KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE
Dance
Illustration by Laimutė Varkalaitė
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Matthew Dane Livingston (USA), member of the Aura dance company. Photo by Dainius Ĺ Ä?iuka
First, we learn how to dance and then how to walk. We dance the best when no one is watching and also after we learn not to be shy about our dancing when someone is watching. Kaunas was dancing before Aura was founded. Much earlier than Birutė Letukaitė was noticed by Kira Daujotaitė among others. Even before Danutė Nasvytytė brought the freedom of expression from Berlin to Kaunas. Take a closer look at Kaunas from the bird‘s eye view wasn‘t it the free Nemunas and Neris dance on Lithuanian valleys that destined these two rivers to intertwine and give birth to our city? Surely no one was watching them.
Like nobody‘s watching We will begin October with the 28th international Aura contemporary dance festival. It is one of the most important events on the city‘s calendar as if marking a new year of the dance theatre of the same name. By the way, almost all the international troupe that was composed last year remained in the theatre. We introduced some of the dancers last September when the issue was dedicated to the theatres of Kaunas. This time, we are talking to a choreographer from Israel, a guest of the festival.
And this is not the only footprint of Aura in the issue! Many of our interviewees are one way or another associated with the dance theatre. By the way, we seem to have improved our record with their number. Two people dance the tango, three start from zero, five people dance under one roof, and hundreds were dancing during the interwar period. And it doesn‘t matter if you‘re sixty seven or not even one. You‘ll have time to learn how to walk. Dance!
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‘Riot meets aesthetics’ is the formula used to describe this year’s programme of International Dance Festival AURA28. The event, marking the start of the productive season of Kaunas dance theatre Aura, is focusing on contemporary Israeli dance. The premiere show of the festival will be Damage, a piece choreographed by Gil Kerer. The choreographer and his family only arrived in Kaunas two weeks before the premiere night on October 5th. We met him right after the first rehearsal.
Two weeks’ worth of damage Gunars Bakšejevs Photos by Dainius Ščiuka
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It‘s 21 September, you only arrived yesterday, and the festival is in two weeks! Elon, my assistant, arrived a few days ago and started working with the dancers. So what is your experience of the first rehearsal? The experience is outstanding. I was astonished, the dancers did quite a lot in the 4 days. Today, we reviewed what they achieved, they also gave me feedback, and it was good to see what they reached in the sense of atmosphere. Not only movement and shape, but also they synced on many levels. Mental level, too. I felt they already knew me and understood me when we met face to face. It‘s like we already had a common language.
How did the relationship between you and Aura start? It’s my first time in Lithuania. I met Birutė Letukaitė in Jerusalem, during the Jerusalem International Dance Week. It’s an event organised by a dance house that is called Machol Shalem. It’s a showcase week of the program of Israeli choreographers that present their new pieces for guests from all over the world – artistic directors of various festivals and dance companies. Birute was one f the guests. I performed a duet that I created with an Israeli dancer Korina Fraiman. It’s a short duet, just 12 minutes long. Birutė liked it, and we started our communication. She wanted to invite me to a residency in Kaunas, and somehow the idea of collaboration popped up. I was interested in working with
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a large group of dancers, so, in the end, we agreed I create a new piece with Aura dancers, and its premiere will take place during the festival. Is it an entirely new piece? What is Damage about? Yes, it is. It’s a short time for creation, less than 3 weeks, and it should be a long piece, at least 45 minutes. So I am using some material and ideas that I have already explored in previous pieces that I did. Sometimes, when you start the creative process, it’s like a fog, you don’t know a lot. It usually takes me 4-5 months to create a piece, of course, it’s not an everyday job and the days are not as long as here in Kaunas. But I have more time. Here, I needed to come prepared with ideas. Damage is the name and the main topic. I am interested in the damage that we are doing, and that is happening to us as a society and as individuals, without noticing it. It’s not
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even something that necessarily is connected to evil or something you do on purpose. It’s about how we are damaging ourselves without being aware of it, by using patterns which take us as a society as individuals. Also, how, for example, if I damage the environment I live in, how it influences me. If I damage myself, how does it affect the others? It’s also about cycling of damage. It interests me, and I try to understand it myself. The technical skills of dancers are usually one of the definitives of Aura dance company. What is your first impression of that? Yes, a lot of them are very technical. But I don’t necessarily work with classical techniques. Yes, I did ballet classes, and to be a professional dancer is a good and essential tool. But I also have a different approach. I have to say the dancers are very open-minded and ready to receive new ideas and information. They work with many choreographers,
Folk opened the world for me. The world of movement. Israel is a country of immigrants, and the Israeli folk dance culture is built on that – on different types of folk dances from all over the world. Russian, Hungarian, Yemenite, Moroccan, Eastern European countries... From all of these influences, typical Israeli dances were born. Not every dancer can be a choreographer, even if he or she really wants to. What was your path? It is a very different thing. I am still dancing, mostly my own pieces. Now I have started to take myself out of them, and I understand it’s a different job. I remember from the beginning when I started dancing, then I started learning ballet and modern dance, I was always curious about creating the dances myself. I had my own ideas even for the folk dances. What pushed me? My first steps, I was utterly terrified about building my first piece. Maybe it was the frustration as a dancer, I was frustrated
I am an independent choreographer, and I rent a studio. I am part of the Israeli choreographer association. It is a great one. It was established some 20 years ago with very few members, and now it has around 80 members. It really helps the independent choreographers, especially with administration and bureaucracy. It’s nice to see your little son running around the theatre. Is he already a dancer? Do you often travel with your family? He’s 2 years 3 months old. At home, he dances, and he loves it. He also likes to be in the studio, sometimes even disturbing the rehearsals. I don’t know if he will be a dancer – of course, if he wants to, I won’t prevent it. We try to travel together, but, of course, it’s not possible all the time. Touring abroad is an essential aspect of contemporary dance. With a family, it’s hard to be away. So, when it is possible, and it makes sense, we do it. Lithuania is not far, we stay here for a few weeks, so it made sense. Will Damage be shown after the festival, too? Yes, I really hope so. The company are very much interested in continuing performing it in Lithuania and around the world. In Israel, too – we have already started a plan for that.
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I read that you started with folk dances. How old were you? I was 13. Folk dancing is very popular in Israel. We have many groups for kids, youngsters, adults, seniors... Big festivals, too. For me, it was the only way to start dancing. It’s a lot about the joy and the expression. Not about form and technique so much, but the happiness that exists in dance. In the professional dance world, the happiness is sometimes hidden.
with the professional contemporary dance. It’s not exactly as you think it is when you are a teenager and dream of becoming a professional dancer. I also wanted to check how meaningful it can be for me – contemporary dance. I still very much like to perform and dance. For three years, I did both, and naturally, the choreography takes more and more of my time.
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and I was surprised about how committed they are for new movement styles and ideas. It is wonderful. It’s not only how good they are as dancers, but how open they are as humans. It’s a learning process for them, and also for me. Not all the dancers are like that. Some just want to do what they know best.
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“For two days I sat in front of the computer and edited, so I simply can‘t wait to fight Marius,” says another Marius, who was unable to order a drink in a cafe for an hour. The first Marius is laughing, and Andrius is swaying to the music playing in the background. 3 people who debuted with their play (g)round zero two years ago, showed it again at the Nepriklausomybės Square right after our meeting. The following day they took a plane to Spain where they planned to dance in the wild nature of the mountains. Well, it is time to get acquainted more officially – Marius Pinigis, Marius Paplauskas and Andrius Stakelė – Nuepiko.
