Miřenka Čechová: A dream turns into a nightmare
– Czechia
Born in Aš in 1982, Miřenka Čechová graduated from the Prague Dance Academy (classical ballet) and the Theatre Faculty (DAMU) and the Music and Dance Faculty (HAMU) of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, earning degrees in alternative and nonverbal theatre. She pursues dance and physical theatre, directs plays, teaches and writes. She is a co-founder of Tantehorse (theatre group) and Spitfire Company (art group). Her books include Miss AmeriKa (2018) and Baletky (Ballet Dancers, 2020). “She hasn’t even turned fourteen yet, but she is already an expert in keeping her body weight using laxatives and vomiting, treating bloody sores on her toes and binding her chest,” says the blurb on Ballet Dancers about the book’s main protagonist. “At the same time, she is exploring the nightlife of Prague. It is the 1990s, meth and ecstasy are in vogue, she’s discovering sex for the first time and also finds out she has a stepbrother who is completely different from what she would like. And her dream of becoming a ballet dancer and performing in the National Theatre is turning into a nightmare.”