Vera-Viktoria Szirmay

🪔 About

Vera-Viktoria Szirmay is a distinguished figure in the field of Odissi, known for her extensive training, academic background, and international contributions to the dance form. Her foundational dance education began with classical ballet training at the Wiener Opernballettschule and the Hungarian University of Dance Arts in Budapest, where she graduated as a state-certified dance artist in 1992. She further specialized in ballet pedagogy, completing training in the Vaganova-System at the Hungarian University of Dance Arts in 1993. Szirmay expanded her academic pursuits with diploma studies in Theatre Studies, Indology, and Ethnology at the University of Vienna, and subsequently pursued doctoral studies in Theatre Studies, alongside a university course in “Culture and Organization” in Vienna. Since 1994, she has dedicated herself to the study of Odissi, undergoing continuous training under the esteemed guidance of Padmashri Madhavi Mudgal at the Gandharva Mahavidhyalaya Institute in New Delhi. Based in Vienna, Austria, Vera-Viktoria Szirmay maintains an active international career as a performer and educator. She has been an instructor at the University Sports Institute Vienna since 1994, teaching ballet, pointe, and classical Indian dance, specifically Odissi. Additionally, she serves as a lecturer at the Institute for Theatre, Film and Media Studies at the University of Vienna. From 2009 to 2010, she was a scientific staff member of the International ChoreoLab Austria/Krems ICLA at Danube University Krems, involved in curriculum development and teaching. She also joined the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität (now Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien) as a ballet master. Her work encompasses international performance activities, seminars, and choreographic projects, demonstrating her multifaceted engagement with dance.