Two basketball players and a tall guy Kotryna Lingienė and Kęstutis Lingys Photos by Artūras Bulota
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Marius Pinigis was born in Panevėžys. He says, he grew up with theatre and was a rather “kinetic child” – constantly imitating Michael Jackson. After graduating from high school with strong humanities program he entered Vytautas Magnus University where he got master‘s in political sciences – his mother had suggested “choosing something serious.”
pionships when I was very young. And I didn‘t notice how I started training and looking for a dance studio, but I couldn‘t find the one I like in Lithuania.” So, he continued to dance just for his own sake, until, during one event he was noticed by Aura manager and invited to the theatre. “There, I saw a different level and realised that I still have a lot to learn.”
When in university, he was noticed by Aura dance theatre – one performance required a few dozen dancers. “Theatre caught up with me,” says Marius, who spent seven years with Aura.
Overall, Audrius has spent ten years in Aura. After that – dance in Tenerife, Germany and electronic music studies in Denmark. So, we already have one epic political scientist and one epic music producer. Let‘s continue.
Andrius claims that he started dancing because his older brother was into breakdancing. “He would take me along with him to cham-
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Marius Paplauskas grew up in Prienai. He started competitive ballroom dance when he was four
and later trained in Kaunas. “I was a disgusting kid and was ashamed to admit what I do. I‘d say to my friends that I was going to play basketball in Kaunas.” But he did play basketball, like the first Marius. “And we were pretty good at it” – claim both. “And I didn‘t play basketball on purpose because all the relatives wanted me – a tall guy – to do it,” croaks Andrius. But let‘s go back to Marius for a short while. Once, after seeing now legendary Marijonas Staniulėnas dancing hip–hop in Birštonas, he followed him to ANT studija. There he met Marius Pinigis and the both connected, but... “We had very little knowledge, but big dreams.” We‘re talking around 2009 here, 8 years before the (g)round zero premiere. In 2012 Marius and Andrius remembered the second Marius, who by then was a pretty developed house– style dancer. However, something was still missing until actual work together could begin. But what was missing in Aura that attracts dozens of dancers from all over the world and tours globally? “It‘s a theatre with its hierarchical structure. If you dance there, you don‘t have many opportunities also to create,” says the first Marius and also admits that when he really wanted to express himself differently, i.e. to create, he had to learn how to think creatively. “Marius told me that If I leave, he will go too,” gives away Andrius. By the way, both of them believe that if they were 19 again, they would hardly get into Aura because the theatre itself has improved, young
dancers are more technical and more disciplined. We have discussed music and political sciences, but we‘re also interested in how Marius Paplauskas is able to be on the stage and also look at it from the camera lens. You would be surprised to find out how many videos that you see on the social media in a month are filmed and edited by him. If Marius Pinigis idealised Michael Jackson in his childhood, maybe Marius Paplauskas watched so many videos that he decided to start making them himself? He says that Meat Loaf‘s “I Would Do Anything for Love” left an impact on him. (“Me too,” whispers Andrius) Also Pet Shop Boys “Go West”, “When they marched, I marched along.” But when did he start filming the ones who march? “I simply bought a camera because I wanted to record my dancing. I edited it, uploaded to YouTube and of course, didn‘t get much interest,” remembers his first attempts Marius. He also emphasises that filming didn‘t teach him to dance but vice versa. After all, moving with a camera is the same as moving while dancing. And when you get tired of it, you can always sit down and edit. Combining two different images is also a kind of choreography. If you succeed, a certain feeling of harmony comes over you. Both sides of personality fit together – a dancer dances and a cameraman makes a small film about dance. You‘ll be able to see it on your computer or smartphone screens before the new year. But – Marius sighs – it is not that easy to combine these two occupations, especially when you
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work alone, but three of you have to dance. There are no doubles – in Mexico, one member of the trio had to dance four performances with a “wobbly” leg. What makes Nuepiko different from other dance studios, for example, Aura? “Three of us, we talk a lot. Not only about creative work, but also about life, mostly about the direction we‘re moving. If you want to be different, you shouldn‘t forget that if your actions will constantly signal that you‘re non-traditional and you dance in unconventional spaces it will be perceived as you claiming that you don‘t need usual and traditional places. Which means you can always dance in the market, on the street, near Soboras...” Here, Marius Pinigis, of course, refers to the venue for professional performances which could host dancers from Kaunas, Vilnius and the world.
In a few years (g)round zero managed to flicker about 30 times everywhere – from Šilainiai to Mexico. “We would like to avoid falling into the same situation like the one we experienced when dancing in the theatre or having a studio. We wouldn‘t want to feel as if we‘re being suffocated by dance, we wouldn‘t want to change our lives drastically, and we wish to have enough space for self–expression,” seems like Marius Pinigis answers for all. Video documentary, music (maybe even a vinyl record), education (by the way, Marius teaches dance to small kids. We touch upon this topic in an interview with Birutė Banevičiūtė) – these things help us re–discover ourselves. “We don‘t want to be in a hurry and join the Facebook flood. We want to stop and evaluate ourselves,” we end the conversation with this rather mature thought. This is also an occasion to comment on the new name. “It means that you will have to grow and get better continuously,” that‘s how Nuepiko was interpreted by one friend of the trio.
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We don‘t want to be in a hurry and join the Facebook flood.
(g)round zero – sparkling with pop culture standards, bribing you with the aesthetic of the punch and catchy soundtrack that turns unaware passerby into the audience was a basis for the troupe to experiment with the question: what could people coming from different worlds create together? It was both an exercise for the athletic dancers and... a playground that fit all the childish and shallow ideas that the dancers were unable to realise previously. The 90s generation. Jackson and Pet Shop Boys, VIVA and MTV. Just like the title suggests – starting from zero. However, they all agreed that if they do this – there‘s no way back, which means that zero will not be their first and last creation.
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“Most of my family members are musicians, but it appears that dance genes were stronger,” smiles Areta Beinarytė-Nosovienė while seating down her family behind the table in the yard. Her husband Vladimiras (he came to Lithuania from the city of Voronezh in Russia) first danced at the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theater in Vilnius and later moved to Klaipėda. After getting a job at the newly established Musical Theater, he met a pianist Areta, who had recently graduated from the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater. That’s where Julijus and Jokūbas were born, and then, when Areta’s father remained alone in Kaunas, they moved back there with a new addition to the family - little Stefanija. So, here we are now in Vilijampolė surrounded by music that’s either playing loudly outside or in our heads, talking about how one can fit so many colours, sounds and talents under one roof.
Four dancers and a concertmaster Kotryna Lingienė and Kęstutis Lingys Photos by Dainius Ščiuka .
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You may have seen Julijus, Jokūbas and Stefanija on the TV screen or on the streets of Palanga, Šventoji, Kaunas or other cities as the faces of In*Beat studio, jamming very passionately. The family trio was rehearsing their program in Lithuanian resorts a few years back and later presented it on the show Lithuanian Talents. “We wanted people to recognise us on the screen, vote for us, but we didn’t get that many votes,” laughs Julijus remembering the TV adventures. The Happy dance showed at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre as well as family weddings and anniversaries is probably the best-known creation of In*Beat family. “We were inspired by C2C video Happy, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that,” says Jokūbas. Stefanija adds that the project was nice because the family was able to stay together and work together, “We talk a lot about dancing together, but we rarely do something.” Julijus was the first child out of three to start dancing. Later he even became the Lithuanian hip-hop champion. It’s all because his mom didn’t allow the energetic teenager to go to karate so, after a twelveyear-old saw a breakdancer on the street, he convinced his mom to let him go to the Kaunas Children and Youth Leisure Center - the one on Parodos hill, designed by Edmundas Alfonsas Frykas. Soon Julijus was joined by one year and three months younger Jokūbas. “I didn’t have much to do, and although I said I won’t do any of the stuff my brother does, I followed him.” With smiles on their faces, brothers remember their first coach Vladislovas Bogomolovas who gave the teenagers a lot of freedom. “He would open the doors, put some music on and allowed us to communicate.”
