Hrista Panayotova (she/her) is a dancer/acrobat/herbalist in learning and an activist.

Born and raised in Bulgaria, she is currently based in Cologne, Germany, though understanding her belonging rather through an deep ecological, ecofeminist and ecosexual perspective, as a human being on this planet. In a loving,

protective and caring relation with the earth with all its human and non-human species and beings. From everywhere and not only one specific place. 

What moves her and brings her to creative and activist work is the deep understanding of the unity of all beings and systems on this planet, the understanding that the crisis and the poor state of our planet is, as the philosopher Baptiste Morizot writes, a crisis of sensitivity. And her taste is a sensitivity and poetic expression mixed with daring aesthetics of drag, that follow her works in the collective AFTA. 

 

Hrista has a professional ballet education of 8 years, graduated in National school of arts Hristo Dobrev Varna, Bulgaria. Followed by a BA in performative practice in Centre for Contemporary Dance (CCD) Cologne, Germany. During her education Hrista took several internships - with B.J. Riepe Company as well as with Overhead Project Cologne.

​During her last years of studies Hrista received two scholarships - DAAD and Kunstsalon. In 2022 Hrista received the danceweb scholarship, which allowed her to partake in Impulstanz Festival Vienna for 5 weeks take countless of workshops on dramaturgy, partnering, floor work, house, voguing, be part of projects and see performances from renovated artists, and got mentored by Wim Vandekeybus and Nicola Schößler.

Hrista has taken further classes in hip-hop, house, voguing and folklore dances. She is also playing the guitar and singing since the age of 16.

 

Currently Hrista is working as a freelance dancer and circus artist for companies such as Acting for Climate (Norway) with the environmental show Currents, with performances/open rehearsals in Mallorca, Sicily, Sardinia, Norway, Copenhagen and Belgium; as with Cologne-based companies/collectives and Tacho Tinta, and is and has been working Overhead Project and many choreographers from around NRW.

Hrista is also working as a choreographer with the Collective Asses From The Ashes (AFTA) with the projects fertilizing the drough (2021-203) and devour the cracks (2023-2024), in a duo with the circus artist Leon Börgens with the works meet in the middle (2021) and homopuppy (2023-2023). Further more she has been working on several solos - Адаптация (2020) mentored by Breno Caetano and La Loba (2024) futured in the performance Currents from Acting for Climate.