Ante Ursić
Assistant Professor
- ursica@etsu.edu
- 423-439-6514
- Gilbreath Hall 213B- Effective Fall 2023
Ante Ursić (PhD University of California, Davis) is a circus practitioner and Assistant Professor of Physical Theatre at the Department of Theatre and Dance, East Tennessee State University. His research investigates the human-animal relationship in contemporary circus. He is especially interested in the circus’ political sphere and potential, exploring how it relates to different understandings of animality. As circus artist, he received a gold medal from the festival SOLyCIRCO and a special prize from the festival Cirque du Demain. He has successfully produced projects of his own and in collaboration. He performed with established companies such as Cirque du Soleil (Totem), Tiger Lillies Circus, Balagan, and Circus Roncalli. Ante holds a Bachelor with distinction in Dance, Context, Choreography from Inter-University Center of Dance, Berlin, and a distinguished master’s in performance studies from New York University. Professor Ursić’s research has received support from the German Academic Exchange Program, the Social Science Research Council, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, among others.
At ETSU, Professor Ursić is heading the Physical Theatre concertation and teaches courses in the field such as Commedia dell’Arte, Modern Clowning, Theatre Movement, Tight Wire Walking and Thinking, and Contact Improvisation.