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“And I really wanted to prove my brothers I can be just like them,” interjects Stefanija. She started playing the piano in J. Naujalis music school when she was six. One day she announced she didn’t want to do it anymore because she wanted to dance on the street! Stefanija also went to Irena Ribačiauskaitė’s ballet studio, and as a child worked at the Kaunas State Musical Theatre. She even played in one performance together with her dad. Stefanija played little Marie, and Vladimiras was her godfather Herr Drosselmeyer. According to Areta, this role was the most suitable for her husband. And Stefanija doesn’t regret the decision to quit the piano. She started her street dance stage from electric boogie. Of course, the ballet lessons were not forgotten. During our conversation, Julijus admits that the street dance team In*Beat which was founded in 2007 and later turned into a studio that raised more than one generation of talents offering very diverse styles, from hiphop to bachata and lindy hop - has seized to exist. “We all got scattered: someone is in Malta, others in the Netherlands, some don’t dance anymore, but edit videos - the last one is about me.” Mom agrees with her son that you won’t be able to earn much money as a dancer and when you start a family, finances become a priority. By the way, a six-year-old Julijus’ daughter is already dancing. She was even nominated for the best improvisation. And the young dad promises to return to the dancefloor, “I want to come back to the popping scene, but as a dancer, not as a teacher.” He says we must watch a documentary about street dance in Lithuania The Circle, which was made by In*Beat in 2012. Stefanija teaches kids but explains that she prefers the “oral method” meaning that it’s more fun for her
Aktorystė visų pirma ir yra kompromisų profesija – ilgainiui tai sužinai ir turi išmokti.
to communicate with students and other dancers instead of teaching them. “It’s nice to approach the dancer and commend him, tell him what he does well and encourage - words carry great power.” If you want to move as free as Stefanija, you should find a dance company Faceless Artist on Facebook. Mafia of female dancers meets every Monday and Wednesday in A. Puškinas gymnasium. Meanwhile, Jokūbas thinks it’s about time to go back to working with children. “I will continue participating in competitions this year, but after that no more. In general, I am so busy right now that I plan to give something up to be able to teach others.” He thinks that In*Beat name is important for the younger generation so, it would be unreasonable not to use it for education. Now, he is also learning a lot from his dad with whom he used to communicate much less before, “Dad tells me he’s like a book that I won’t be able to find in any library.”
Vladimiras tells us that, in his opinion, music is a slave to the body and when the body caresses it - dance is born. In his 50s, like many dancers, he has finished his career in theatre - has been retired for 18 years. Now he writes poetry which is another form of dance and believes that every morning a person is young and, in the evening, after learning something new, becomes smarter. Meanwhile, Jokūbas is learning his father’s poems by heart. “I think that one day our family will be ready for a joint project and I can already imagine - a hall, dad’s poems are hanging on the walls, mom is playing the piano, Jokūbas and I are dancing, and Julijus is filming...” says Stefanija unexpectedly. “Direct it, it sounds good,” respond the brothers slightly surprised. After that we turn off the recorder, turn the music up, and Nosovai get up to dance.
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“How did you find us?”, asks Brigita Rodrigues, opening the door to her tango salon on the upper floor on a former cultural house in Petrašiūnai micro-district of Kaunas. Known more for its chimney-filled landscape than for tango, the micro district is not the most poetic one in the city. Yet. We do believe the emotional temperature of Petrašiūnai has risen a few degrees since the tango-dancing couple of Brigita and Carlos has moved in here. So, how did we find them? Google knows everything.
Tango in Petrašiūnai Kotryna Lingienė and Kęstutis Lingys Photos by Teodoras Biliūnas
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How long has your Tango salon been open? Carlos: Three years. Brigita: I lived in Vilnius before, and I had my own tango school there. Initially, I am from Šiauliai. I graduated from the academy and opened my school. I spent 17 years in the capital of Lithuania. Carlos actually came to a milonga in my salon - this is how we met. Carlos, why did you come to Europe from Argentina? Carlos: It was six years ago. I received an invitation to work as a tango teacher in St. Petersburg, Russia. When the contract – and my
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visa – finished, I had two options – to go back home or continue my trip. I chose the latter and first went to Tallinn, Estonia, as it was close to St. Petersburg. I worked there for four months and later travelled to Riga. Then Vilnius, where someone told me I had to dance with the best tango dancer in Lithuania. And this is how I met Brigita. I invited her for a dance... ...and you are still dancing, right? Carlos: Yes! Actually, we started talking about working together immediately. It was December 2012, and a huge tango event was held. We danced a lot there. I asked Brigita to have dinner with me and proposed
her to become my partner. I told her about my contacts around the world and presented my idea to travel and work around the world. And to go to Buenos Aires in July – she had never been there! Brigita: I told him I had to think. I had three jobs at that time – I taught kids, I had my own tango school that had just opened a year ago, and I also worked as a choreographer in a theatre. But Carlos told me it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. So I said I‘d tell him my answer in the morning. And I send him an email in the morning, stating I would travel with him, but I‘d need a few months to take care of everything. Carlos: And then we started to dance a lot. Brigita: I understood my tango was very bad! My first teacher was Eduardo Gimenez, I worked with him for some ten years, and I was really the best in Lithuania.
settle down. We married in Buenos Aires, and then our baby girl arrived. When in Lithuania, we couldn‘t find a decent apartment to rent in Vilnius! I offered Brigita to check out Kaunas – she never had this idea, actually. For me, a one hour distance seemed very short. And, after living in Buenos Aires, which is a 15-million people city, both Vilnius and Kaunas seem very small for me. I see no difference. So, we found a nice apartment in Kaunas and moved here. After settling in, we found a place to teach tango. This salon is our third location, and tango is its primary and single purpose. Brigita: In fact, there wasn‘t any tango school in Kaunas before we opened one. Some teachers, yes, but not a school. We are still the only one, but there are more teachers at the moment. How old is the community here in Kaunas?
Carlos: Brigita is the professional dancer in our couple. She studied for so many years, she is also a teacher, she understands how the body works because she studied it at the university.
Brigita: I think it‘s about ten years old – that‘s when the first people started to dance the tango here. Of course, the community in Vilnius is more prominent. Now, I think, we have about 50 dancers.
Brigita: And Carlos is the master of tango.
How many first-timers come back to your salon for more lessons?
Carlos: So, of course, our start was complicated – we had to balance two very different experiences. Little by little, we succeeded. This is our story! Now, we are trying to grow the tango community here in Kaunas. And why Kaunas?
Carlos: All of them! One of our groups is our first pupils here in Kaunas. Tango is a specific dance. When people come to us for the first time, we explain that we don‘t want only to teach them the tango steps. We also want to share our culture,
Carlos: We came back to Lithuania after travelling around the world for three years when we were ready to
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Usually, it‘s the woman who asks her husband or partner to learn tango, but quite soon, after realising the man is the leader in tango, men become very excited. We give the power to the men, and the women learn how to follow their partner, and open up their feminine side. It‘s usually the women who lead the couples in contemporary society, and tango is entirely the opposite. The man breathes, and the woman breathes through the man. The man listens to the music, and the woman listens to the music through the man. Without a man, there‘s no tango, and he is responsible for the whole situation.
