Seven Layers is a contemporary dance performance that explores the relationship between individuality and the collective system. The piece begins with a single unified image: performers acting as one organism, with no clear boundaries between the individual and the group. From this initial wholeness, a process of separation begins, as seven distinct bodies and presences emerge, each carrying traces of a shared origin. Between freedom and belonging, movement constantly oscillates, raising a question that remains open until the final moment: are we more whole when we belong, or when we stand apart?

The First Sušak Croatian Gymnasium is a school with nearly four centuries of tradition and one of the most respected educational institutions in Rijeka. Two years ago, it took a bold step forward by founding a dance department, becoming the only secondary school in Croatia to unite classical ballet and contemporary dance under the same roof. The students performing in Seven Layers are in their first year of the contemporary dance programme, bringing together youthful energy, dedicated work and genuine artistic curiosity.