Prometheus

CRITIC

Prometheus by the duo Michal Rynia and Nastja Bremec Rynia: An In-Depth Dramatic Choreographic Experience with Articulated Dance Figurality.

Internationally recognized choreographers and dancers Nastja Bremec Rynia and Michal Rynia have staged their new full-length dance performance "Prometheus" at the Grand Stage of SNG Nova Gorica. The premiere was on December 21 (with a preview on December 12), and there was a reprise on December 22, 2024, as part of the thematic project for the European Capital of Culture "Boundless Body."

This is not their first choreographic exploration of Greek mythology, as they have previously adorned the dance stage with Greek myths: the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice (2011-2012), "The Labyrinth with the Minotaur and Daedalus" (2018), and "Icarus with the First Flight of Icarus" (2021).

So why Prometheus? “In terms of connection to modern technology and artificial intelligence—that which is brought to us by the contemporary Prometheus. Our creations always lead us to deeper existential questions about our role and relationship to others and to the world. The text by Franz Kafka, which speaks to myth trying to explain the inexplicable, can be tied to contemporary dance,” they said.

This raises the question of who Prometheus is, the figure from Greek mythology who created humankind. Prometheus is a Titan—a giant of extraordinary powers, resembling a human, the son of the Titan Iapetus and Clymene, one of the Oceanids, linked to the depths of the ocean and the distant seas, connected with the depths of the underworld, the god Hades, and the brother of Atlas and Epimetheus. His father, Titan Iapetus, is the son of Uranus, the god of the celestial dome, one of the first Greek deities, and Gaia. Thus, Prometheus, the Titan of divine and earthly powers, created humans from clay (evidently in his own image) and breathed the spark (soul) into the dark, clay human shape. However, these humans did not honor the gods, so Zeus took away their light, and Prometheus rekindled it with the fire he stole from the gods on Olympus and gifted it to humanity. Thus, Zeus’s vengeful spear of power broke upon the rebel Prometheus, for he had chained him to a rock, while an eagle pecked at his liver by night, which would regenerate by day; just as it may still regenerate today, the mighty Titan rescued him again. Prometheus revealed knowledge to humans and educated them, while he stole it from the gods, who selfishly kept it hidden; and the meaning of his name can be translated to: caution, audacity, carefulness, or cunning—an eternal motto of human existence.

The creators of the dance performance "Prometheus" include choreographic duo Michal Rynia & Nastja Bremec Rynia, dramaturg Ana Kržišnik Blažica, music composers Sebastjan Bal and Mateja Starič, set designer Michal Rynia, lighting designer Matjaž Bajc, sound designer Stojan Nemec, designer of stage elements and props Gorazd Prinčič, and scenography advisor Aleksander Blažica. The outstanding dancers of the international dance ensemble MN Dance Company include Alexander Belin, Nastja Bremec Rynia, Nathan Dhugues, Rebecca Granzotto, Iva Ilievska, Eri Nishibara, Michal Rynia, Manon Veenstra, Luka Vodopivec, Lucy Woodhouse, Elia Zahnd, and Stefania Pisapia. A special feature of this dance performance is live music performed by the string quartet Ensemble Dissonance: Klemen Bračko, Jelena Ždrale, Klemen Hvala, Deyan Muc, and Jelena Pejić, blending concert performance with electronic soundscapes.

Even before entering the hall, a pleasant, somewhat familiar smell wafted through the air, and at the entrance, it became clear that it was the scent of popcorn being popped by a young man under the sunny glow, who looked somewhat mockingly at the arriving audience. In the theater program, the roles are not defined, prompting the question: who is this interesting young man? The stage was dimmed, and only the outlines of reclining bodies could be seen. Then, a fascinating scene appeared with the illuminated quartet suspended in the dark heights of the stage, which momentarily illustrated the scene. As the light spread, the wall appeared against which the quartet positioned themselves, beginning to play. On this same wall stood HE, the young man, still wearing the charming grin. And as the story of Prom etheus unfolds, the music emanates from heavenly heights—or from the wall or (milestone) of the celestial dome—then the mighty Zeus (Alexander Belin) was the only one who could be present among the musicians, tossing his popcorn to the dancers below. The dancers, with their movements of extended, fragile arms, evoke the impression of a flock of birds flocking around food. With the musical intonation and the first breadcrumbs, the group increasingly reflects the dramatic shape of a submissive throng of people, worshippers of divine crumbs, as they wrestle wildly with one another for a few popcorns—those that even the gods wouldn’t eat, hybrid, dusty ones…