Of course, our start was complicated – we had to balance two very different experiences.
Carlos, did you start dancing tango when you were a little boy? Are there more dancers in your family?
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and this is usually very interesting. It‘s meeting new people, making friends – it‘s a way of life. We spread the tango virus.
Carlos: Tango for us is life, particularly in Buenos Aires. The dance itself is just 5 per cent of the whole culture of Tango Argentino. Poets, dancers, musicians, teachers... There‘s even a peculiar dialect, a street slang used in tango culture – Lunfardo. I was born into this culture, so, yes, I started very young. My mother is a tango singer, and she is very passionate about it, she knows all the poets and the musicians, and my grandfather was a dancer. Are there many Argentinians in Kaunas? Carlos: I know only one – Esteban Colucci, he plays a guitar.
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So what do you do when you miss Argentina? Carlos: Well, we invite masters – dancers and musicians – from Buenos Aires – they share their knowledge with local dancers. Musicians, too. We make events in other cities, also – Klaipėda, for example. Every Friday, we organise a milonga here, in the salon – everyone‘s invited to dance and mingle. Would you like to live in Buenos Aires at some point? Brigita: It‘s nice to spend a few months there and then come back home. But to live? I don‘t know. The economic situation isn‘t the
What about Šiauliai? Brigita: Maybe one day? For us, it‘s essential to have enough people that want to learn tango. A year ago, we tried to gather a group in Šiauliai, but it didn‘t happen. Of course, nobody knows about us there, we need more promotion. When we first came to Kaunas, the ‚Dancing Old Town‘ event took place, and we participated there – we danced the tango in Rotušės square. I was seven months pregnant at the time! So your daughter started learning the tango very early! Carlos: She does copy us when we work!
What kinds of people come to your salon? Carlos: I‘d say it‘s usually people above 40. This year, younger people joined us, and we‘re pleased about that. If they‘re students, we offer a special discount. What does one have to bring if he decides to visit your salon? Brigita: Shoes! Carlos: And money. Brigita: Yes, the women‘s shoes are expensive. And one pair is never enough. In fact, I even started my own shoe line, because I couldn‘t find the perfect and most comfortable shoes for me! I also studied orthopaedic shoe design here in Kaunas.
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best at the moment, and, of course, it‘d be much more difficult for us to work there.
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Liza Baliasnaja is a Brussels-based choreographer who recently started visiting her native Kaunas more often. The artist who will present the international premiere of Commensurate to Be With in the M. Žilinskas Art Gallery on November 9, 10 and 11 shares her ideas on the ways to understand contemporary dance. According to her, most importantly, one must be open, share knowledge and focus on transformation.
Edvinas Grin Photos by Dainius Ĺ Ä?iuka
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Kaunas is your native city. What adolescent memories are most prominent? What places in Kaunas and what cultural events symbolise that time for you? What seemed hip at the time? I was born and raised in Kaunas. As I was interested in dance, of course, I discovered Aura dance theatre which was the cream of the crop to me while growing up. I started going there and dancing at sixteen. I was invited to dance in Aura‘s performances pretty soon after that, so I began my professional career quite early. It‘s a huge privilege. On the other hand, I probably didn‘t have that kind of adolescence that my peers had. One of the most anticipated events was a contemporary dance festival organised by Aura. There I could see international dance companies and they fascinated me. At that time, I knew very little about what was going on abroad, so I was mostly influenced by what took place in the Lithuanian contemporary dance and art scene. Since Aura studio was located in the Old Town, I spent many hours there. I lived a sort of double life – one in high school and another as a dancer. I would spend my time with my elder colleagues in performances and rehearsals. Therefore, the centre of Kaunas, the route down the stairs from Saulės gymnasium to the Old Town was my daily routine. With my peers, we‘d spend a lot of free time in the public spaces of the city – War Museum garden, on the many stairs in Kaunas. We used to do something there, it was pretty hip (chuckles). In Kaunas, I was most impressed not necessarily by architecture but by the public spaces I frequented. How did dance come into your life and when did you understand that you wish to have a career
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in dance? Were all the choices that you‘ve made – Aura dance theatre, Artes school in the Netherlands and P.A.R.T.S. school in Belgium – were purposeful, planned or more driven by impulse and hesitation? What impact did it have on you as a personality? When I moved to the Netherlands to study at 18, my field of knowledge has greatly expanded. I could say I was shaped by the Western context in which I suddenly found myself. When I started to learn about the alternative dance culture, I began to discover myself in it – much more than in a conservative Kaunas society of the time. After I went to Holland, my life has shifted by 180 degrees. English became my primary language, and I was able to read texts that I previously wasn‘t aware of. The context of the Dance Academy which is liberal and has a more open view on the body and Western ideas of equality and feminism had a significant influence on me and greatly expanded my way of thinking about certain dogmas that were shaped during my childhood and adolescence. Of course, it may seem like a dubious choice for parents to let their daughter go to Holland to study contemporary dance. When I was a teenager, I was “supposed” to be a doctor and leave the dance as a hobby. When I started independently going abroad to the different dance seminars or workshops, I realised that people live off of that and that dance can be a real profession. When living in Lithuania, I could not understand that. The decision to study dance was an intuitive one. I wanted to know the sides of me, which I would have been unable to know if I remained in Lithuania. I discovered a lot via dance. Dance studies made a massive impact on my lifestyle, on how I think,
my political stance and ethics. I discovered a space in dance, in which I was able to free myself from certain stigma and prevailing social norms. I always had and still have a family that supports me. They have a lot of respect for my decisions. They have always supported me and continue to do so. I consider myself very lucky. You studied in one of the most prestigious contemporary dance schools in Europe – P.A.R.T.S. How would you describe your studies, how did it change your view on creative work? I learned about P.A.R.T.S. when studying in the Netherlands. Studying in P.A.R.T.S. changed my attitude to dance and helped to understand that dance is not only a physical but also an intellectual activity. It‘s not merely an expression and bodywork. I learned that dance practices, and choreography can have an academic approach to knowledge and creative work. This relationship between theory and practice has become necessary to me and has been accompanying me for many years now. We spent the same amount of time in physical, practical classes, as well as in theoretical lectures on sociology, philosophy, art history, feminism, postcolonialism. All this gave me the impression that, as an artist, I am a political unit, and what I am creating represents my attitude in society. A dancer is not only an entertainer – contemporary dance establishes a discourse. I developed a sense of responsibility for the things I create. Since you acquired the basics of contemporary dance in Aura and only then encountered the Western practices, could you compare them? What are the most prominent differences? Here, it is still critical for us to name something „contemporary dance.“ It must be understood that contempo-
rary dance describes only what can be called dance at this particular time. It is not a style or aesthetics of a movement. It is a „dance of the present.“ Therefore, it is important for us to ask – what‘s relevant today while creating a dance? Is it relevant to create dance which continues to maintain a very heteronormative approach; which doesn‘t attempt to offer alternatives for the present chaos, a dance which requires a black theatre box and a humble audience? Maybe it‘s more important to analyse some other questions. We shouldn‘t forget the history of dance, but just like any other field, dance is also expanding. This expansion happened a bit earlier in the West. But I believe it will reach us here too, and it has already started with the help of Lithuanian artists living in Lithuania and abroad.
