicing yoga, areal work and contemporary dance.
Mónika Lisztes participated in the pilot year of the ZeroPlus Dance Education Program. Her interest lies in public art, movement analysis and classical ballet and she has continued her training in these directions. She participated in courses in Hungary, Switzerland, England and the Netherlands. Besides working as an art manager, she collaborates on various dance research projects and teaches ballet to children. Among others, she has contributed to projects at the Hungarian Dance Academy and at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
Ayumi Toyabe is from Tokyo, Japan. She has trained and performed both nationally and internationally, including ZeroPlus Dance Education Program, professional contemporary and ballet training at Art Factory International in Bologna, Italy. She also completed the 3 years professional diploma program in Ballett-Akademie Fürth (Germany). She started her ballet training and performing under the artistic direction of Michiko Aoyama. Besides attending the spring course at San Francisco City Ballet School, and the summer course at San Diego Ballet School in USA, she has also participated in various workshops in Europe and Japan. She has learned Forsyth technique, Laban Movement Analysis, Ultima Vez's repertoire, Butoh, Body-Mind Centering, Pilates, Feldenkrais Method, Alexander Technique, dance and science, and technology. She is collaborating with various artists in Hungary and abroad.
Studies at Pécs Secondary School of Arts and the Hungarian Dance Academy on dance artist training, modern specialization. Receives her dance pedagogue diploma with modern specialization in 2013, at present she continues studies in classical ballet specialization. In the course of her studies she is an Erasmus scholarship holder at Codarts Academy of Dance, Rotterdam.
Performs successfully at domestic and international competitions. During her dance artist career she works with several Hungarian and foreign companies.
She has been teaching Graham, European modern, Ballet, Art Jazz, Cunningham, Improvisation, Contemporary at private schools since 2009. Since 2014 she teaches in Pécs Secondary School of Arts. In 2015 she held workshops at Agitart Festival in Spain and at International Dance Course in Hungarian Dance Academy.
Alejandra Rosas Hernández is a young professional dancer from Colombia. She started dancing when she was 6 years old and since then she has always been in the dance scene. She studied classical ballet from the most prestigious teachers in Colombia and Cuba.
In 2010 she moved to Hungary where she had the opportunity to learn from experienced and well known teachers from all over the world.
She finished her professional studies in Budapest Contemporary Dance Academy and has been teaching adults and children for 6 years.
Her classes are dynamic and energetic with the fresh perspective of a young dancer who had study in two continents, giving diversity in her movements and dance knowledge.
Eva's long professional career began at the age of six. She was a gymnast and then an RG competitor. She studied modern and contemporary dance from the age of 16 and started teaching in 1983. She was one of the founding members of Gyula Berger's modern dance company, where she remained until the end of the company's existence. Over the years she has worked with many other Hungarian and foreign choreographers in various projects, and also created her own dance theater. She has taught and continues to teach amateurs and professional dancers, and also holds and organizes workshops and camps. For about 10 years, she has been involved in secondary and tertiary modern dance teacher training. She has been teaching Yoga (specialised spine and flow yoga, Vinyasa Flow and her own style of Yoga Dance) since 2000. She has lived and taught in Australia, Peru, Ecuador, among other countries. She studied and developed her special massage technique in Australia.
