SLO/ENG/FR
  
 

MAŠA KAGAO KNEZ

Independent dancer, actress,
choreographer and dance teacher,
representative of the Baobab Arts and Culture Association
 
As the daughter of a dancer and choreographer, Jasna Knez, Maša Kagao Knez was introduced to dance and theatre at an early age. She attended various workshops with mentors from Slovenia and abroad. In 2004, she enrolled in the Arts Scene - Georges Momboye school in Paris where she graduated in 2006. She acquired her professional dance experiences through working with choreographers Dušan Teropšič, Sebastjan Starič, Christian D.Guerematchi, Nataša Tovirac, Tanja Zgonc, singer Klarisa Jovanović and musicians Igor Leonardi, Nino Mureškič, Damir Mazrek, Blaž Korez and Vasko Atanasovski.
As an actress, she has been cooperating with the director Kim Komljanec (Bube theatre group, Zavod Zofka) for ten years. She has also appeared in the following theatre performances: in SNT Drama, Ljubljana (Neron, director: Matjaž Zupančič; Slovenec Slovenca gori postavi, director: Mare Bulc; Kruto in nežno, director Eduard Miler), Cankarjev dom (Eurotrans-Smer zahod, director Tijana Zinajić), Prešeren Theatre, Kranj (Dom, director: Jan van den Bosch ), Mini teater (Ribič in njegova duša, director: Vasilij Senin), Ljubljana City Theatre (Kura nima jajc, director: Kim Komljanec), etc.
She started her career as an independent choreographer in 2003 when she cofounded the dance and music group LAFI together with Blaž Korez and Damir Mazrek. The group has staged several musical shows and performances. In their debut dance performance, Missawa, staged in 2003, they integrated African and modern dance elements.

Later performances:
- Abodan, 2006, dance and music performance
- Moja boljša polovica (My Better Half), 2007, dance performance
- Ole Eba, 2008, dance and music performance
- Obisk v afriški vasi (A Visit to an African Village), 2009, dance performance for children
- Jag Du Vi, 2009, dance performance

She has also collaborated in several theatre performances as a choreographer (Art Export, director: Eduard Miler; Bodi Marylin Monroe, director: Nebojša Pop Tasić, Zašij mi pravljico, director: Barbara Kapelj, performances by the Bube theatre group and Zavoda Zofka, etc.)

 Teaching: advanced African dance course, modern African dance course, dance workshops for children.