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What‘s relevant now in contemporary dance? Do you notice any trends? What do you choose? If I‘m thinking about a piece of work, it‘s essential for me to create time and space in which the audience can feel something quite the opposite to the capitalist productivity. Often this takes a reasonably abstract form. I care about the intentions of resistance to fast consumption and demands for productivity in any artwork. Even though many of your works are developed abroad, you cooperate with very international groups of people, you have started coming back to Lithuania more often where you present and develop your projects and also hold seminars. What makes you come back? Do you want to share your practices and experiences? First of all, Lithuania is an incredibly exciting space because it is still in transformation. When I am in here, it seems that everything is still possible. In Lithuania you can be playful, you can experiment – I can feel the potential. I think that I have a lot of opportunities and space here. I know this is partly because I had the chance to study abroad. I come back here knowing that; I realise my privilege, and that encourages me to share. My attitude to my activities in Lithuania has also changed. I do not care about turning Lithuania into Belgium. By teaching and doing seminars, I don‘t want to convey my knowledge merely. It‘s vital for me to share knowledge. I realised that the knowledge itself changes after sharing. In many cases I experiment, I am still looking for myself as a lecturer, I have never done the same seminar twice in a row. I always think about what I can offer – knowing the context of Lithuanian dance – that a foreign
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We must realise that we don‘t have to be like the West and that we are not and will never be.
teacher cannot. How can I be useful to this sphere? I don‘t want to simply „record“ my knowledge. I want it to transform and become helpful in this specific context. We must realise that we don‘t have to be like the West and that we are not and will never be. Our time and speed are different. This is a question of conversation and openness. I am not sure exactly what change I would like to see. But it will happen, in any case. Do you associate your career with Lithuania? People often think that when you live abroad, you live there, because it‘s much easier. But it‘s not the case. It would be much easier for me to live in Lithuania. I would have work, could show my art more often, could teach more. It‘s challenging to live in Belgium, there are thousands of people like me. I live there because I am still interested in the country‘s dance scene, I still gain knowledge and become stronger and better
knowing that each work I create has that accumulated knowledge and awareness. I have a massive need for this, and I very much hope that this will not change.
You are a young professional in your field who has already created many works. What ideas motivate you to create at the moment? Recently, I am very interested in the so-called pseudo-science – it‘s a variety of scientific phenomena that are baseless, but they create myths. I wonder if dance creates knowledge, where is it being used? I think about the economics of knowledge. I am interested in these topics, myths, rituals. I am in the space of ideas between something very productive and at the same very insignificant. In November, I will do a research project where I will talk about how impractical knowledge created in the community affects our relationship, our perception of space, and energy. Recently, I am interested in very immaterial topics.
In November together with Kaunas Artists‘ House, you will present your dance project Commensurate to Be With in M. Žilinskas Art Gallery. Could you tell us more about it? I‘ve been working on this project for two years. I started working on it in 2016 after I graduated from P.A.R.T.S. I was interested in how choreography can combine, identify and synchronise different bodies that are thinking, breathing and moving in different rhythms. Because we naturally move in different rhythms. This piece is partly supported by two audio tracks. One of them has an apparent rhythmic segment, and the other has a melody. I was interested in melody and rhythm as metaphors. It‘s like a way to have two timelines in one space and two relationships with time in one space. But over time, other questions have come up. The desire to be with someone and at the same time and space, but also reluctance to renounce individuality. What we are examining in this project, in the global sense, is the creation of a community and care for each other in a space that is based on the need to be together. Synchronization has proven to be an exciting formal unit for me. Does effective synchronisation become an object in space? We started out with the desire to be together and to dance together and have appeared in a space where we ask ourselves what kind of object we create by dancing together. Therefore, the desire to show this work in a gallery, and not theatre, is based on a wish that the work should not be viewed as it would be in theatre. We want the audience to be with this dance as if it’s a living object.
When you work with dance, you realise that sustainability ideas become very dubious. It seems like we don‘t really create anything: dance is very intangible and momentary. It still fascinates me. When I start the work process, I have no idea how it (the work) will look like at the end. The very process itself, questions that come up during it, the appearance of some materials affect the final result entirely. Therefore, I always say that if I didn‘t have to present the work, I could work on it without end. Because... when is that moment you should stop questioning? I am not a lover of fast food, therefore „how“ is always more important to me than „what.“ This is not a strategy that fits entirely with the rules of contemporary dance market, but it is very important for me to remain in this space of contemplation. I am happy
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understand my own style as an artist. But I do see my future in Lithuania. This is just a matter of a few years. I want to understand better how I will be able to work here.
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The Mary Poppins of dance
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Do you remember Pamela Travers‘ books about a nanny who was able to communicate even with the smallest of babies like no one else could? When talking to contemporary dance creator, pedagogue and choreographer Birutė Banevičiūtė, and listening to her thoughts on movement based on longstanding practice and studies, nickname Mary Poppins pops up. The founder of the dance theatre Dansema (which also presents its shows for toddlers abroad) based in the capital is striving to share her experience with other professionals. So that as many of us as possible would be able to communicate to those who don‘t know how to speak yet and that there would be no issues in trying to find common ground after they do. We will touch upon the activities that are planned in cooperation with the project Kaunas European Capital of Culture 2022 only at the very end because first of all, we‘re very interested in how all this works.
Gunars Bakšejevs Photo by Laura Vansevičienė
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In your biography, I discovered that you studied biology. How is it connected to dance? I started dancing when I was six, way before I chose to study biology. And I decided to study that because regarding dance I didn’t have much choice. In Klaipėda, you could do folk dance, ballet and competitive dancing. None of that interested me, so I studied biology. The knowledge I acquired – general understanding of the body, physiology, human possibilities and impossibilities – is beneficial. Another fact I noticed, it also says that in 2007, the Swedish Cultural Attaché introduced you to performances for young people and children and this area has become your primary activity. How did it happen? Before that, I worked as a dance teacher in creative studio Diemedis, a Contemporary school centre in
Vilnius and was writing my dissertation on dance education in Vilnius Pedagogical University (now Lithuanian University of Educational Sciences). However, before that fateful meeting, my area was either kids acting for parents or professionals acting for adults. Professionals dancing for young children in Lithuania was a new thing, except a couple of classical theatre plays. Yes, it makes sense when a nine-year-old goes to see Sleeping Beauty, but for a three or five-yearold it’s too big of a challenge. The fact that you base your performance on a fairytale does not mean that it is for children. Therefore, after I became acquainted with the Swedish practice, I decided to combine the knowledge of pedagogy with the experience of choreography. I embarked on a new creative path at the right time and place, although it was a big challenge for me.
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Did you gain any experience in Sweden? We were invited to the festival in Malmo where we observed performances. But it’s one thing to observe and another to do it yourself. I read a lot, did an analysis of children’s artistic perception. Now, watching all the newly founded studios that offer performances for babies and toddlers, I am not sure they dedicate enough time to analyse the peculiarities of early art perception. When we started to work, we would call in the “checkers” – friends and acquaintances who have small children – and they helped us learn what works and what doesn’t and what kids pay attention to. They became contributors to the performances. We work with composers who know what and how children of this age hear. The point here is that artistic ideas should not be more critical than understanding each other. After all, if you want to talk to a Chinese person, you must speak Chinese. Otherwise, you might look nice to each other, but there will be no interaction, you will not understand anything about each other. Of course, this does not mean that we cajole children. No, we are not entertaining them, although they are having fun. In the end, you cannot make a baby laugh on purpose, they are unable to pretend. So, babies are the best audience? Yes, because their reactions are not faked, they clearly show the quality of performance. You know, some children keep calm the whole performance and don’t seem to respond, but after a couple of days, their parents tell us that at home their kid danced to grandparents.
