Choreographer · Dancer · Butoh Artist
Anna Garafeeva is a choreographer, dancer, and performer working at the intersection of butoh, contemporary dance, and theatrical poetry. A three-time nominee for Russia's prestigious Golden Mask Award, she has established herself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Russian performance.
Trained in butoh dance under the legendary Min Tanaka at the "Do Dance" company in Japan (2001-2008), Garafeeva spent formative years at Body Weather Farm, developing a practice that bridges Eastern and Western approaches to movement and embodiment.
From 2001 to 2015, she worked as a physical actress with Anatoly Vasiliev's renowned School of Dramatic Art in Moscow. Her choreographic work has been featured at major Russian theaters including the Electrotheatre Stanislavsky, Taganka Theatre, and the Meyerhold Center.
Currently based between Moscow and Paris, Garafeeva continues to develop her unique artistic language—what she calls the "choreography of the unconscious"—exploring the liminal spaces between dance, theater, and psyche.
2018 | DIAGHILEV FESTIVAL, PERM
A haunting butoh solo performed in semolina, honoring sculptor Camille Claudel and all women artists lost to history. Choreography and dance by Anna Garafeeva, with scenography by Ksenia Petroukhina and music by Alexei Retinski.
2022 | GES-2, MOSCOW
A meditative performance created for the "In Their Own Words" residency. Dancers act as mediators between levels of consciousness, inviting viewers into a contemplative state overlooking the Grove at GES-2.
2016 | SCHOOL OF DRAMATIC ART
A choreographic interpretation of Ovid's "Heroides"—letters from mythological women to their absent lovers. An exploration of longing, love, and the transformation of the body in emotional states.
2015 | SCHOOL OF DRAMATIC ART
Dance monologues of café visitors, directed by Oleg Glushkov. An intimate exploration of solitude, observation, and the poetry of everyday gestures within urban space.
2015 | ELECTROTHEATRE STANISLAVSKY
Choreography for Alexander Ogarev's production at one of Moscow's leading contemporary theaters, bringing physicality and movement language to the dramatic narrative.
2021 | PERFORMANCE INSTALLATION
A durational performance-installation exploring the phenomenon of breathing. Created in collaboration with Dina Husein, investigating breath as the fundamental rhythm of existence.
"I work at the boundary between dance, theater, and poetry. My practice explores what I call the 'choreography of the unconscious'—a space where the body speaks what words cannot."
"Through butoh, I discovered that dance is not about beautiful forms, but about transformation. It's about allowing the body to become a landscape where inner experiences can manifest and be witnessed."
Japanese dance of darkness. Trained under the legendary Min Tanaka at the "Do Dance" company in Japan (2001–2008). This practice forms the core of her movement language, emphasizing metamorphosis over form.
Intensive physical training system developed by Min Tanaka. Studied at Body Weather Farm in Japan (2004–2006), learning to perceive the body as a landscape responding to internal and external forces.
Foundation of her practice since 1994 at the Dance Improvisation Studio in Yaroslavl. Member of "Performance-Trio" (1997–2002), exploring the spontaneous emergence of movement and theatrical presence.
Physical actress in Anatoly Vasiliev's School of Dramatic Art company (2001–2015). Integration of theatrical dramaturgy with embodied practice, working at the intersection of text and movement.