Keep laughing!
“A one-hour dance duet with immense physical intensity, yet marked by delicacy and precision of movement. A statement on the absurdity of the pursuit of bodily perfection, the need to manage everything, and still look good while doing it. Unsettling music, a light show, the courage to let the audience into their world, and humor.”
Markéta Horešovská, Novinky.cz
“…a humorous, touching, and physically concentrated testimony on how not to burn out—on having the determination to not be afraid to get to know oneself more deeply and to learn to view things with greater perspective.”
Petronela Brodková, Taneční zóna
“…a fascinating epicenter of paradox – an explosion of energy and a descent into burnout. In a spectacularly multilayered performance, they blended a recipe for excellent halušky with elements of folklore and self-irony.”
Hana Strejčková, Opera+
“Burkicom aptly comments on the obsession with success and perfection. The new piece Keep Laughing! by Jana Burkiewiczová explores burnout syndrome, which is increasingly becoming almost a civilizational disease. The choreographer adopts a fresh perspective on the pitfalls of toxic positivity and the obsession with success. Her directorial and choreographic contribution is crowned by precise dance performances.”
Clara Zenga, Taneční aktuality
“It is still Jana, who plays with detail in a detailed way and with space in a spacious way—and that is immensely valuable.”
Jana Návratová, ČT Art, Art Zóna
“Jana Burkiewiczová does not provide answers; rather, she probes them through dance in a way that demands attention.”
Jana Bohutínská, Reflex
Keep laughing!
How much can we carry without throwing up? A crazy dance ride about potatoes and burnout.
A guide to a super successful life wrapped in a recipe for authentic Slovak halušky, presented as a multimedia solo for two dancers. A small yet big performance for everyone who burns—but doesn’t burn out.
The production was created with financial support from grants by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the City of Prague, the State Culture Fund, and in collaboration with Jatka 78 Theatre. Creative residencies took place at Zastávka Obořice and REZI.DANCE Komařice.
Premiere: March 31, 2026, at Jatka 78.
“I wanted to create a small performance for two, but I’m not succeeding. Instead, a performance for two is emerging under my hands—one that has opened up a big theme for me: how much we can take on before it becomes too much to carry. For Christmas, I received the book Na chrbte, which is about Slovak porters who can only carry on their backs what they are able to bear. It sounds logical, but how do we find the limit of what we can handle?”
— Jana Burkiewiczová
Concept, Direction, Choreography: Jana Burkiewiczová
Script: Jana Burkiewiczová, Jiří Macek
Performers: Paulína Šmatláková, Michal Heriban
Choreographic Collaboration: Paulína Šmatláková, Michal Heriban
Set & Costume Design: Marek Cpin
Lighting Design: Pavla Beranová
Music: Jiří Konvalinka
Final Song: Tomáš Sýkora (music) / Jiří Macek (lyrics)
Projections: Terézia Halamová
Graphic Design: Martina Černá / Imagery
Animation: Ondřej Mencl
Visual Photography: Michaela Karásek Čejková
Performance Photography: Vojtěch Brtnický
Production: Lenka Plottová
Booking: Ivona Szantová