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And how do adults receive Dansema performances? They have to watch performances too – no way around it. And their reaction depends on the level of artistic education. And not only artistic – some parents do not allow the children to be themselves; they temper them, fix the clothes, stick a cookie, tell them to participate... Or sometimes before a performance, they say, “My child is not like that, he won’t be able to stay calm during the show.” And then they get surprised. Or the kids of parents who think their children won’t participate are the first to crawl to the stage. Such reactions – pretty opposite of what was expected – only show that artistic environment is essential for the development of the child, it reveals the characteristics of the child, which do not have stimuli in the domestic environment. “Don’t climb, don’t run, you will fall, get hurt,” that’s how parents try to protect the children, but in fact the bans, distrust and even punishments suppress creativity. When a child turns into a teenager, parents wonder why she doesn’t want anything and is not interested in anything. She once was creative! Are there dancers who cannot, are incapable or don’t want to dance for children? I don’t think so. Some merely retreat after their priorities change. Our company is fixed for already 5–6 years, and I am satisfied with the dancers’ level of professionalism. They had already discovered who they are and feel free dancing for babies and that’s a great achievement requiring both psychological and technical skills. When moving, you have to see the surroundings at 360 degrees, so you don’t end up hurting anyone. You must see all the kids and not interact only with one.
Babies?! How can a person who doesn’t know how to walk yet, dance? It’s hard to describe, but they move! We have a system compiled of various pedagogical experiences based on theoretical things. It helps promote the child’s motor system through multiple senses. Here, the imagination plays a significant role.
Of course, we’re not dancing the polka, but dance is an art of movement which expresses what you’re feeling inside. Early experiences are especially useful – babies don’t speak yet so, movement is their only means of expression. It is essential for parents to take part in these lessons, we introduce them to children’s movements and what they signify. We recognise when a child understands. We allow him to try, to self–actualise. So, we are providing a double education. In Kaunas, we want to work with a community, theatre and company dancers, actors, so later they could work professionally with the smallest members of the audience and would be able to ensure quality which we consider to be our (Dansema’s) ideology. We have already established contact with the Kaunas State Puppet Theater, they want to create plays for babies. In any case, this practice expands our horizons and could be attractive to all professionals as an opportunity to unlock their own potential.
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What project will you implement with Kaunas 2022? Will it be a new performance by Dansema or a possibility for Kaunas dancers and choreographers to try something new? The principal Dansema dancers are Kaunas residents – Mantas Stabačinskas and Marius Pinigis. Giedrė Subotinaitė and Agnė Ramanuskaitė are also from Kaunas but currently live in Vilnius. So, we along with Mantas and Marius are planning activities that would encourage artists to create more performances for children in Kaunas. By the way, in Dansema with Giedrė we also give dance lessons to babies from 8 to 14 months.
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Puzzle by Dansema. Photo by Dmitrij Matvejev
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Dance trends of the interwar period in Lithuania reflected the general state of culture. On the one hand, the modern era brought in the latest fashions, but on the other hand, all of it clashed with national conservatism that was spreading almost across all of Europe. Some publications even campaigned on banning jazz music and foxtrot in the countryside. However, this didn‘t really apply to Kaunas. As pertains to a European capital, most fashions of the time would reach Kaunas, albeit a bit late, and city‘s entertainment venues competed which will bring a more exotic dance performance.
Dancing in the interwar Kaunas Paulius Tautvydas Laurinaitis
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Vytauto park in the 1930s
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It was a matter of honour for the city‘s restaurants to have their own orchestra and the evening dance program between the 1920s and 1930s consisted of a program that would start with foxtrot and end with tango or waltz. Actually, in mid-1930s people feared that in Kaunas the newer forms of dance will push the well-established ones out. The daily newspaper Diena wrote in 1934, “If foxtrot and rumba is a cocktail then tango is Bénédictine. Dancers are overwhelmed by quiet giddiness. They start dreaming, but the rhythm makes sure the dancers don‘t fall asleep. The drummer takes care of that ... Waltz is not dead yet. It‘s alive, even if now it carries an English name of Boston...” The popularity of foxtrot in Kaunas nightlife reached its peak around 1930-1932 when the so-called Lithuanian foxtrots began to be created. Kaunas jazz grand at the time, M. Hofmekleris went to Berlin in 1930 to record the first vinyl. Swing became popular at the end of the 1930s, although it didn‘t have time to leave a more significant mark in the provisional capital. Perhaps this was because it also didn‘t become widespread in the authoritarian and increasingly conservative neighbouring Germany that had a considerable influence on Kaunas cultural life. In 1937 the press wrote about a “new dance”, “Conservative dancers most probably will not like the swing. Because – as one of the masters of this dance says – you must dance it with all your body parts...” Other latest fashion trends would reach Kaunas as well, though in some cases, only in the form of information. For example, the press of 1938 describes the Lambeth Walk craze, “All dances become boring at some point. Foxtrot and tango bore us to death. But now in Paris and
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Foxtrot dance events were popular in Vytauto park and Aukštoji Panemunė beach which had a pavilion.
other cities, people are doing a new dance Lambeth Walk. It is similar to the old quadrille and begins with a simple walk when a couple is holding hands.” It is interesting that dances based on ethnic motives that were almost forgotten in Kaunas nightlife had experienced a sort of renaissance and interest among the townspeople just before the WW2. Again, this can be linked to the more intense nationalist-romantic climate that increasingly grew in the more significant part of Europe. People were turning back en masse to what was considered as national roots. Dance was an essential part of many restaurants‘ lives. The main hotspots for upper social classes were, of course, Metropolis and Versalis, however, they were closely followed by others. In 1932 Pale Ale bar ad-
Versalis can be seen in the background
vertised itself as the “first dance bar in Kaunas” and offered “dancing among people to the best local and foreign artists‘ music.” The situation changed even more after the Officers‘ club Ramovė was built. The main high society parties were held in its great hall and below opened Trys milžinai restaurant which had become the hotspot of the city that eventually was supposed to replace Metropolis. In the summer just as popular were dance nights that took place in open or semi-open recreational spaces. Foxtrot dance events were popular in Vytauto park and Aukštoji Panemunė beach which had a pavilion. The popularity of both places varied depending on the year and the rise of alternative places for entertainment. The visitors
sharply decreased after Pakaunė‘s resorts started expanding rapidly. Various dancer performances were also very popular in Kaunas. For example, Versalis that advertised itself as a “restaurant-cabaret” on one of its nights in 1931 offered a program with a “famous London Colosseum couple of dancers Damidoff and ballet ensemble Renee Girls”, and in 1937 Trys mižinai offered a program by “Duo Shanghai – exotic acrobatic dances.” Even though shows in city‘s restaurants – especially from 1937 to 1940 – had become very diverse and attracted artists from around the world (although usually, they were not that famous) with entirely different programs, Kaunas residents remained most loyal to foxtrot and waltz.
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Photographed at the Godo bar, LaisvÄ—s al. 89
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While the question of Kaunas souvenirs is up in the air, we started recording in Merkurijus all the valuable and relevant things that are opening, being created or published in the city each month. This time we focus on a new place of culture and a bunch of reads.
