CONCEPT:

Instead of depicting a single significant instant, our performance piece tries to focus on some constant, steady action and duration. We understand that as an extending of time, a journey through moments which can bring about a hypnotic breakaway from reality and a slip into the current of spectator’s own thoughts. We are especially interested in what lies beyond physicality and how we can reach the deeper meanings of Medusa’s symbolism by turning this ancient mythological figure into dance. We concentrate on its female, or rather feminine, aspect that is trickling into the modern world across the millennia. In Greek mythology, Medusa represents duality: beauty – monstrosity, victim – culprit, a killer – the killed. This is exactly where Medusa’s appeal stems from: her ambivalence, the symbol of both beauty and horror; the divine and (in Christianity) the devil. Her decapitated head is like a mask that justifies absolute evil. But behind the mask, there hides a more humane face – Medusa’s “tragic beauty”.

Our piece takes its inspiration in Medusa’s physical appearance, but we paint the image with character, giving her personality, thus bringing together both of her sides. We play around with the role of femme fataleas an innocent victim; we seek her beauty and monstrosity; we peel away the layers off of her mask and reflect her soul in the reflection of “Perseus’s shield”. Is her laughter joyful or mad, is her smile seductive or sarcastic, are her extended arms an invitation to the earthly pleasures or to a certain death?

Just as Medusa’s look turns to stone anyone who looks at her, so would want we, in our dance, to capture the given moment, mood; to keep still that which is and extend it into eternity. It seems that this particular snippet of time is the safest and we cling onto it the way everybody clings onto something in their lives: some idea about existence, relationship, matter, money (?) …