Contemporary dance stand-up
Non-verbal / In English

A young woman in a crocheted costume stands alone on stage, surrounded by crocheted scenery and everyday objects. Later, she introduces herself as Terpsichore and welcomes the audience into her world of solitude. Yet there is nothing particularly tragic about the way she describes her situation; her entire presence is imbued with an enchanting gentleness. And how does one pass the time in Softloneliness? Contemplation, sharing experiences, crocheting, circle- and solo dancing – none of which, however, mean a lack of desire to connect with the audience. In fact, on this particular evening, it is precisely the solo dancer’s solitude that is hoped to have the power of forging a community. The movement material of the piece ranges from a Moldavian circle dance performed alone to a solo that will feel more familiar to audiences well-versed in with the language of contemporary dance.
Zsófia Szász is one of the defining figures of the young generation of contemporary dancers. Softloneliness is her first independent work, driven by the paradox of experiencing a sense of community while being alone. Complex despite its brevity, this enchanting performance has already developed into a series since its premiere. (Beatrix Kricsfalusi, curator)

"Softloneliness is a contemporary dance stand-up performance. Its subject is loneliness. The performance is based on a research process that I began by searching for a sense of community that can be experienced alone. I found it in the circle dances of Moldva. What I love about loneliness is the way thoughts take shape within it, only to flow through it once again, unformulated. The language and mindset of contemporary dance make this fluidity possible. By blending the two types of dance (dancis of Moldva and contemporary) and then even movement elements of pop culture, I found a quality of movement filled with familiar forms that nevertheless remains undefined. The outcome of the research was the character of Terpsichore. Through Terpsichore’s dance and the presentation of her home, loneliness becomes a communal experience on stage." (Zsófia Szász)

CREDITS

Concept, choreography, performance, costume, music: Zsófia SZÁSZ
Lights: Kata DÉZSI
Supported by: Workshop Foundation, SÍN Arts Centre

REVIEWS

"Zsófia Szász’s performance gently turns inside out the inherently communal nature of dance: what is usually a language of connection and togetherness here becomes the embodied form of loneliness. Softloneliness continually falls apart and then comes together again, so that the audience does not understand but rather feels that loneliness is, in fact, the most communal of experiences."
– Laura Pamlényi: Thealter blog, 2025.

"Zsófia Szász is refreshingly direct and grounded in the here and now. It brought to mind, above all, perhaps, Márta Ladjánszki’s solos most notably, Széki Luca. With one important difference: while Ladjánszki is one of the most uncompromising performers, almost cruelly demanding of both herself and the audience, Zsófia Szász is gently tender here. This gentleness, however, is in no way softness: just as there is a wall or metal behind the crocheted set and props in the performance, the dancer’s crocheted costume also only seemingly conceals the drama of the person inside it. And everyone can decide for themselves whose loneliness is heavier: the person dancing Széki csárdás alone, or the person dancing the circle dance of Moldva alone."
 – Léna Megyeri & Ákos Török, Színház, 2025.

TOURS, FESTIVALS

Alexandrinsky Theatre, New Stage, at Saint Petersburg (RUS), 2025.
Trafó House of Contemporary Arts, NEXTFESZT (HU), 2025.

BIO

Zsófia SZÁSZ (1998) is a contemporary dancer and a member of Irene Plaque and The Symptoms. In her performances, she explores "fluid statements" that are at once extreme and open-ended. Softloneliness (2025) is her first solo work. The third installment of the series, Softloneliness 3: The Sentimental, is being created this season, with its premiere planned for 27 November 2026 at Trafó.
Alongside her work in contemporary dance, she is a communication trainer and art therapist; all her different fields of work and practices influence and inspire one another.
This season, she is also working as a co-creator and performer with Réka Szabó on On Wingless Angels and with Attila Horváth on Interior Story. As a performer, she is appearing this year in works by Máté Mészáros, Márta Ladjánszki, Csaba Molnár, Simon Regős, and Atanáz Babinchák. In recent years, she has also performed in works by Viktor Szeri, Réka Oberfrank, Veronika Szabó, Alja Branc, Szonja Dorottya Koltay, Balázs Oláh, and Nóra Horváth.

CONTACT

Zsófia SZÁSZ
szaszszasa@gmail.com
zsofiaszasz.com/