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The new cultural bar was recently set up by only a few hands, in the place that very recently served as the playground for the hunters of the second-hand stuff. And it doesn‘t matter that you can‘t put a red carpet in Laisvės alėja at the moment. Godo opens its doors to the crowd that longed for the space dedicated to rich electronic music and a different kind of sound art. It will be a good venue to share your impressions after a play in one of the four theatres located nearby; or to discuss books because the publishers have kicked off a new season.
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Valdas Adamkus, Esu vienas iš jūsų “Tyto Alba”, 2018 From €13,93
The presidential speeches compiled in one book and rising from the twentyyear-old history, today are read anew. This is so much more than political texts; more than a direct reaction to topical issues. Maybe it is a continuation of the aforementioned dialogue – endless, timeless. Perhaps it’s a stack of sketches: portrait of the President Valdas Adamkus, portrait of Lithuania, Europe and the world. Or maybe it’s one more attempt to answer the question that the president raised and continues to raise in his dialogue with Lithuanian people and especially the youth – who else if not you?
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Aurelijus Zykas, Raudonas ir žalias. Taivanas “Aukso pieva”, 2018 From €11,98
Head of VMU Center for Asian Studies is best known as a lover and expert of Japan. He is one of the main organisers of the Sugihara week and a member of the creative team behind the film about the relationship between Kaunas and Japan. It was surprising to learn that Taiwan – a mysterious and diverse island of great interest – has been visited and studied by him more than once. And mister Aurelijus tells you about it as if you were sitting together and having a cup of tea.
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Rūta Šepetys, Tarp pilkų debesų “Alma Littera”, 2018 From €10,79
The premiere of the film Ashes in the Snow based on this Lithuanian-American writer‘s novel will take place in Lithuania on the 12th of October – the new edition of the book is decorated by a still from the movie. The story about Lithuania, exile and love is fictitious but also recognizable to all those who were touched by the greatest tragedies of the 20th century. But are the any who weren‘t?
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Kęstutis Navakas, Privatus gyvulėlių gyvenimas “Tyto Alba”, 2018 From €9,98
The second novel of the Kaunas-based poet is full of humour and is dedicated to those who still haven‘t forgotten their inner child. The book begins with the Jewish wisdom, “Confronter with an uncertain situation, one should go to sleep.” In fact, the novel is compiled from the author‘s dreams.
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Calendar Dance Thursday, 10 04, 7 pm
AURA 28. Performance “Game Changer”
Friday, 10 05, 3 pm Saturday, 10 06, 3 pm
AURA28. Performance “Stretchy” Kaunas State Drama Theatre (Rūta hall), Laisvės al. 71
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Business centre BLC, K.Donelaičio g. 62 /V.Putvinskio g. 53
A performance choreographed by Birutė Letukaitė, the founder of Aura and the fairy godmother of contemporary dance in Lithuania, will open the festival. Antanas Jasenka, a Lithuanian academic and electronic music composer, will improvise live during the sculptural performance created with artist Guda Koster. The event will be held at BLC business centre. The audience is invited to watch a vertical dance performance “Forme Uniche” by an Italian dance company Il Posto, right after the opening of AURA28. Il Posto will perform on the wall of M. Žilinskas Gallery of Art, accompanied by a live clarinet. Pet-friendly places
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A Montreal-based dance company Créations Estelle Clareton are bringing their performance “Stretchy” for kids (4-10 years), full of elements from dance, theatre and circus. It’s inviting the young audience to understand the concept of social relations. Friday, 10 05, 6 pm
AURA28. Premiere. Performance “Damage” Kaunas State Drama Theatre, Laisvės al. 71
October “Black Velvet”, a dance company from Israel, will finish the second night of the festival with a performance called “Architectures and Archetypes”. In this one, the human body serves to reveal the meticulously designed space.
Saturday, 10 06, 12:00 Sunday, 10 07, 12:00
AURA28. Dance excursion “I am interested in the damage that we are doing, and that is happening to us as a society and as individuals, without noticing it”, says Gil Kerer, a choreographer from Tel Aviv, Israel, that was invited to create the performance here in Kaunas. Read an interview with him in this very issue of Kaunas Full of Culture. Friday, 10 05, 9 pm
AURA28. Performance “Architectures and Archetypes” Kaunas State Drama Theatre, Laisvės al. 71
Town Hall, Rotušės a. 15 Dance excursions are scheduled on both Saturday on Sunday for those who want to discover Kaunas with the help of flexible human bodies. Old Town stories will be told by the moves of dancers from Israel, Mexico, Germany, the Netherlands and Lithuania.
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AURA28. Performance “The Rite of Spring” Kaunas State Drama Theatre, Laisvės al. 71 An experiment awaits on Saturday – two performances based on “The Rite of Spring”, a classical ballet music piece by Igor Stravinsky, will be shown one after another. Israeli choreographers Yossi Berg and Oded Graf have dared to deconstruct one of the most famous stories in the history of ballet by enabling four male dancers to build a new cult.
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Calendar Saturday, 10 06, 10 pm
AURA28. Performance “The Rite of Spring”
Kaunas State Drama Theatre, Laisvės al. 71
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The grand finale of AURA28 will be trusted to Roy Assaf Dance, yet another Israeli dance company, that will split the Sunday night at the Kaunas State Drama Theatre into two parts with their performances “Boys” and “Girls”. Who decides what the standards for men and women are, asks Roy Assaf, a festival favourite around the world. The choreographer collaborates with the Juilliard School in the US and Batsheva Dance Company in Israel. After the breathtaking guest performance, an award-winning Lithuanian dance company Low Air will present an urban tale about offering and sacrificing. Will you dare to watch both shows without taking a break? Sunday, 10 08, 6 pm
AURA28. Closing night. “Girls” and “Boys”
Kaunas State Drama Theatre, Laisvės al. 71
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Theatre Thursday, 10 04, 6 pm
Premiere. Performance “Trys seserys” [“Three Sisters”]
Kaunas State Drama Theatre, Laisvės al. 71 Vladislavs Nastavševs stans high on the contemporary Latvian theatre Olympus. Performances directed by him have been awarded the most
October prestigious award; he became the Director of the Year 2016. Nastavševs is usually also the scenographer and the composer of his works. It’s his first time in our country - and he’s working on the classic play by Anton Chekhov. In Lithuanian.
Wednesday, 10 17, 6 pm
Performance “DreamWorks”
Kaunas City Chamber Theatre, Kęstučio g. 74A
Friday, 10 05, 6 pm
Premiere. Performance “Nacionalinės daržovės” [“National Vegetables”] Kaunas City Chamber Theatre, Kęstučio g. 74A
Based on a play “Chelsea Win” by an Estonian writer Tim Janson and directed by Agnė Dilytė, the new performance is about a toxic relationship and inability to make a decision. The three main characters are modest and poor, and they’re waiting for a miracle. A situation that can be described as death dancing in a closed space. In Lithuanian. Thursday, 10 11, 6 pm
Performance “Gero humoro dozė” [“A Shot of Good Humour”] “Girstutis”, Kovo 11-osios g. 26
The only improvisation theatre in the country has just started its 11th season, and the actors are as good as new, meaning they still don’t prepare anything and don’t plan to start doing that any time soon. In Lithuanian.
