Nadya Zeitlin
dance designer
executive artistic director
In her works, Nadya weaves dance and theatre into the environment, creating a unique language to tell meaningful and visually engaging stories in unconventional spaces.
She gets inspiration from abstract visual art, industrial architecture, fashion, artists she collaborates with and spaces they produce in.
Her goal is to create valuable art experiences for audiences, putting their routine on pause, suggesting them a gift of wonder and a food for thought.
Nadya's practice is driven by her interest in expanding the definitions of where dance can happen, how public spaces can be perceived and interacted with, and who is considered a target demographic for dance. She aims to share the beauty and power of dance with a wide audience, including those who wouldn’t usually attend dance or art events.
INTERVIEWS
- ArtsATL Q&A with Nadya and The Othering
- Also published in Atlanta Journal Constitution
- ArtsATL feature on site-specific dance in ATL
- WABE 90.1 City Lights feature
Nadya Zeitlin started her artistic journey with Gabbasov Sisters Dance Theatre in her home city Almaty, Kazakhstan. Since her relocation to Atlanta in 2013, she has presented her works in various venues and curated two multi-disciplinary shows herself. Distinctive features of her work are influenced by her training in movement, theatre, design, and art therapy with teachers from both Western Europe and the United States.
She founded Bautanzt Here in May of 2020, amidst pandemic and while being pregnant with her second daughter.
To this date, under Nadya's direction, the company was honored to present their vision through site-specific works performed at Atlanta Contemporary Pavilion (while in residency with Dance Canvas), Piedmont Park, Colony Square, 54 Columns, 7 Stages Theatre, Art on the Atlanta BeltLine. In May and June, 2022 artists presented a series of site-specific performances in Downtown Atlanta, inspired by Atlanta Central Library and funded by Arts & Entertainment Atlanta.
Her recent work The Othering, first of its kind in Atlanta, was an interactive dance theatre piece where the audience members could choose direction of the work by voting via app from their phones.
In June 2023, Bautanzt Here represented Atlanta during a DanceUSA Conference.
In summer 2023, she designed and brought to life a unique program - Site-Specific Dance Hub, where selected artists learned and created choreography, conducted research, performed in various locations, and received stipends for participation. This project was supported by City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs.
In September 2022, Nadya was a guest artist at Emory Dance Program, presenting her work alongside Assistant Professor Julio Medina. The same month the company was commissioned to create a performance piece for the Hambidge Art Auction 2022.
In spring 2021, Nadya Zeitlin was a resident at Hambidge Cross-Pollination Lab facilitating Dance Hub ATL. At the same time, she also participated in Excuse The Arts program by Fly on a Wall and Windmill Arts Center.
In 2020 she received a grant from City of Atlanta Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs to create a series of dance movies for the PANDEMIC ATLANTA initiative.
Zeitlin's works have been selected for feature in Fall For Fall and Spring For Spring Dance Festivals, Decatur Arts Festival, Modern Atlanta Dance Festival, Eyedrum Gallery, 368 PONCE, Midtown Players Club, South River Arts Studios, and EnCORE among others. Her work for the Solo Theatre’s Little Prince won Best Choreography at the International Festival of Russian-Speaking Children's and Youth Theaters in Washington, DC in May 2019.
She performed in works by gloATL, Beacon Dance, Lori Teague, Jennifer Scully-Thurston (screen dance), and Adam Larsen & Sue Schroeder (screen dance).
In 2017 Nadya curated 2 multidisciplinary shows:
- Doors Can Dance in Murmur Gallery (eclectic group of 7 artists presented their works around (or on) the independently standing Door).
2) Site-Specific Contemporary Dance show at the Midtown Players Club, part of Hambidge Hive residency in Colony Square Mall (6 artists created works to emphasize the authenticity of the gallery created in the ex-gym space).
Nadya is a mom of 2 wonderful girls who constantly inspire her choreography.