The role of Prometheus is not choreographically delineated but is intertwined with millennia of struggles and emotional barriers of human survival, both once and today; which this time is dramatically deepened, also sufficiently comprehensible, spilling into group scene variations and in the language of dance art. For we are all in essence the same Prometheus on our small or grand scale, each on our own life path. However, from time to time, the choreography frames characteristic insights that define the Greek hero of divine dimensions defiantly resisting the supremacy of the gods from his Greek days. Thus, on stage, we follow Prometheus (Elia Zahnd), bound with ropes to a rock, who struggles fiercely and tries to escape. Of course, he does escape and becomes part of the group. Another segment that alludes to the times of Prometheus is Pandora's box, in which there is a woman (Lucy Woodhouse) whose translucent lid reflects her horrifying expression, perhaps Pandora’s scream? A curious group gathers around her, turning her, carrying her, until the box opens, allowing others to also test themselves in this rectangular plight—not just the woman’s curiosity. The gods of Olympus, led by Zeus, awakened Pandora, married her to Prometheus's brother, Epimetheus, and Zeus gifted her the box. When in her impatient curiosity she opened it, all evils of humanity flew forth. She quickly closed the box, but ever since, duplicity has reigned among humanity, as written in ancient wisdom, where evil battles goodness, darkness confronts light, which is vividly and silently proclaimed on stage by the group in their masked waxen reflection of duplicitous gazes. The one-hour choreography flows suggestively from one dance frame to another, resonating with feelings of tension, and unexpectedly emerges a duet between Nastja and Michal in new picturesque transitions as they leave the group and depart the stage. In discussions about the structure of the duet, it was mentioned that they had Adam and Eve in mind, who resisted the paradise of nirvana and freely took flight into life. A little differently than in our times, which glorifies that idealized paradisiacal period. But Pandora's box is not just a horror story; it also carries hope, which can be distilled from the final scene when numerous heavenly white pebbles descend upon the group, initially startling them, then they try to defend themselves until they become aware and choose their path, their collective exit from the stage.

The dance performance "Prometheus" proves to be a profound, dramatically conceived choreographic experience, with articulated dance figurality that originally delves into and explores the recurring wheels of life's tracks, all the way to the written sources of ancient Greece and in reflection of the present. The rounded scenographic concept is enhanced by an imaginatively designed stage framework, unobtrusive modern costumes, as well as sound and lighting design, although an additional touch of light would have been welcome, as the thematic weight does not solely wrap itself in the darkness of night, to the extent that the dancers' looks should have also shone through, not just their excellent poetic dance. This time, music and dance particularly merge into a duet of tones and movements, felt, heard, and perceived as a unique theatrical, cosmic blend. In our correspondence, when I asked how long they had been preparing for this new choreographic endeavor, Nastja and Michal replied: "Michal and dramaturg Anja Kržišnik Blažica began over the summer with processing literature and various documentation related to the theme. We started the creative process in September. Now that we have the ensemble, it’s great for us to dedicate more time to the creative process than usual, when we operated project-based. We can truly delve into the complexity of the movement theme. A blank page, which slowly becomes an abstract yet narrative creation of movement energies, is this journey through the creative process, which is our driving force, pulling us toward exploration. But the fact that we also dance in our performances allows us to connect even more with the other dancers and also lets us see and feel the performance from the inside." Regarding future plans, they stated that just after the opening of the European Capital of Culture, they would begin the creative process for the performance "Borderless Body," which will premiere in July. In the meantime, they still have performances lined up with "Prometheus," along with other shorter shows and filming a dance movie. The MN Dance Company will also perform  "Prometheus" on April 2 at the Linhart Hall of Cankarjev Dom in Ljubljana.

Daliborka Podboj / 24. Feb 2025