They have always been inspired by Greek mythology
With GO! 2025, a long-held wish has come true for them
On April 2, the MN Dance Company will come to Cankarjev dom with the performance Prometheus.
Prometheus, the titan and Greek god of fire, the creator of man from clay, brought fire to humanity and many other things that until then belonged exclusively to the gods on Olympus, which is why Zeus punished him and condemned him to eternal torment. In the performance, choreographed by Michal Rynia and Nastja Bremec Rynia, the dance ensemble explores the entry points of humanity into progress, freedom, and the exit points of the same, human suffering, misfortune, despair, as a consequence of thoughtless and reckless actions.
Why did you choose Prometheus, what fascinates you about him?
Nastja: Greek mythology has always inspired us, we dealt with Orpheus and Eurydice in the performance Myth, with the Minotaur in the Labyrinth, with Icarus in Icarus, and in this performance, we are with Prometheus.
Michal: Prometheus is part of our project Borderless Body, which we are exploring within the European Capital of Culture GO! 2025. By bringing fire to humanity, Prometheus also brought progress and knowledge, consequently also Pandora's box, which contains destruction and regression. We chose Prometheus because we were wondering who could be Prometheus in today's world and what will happen to the progress of humanity and artificial intelligence in today's world.
The music for the performance was created by Sebastien Bal and Mateja Starič. How does collaboration between the musical and dance elements usually work, or how was it in this specific case?
Nastja: Mateja Starič and I have collaborated on quite a few performances and also films, so we are a well-established team. First, we present her the content concept of the performance and our ideas or conceptual points that would help her in creating the music. Then we work through video recordings and joint rehearsals. It was the same with Prometheus, except this time, in addition to Mateja, Sebastien Bal joined us as the music creator.
This time you are not only dancing to recorded music, but a string quartet, Ensemble Dissonance, is also performing live on stage, consisting of: Klemen Bračko, Jelena Ždrale, Klemen Hvala, Deyan Muc, and Jelena Pejić. Why did you decide on this?
Nastja: We have had the idea for a string quartet for a while. After talking with Mateja, it seemed sensible to implement it in this performance, as we immediately knew it would create an interesting contrast. So, Ensemble Dissonance accompanies us on stage, playing music created specifically for this performance by Sebastien Bal, while Mateja is the author of the electronic music background that is pre-recorded. Dancing to live music is, of course, something completely different. It gives you a special energy.
Music or instruments are also a very important invention. Which one can you no longer imagine life without?
Michal: Many inventions have become so everyday that we don't even realize how it would be without them. It would be hard to single any out.
Nastja: I can't imagine it without electricity.
Michal: Also without hot water, right? Nastja wouldn't be able to shower with cold water.
Nastja: He can, but I can't. For me, lukewarm is already too cold. Which invention could you live peacefully without?
Michal: Without a car. We don't drive.
Nastja: That's true, but then others have to drive us. In any case, we have to get around. I could live without the internet, but that's almost impossible nowadays. The internet is very helpful for our work and, ultimately, for our recognition.
Michal: We function without problems with just one shared mobile phone.
You were also recognized at GO! 2025. Prometheus is also part of the official program GO! 2025. What has this brought you?
Nastja: Because of the European Capital of Culture GO! 2025, we can have a professional dance ensemble in Nova Gorica. This has been our long-standing wish, and now it has come true because of this. This means a lot to us, as we have the opportunity to continuously create with a team of dancers and shape it, rather than everything ending after two months and everyone going their own way. We find this very important and it significantly eases our work. Besides financial support, it has also opened new paths for us. Because of the EPK, we performed at the Slovenian House at the Olympic Games in Paris, and we also had promotional performances in Berlin, Munich, Chemnitz, Hungary, etc.
Michal: In a way, we are also helping to promote the European Capital of Culture with the project Borderless Body – both with the performances we have created over the years since Nova Gorica received the title of European Capital of Culture (during this period we produced and created seven performances: Borderless Triptych - To the Moon and Back, Distance, F-Lights, Borderless Diptych – BorderLine, Perpetuum Mobile, Prometheus), like with posts on our social media. Here are also our short dance films that have been selected to participate in prominent international dance film festivals in the USA, Australia, India, Turkey, Bulgaria, Portugal, etc.
What are you working on now?
Nastja: We are currently preparing for our July premiere of the project Borderless Body. At the same time, we are also working on smaller projects. To mark International Dance Day on April 29, we will organize an event, we also participate every year with the R.o.R festival in Nova Gorica, and we will perform at Mateja Benedetti's fashion show, we will organize and lead our already traditional ten-day international contemporary dance program in August. In the meantime, we will shoot and create a new art dance film, which will be premiered at our September Evening of Dance Films at the border, etc. There will definitely be some additional, currently unplanned activities this year.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Nastja: When we take time off, we often sit on the couch and watch a good movie or series. We also enjoy long walks with our dog Oli and spending time with friends.
Teja Pelko
Photo: Natalja Polonkaia, Jernej Humar