The performance directed by Agnius Jankevičius is based on a play by Ivan Vyrypaev. The characters of the play are looking for ways to come back to where they started to create yet another chance for themselves. In Lithuanian. Saturday, 10 20, 6 pm
Premiere. Performance “Mari Kardona” [“Marie Cardona”]
Kaunas City Chamber Theatre, Kęstučio g. 74A It’s said that although a relatively minor character in Camus’s novel L’étranger, Marie Cardona, the protagonist Meursault’s lover, was the author’s favourite creation. It’s also she who interests Eleanor Baker, the playwright, and Agnius Jankevičius, the director. In Lithuanian.
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Calendar Sunday, 10 21, 6 pm
Performance “Getas” [“Ghetto”]
Kaunas State Drama Theatre, Laisvės al. 71
Thursday, 10 25, 18:30
Performance “Apie vėles žemėj klajojančias” [“Of Souls Wandering on Earth”] “Teatro klubas”, Vilniaus g. 22
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That’s already the second performance by actors Vitalija Mockevičiūtė and Neringa Varnelytė that’s based on Lithuanian tales and myths. It’s a scary one. In Lithuanian.
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10 25 – 10 28 Nazi-occupied Lithuania became a death trap for Jewish people during WW2. The only way from a ghetto was a mass grave. Directed by Gintaras Varnas, “Ghetto” is dedicated to the Centennial of the restored Lithuania and the 75th commemoration of the liquidation of Vilnius ghetto. It’s a story about a unique ghetto theatre that became the source of strength and resistance. It’s a story about a public fight for survival, both physical and spiritual. In Lithuanian.
Theatre festival “Namas nr. 1” [“House #1”] V. Putvinskio g. 5
Sunday, 10 21, 6 pm
Opera “Radvila Perkūnas”
Kaunas State Music Theatre, Laisvės al. 91 Written by Jurgis Karnavičius and Balys Sruoga in interwar Kaunas, the opera focuses on significant events that happened in 16th and 17th century Lithuania.
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The organisers of the festival put up an ad on Facebook, looking for an
October empty house suitable for theatre performances. Kaunasians were friendlier than the organisers imagined, and the house they chose is just splendid. The main show of the festival is directed by Czech director Howard Lotker and will be performed by “HoME” theatre actors from the Czech Republic, together with local artists.
10 05 – 10 07
Polish Film Festival
Kaunas Cinema Centre “Romuva”, Kęstučio g. 62
Cinema
The primary location of the festival is Vilnius, but we’re glad the Polish Institute have decided to bring some of the movies to Kaunas, too. This year, the festival is dedicated to the Centennial of Polish independence, and so are the films, purposely or not.
10 02 – 10 04
10 06 – 10 14
Vilnius Documentary Film Festival
“Inconvenient Films” Various Locations
Kaunas Cinema Centre “Romuva”, Kęstučio g. 62
The festival is known for attracting some of the most important and memorable documentaries from all around the world to Vilnius. Just a couple of days to enjoy the best of the best in Kaunas, too.
More events pilnas.kaunas.lt
The mission of this documentary festival is to use award-winning author driven films in raising awareness about human rights issues around the world, encouraging public debate on ways to address them. Screenings at Kaunas Artists’ House, Romuva and Cinnamon. In picture: Still from “Plastic China” by Jiu-Liang Wang.
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OCTOBER
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Calendar Friday, 10 12
Premiere. “Ashes in the Snow”
“Gass Station: Actress” Club “Lizdas”, Nepriklausomybės a. 12
In 1941, a 16-year-old aspiring artist and her family were deported to Siberia amidst Stalin’s brutal dismantling of the Baltic region. Based on the novel by Rūta Šepetys and shot, among other places, in Kaunas.
Music
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“Forum Cinemas”, Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. 49
Friday, 10 05 11 pm
Thursday, 10 04, 6 pm
Season opening night Kaunas State Philharmonic, L.Sapiegos g. 5
The Lithuanian National Symphony Orchestra and accordionist Martynas Levickis have prepared a special season-opening programme touched with the idea of incompleteness. Franz Schubert and Gustav Mahler both did not finish their pieces presented in the programme, and they inspired Algirdas Martinaitis to write - and complete - his own “Unfinished Symphony”. A piece by Erkki-Sven Tüür is also on the agenda.
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A London-based Lithuanian DJ and promoter Mamiko Motto is launching her “Gass” series in Kaunas with Actress, a name responsible for music released by Ninja Tune and the likes. Tuesday, 10 09, 6 pm
Concert “Stebuklingas mušamų jų pasaulis” [“The Magical World of Percussion”] Kaunas State Philharmonic, L. Sapiegos g. 5
“Giunter Percussion”, the ensemble established by Pavel Giunter, plays classical, folk, contemporary and popular music.
October Friday, 10 19, 9 pm
Concert “FxExW” Club “Lemmy”, Girstupio g. 1
Friday, 10 26, 8 pm
“Paribiai” [“Ouskirts”] Bar “Godo”, Laisvės al. 89
Yet another night at the new bar in Laisvės alėja will be hosted by abstract experimental music artist Armantas Gečiauskas and a more down-to-earth producer Kojos sopa. Friday, 10 26, 10 pm
“StumkTrauk” Bands “Erdve”, “Faršas” and “Wifebeater” - all Lithuanian - are ready to smash the dancefloor of the only heavy music club in the city.
Bar “O kodėl ne?”, Perkūno al. 4
Saturday, 10 20, 8 pm
“Urbex”
Bar “Godo”, Laisvės al. 89 We’ve covered the new hotspot in the “Merkurijus” section of the magazine. Industrial culture promoters “Ghia” are launching their listening series in the bar with a selection by Šapoka. Thursday, 10 25, 6 pm
Piano music night
Kaunas State Philharmonic, L. Sapiegos g. 5 Motiejus Bazaras will perform challenging piano music by György Ligeti and Sergey Rachmaninov.
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Bummel is a relatively new music movement that was started in Germany and resembles the sound of a slowly moving train. Brought to Kaunas by Spitzin and Marulis. Expect the sounds of digital cumbia, tropical bass and beyond.
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OCTOBER
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Calendar Wednesday, 10 31, 6 pm
Concert for All Saints’ Day
Kaunas Arch-Catedral Basilica, Vilniaus g. 1
After travelling around Europe, the exhibition dedicated to our Centennial is ‘back’ to Kaunas. This exhibition is more than just the story of one city. It speaks to the perpetual birth and collapse of dreams, about creative endeavours and the appeal of rewarding optimism, and about the migration, locality and commonality of ideas and forms.
Conducted by Petras Bingelis, Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and Kaunas State Choir will perform Requiem by W. A. Mozart. It was the composer’s last piece that had to be finished by his colleague after Mozart’s death.
Exhibition “The Angel and a Son. The Witkiewicz family in Zakopane and Lithuania”
M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, V. Putvinskio g. 55
Exhibitions
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09 20 – 11 19
09 13 – 11 04
Exhibition “Architecture of Optimism: The Kaunas Phenomenon, 1918–1940” M. K. Čiurlionis National Museum of Art, V. Putvinskio g. 55
The exhibition discusses the long-standing relationship between father and son, the exclusive ties of two close Polish artists representing different generations. The project is part of the international cultural program “POLSKA 100” coordinated by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute.
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October 10 04 – 01 02
Exhibition “The Legacy of M. Levi and S. Bajer”
Town Hall Department of Kaunas City Museum, Rotušės a.15
Jewish photographers Mauša Levi and Simon Bajer were among the busy camera owners of the interwar in Lithuania. The pictures in the exhibition present the period of 1918-1940. 10 17 – 11 25
International Contemporary Art Festival “Kaunas in Art” Various Locations
“AS far as a dream. Or far away as an earthquake for those, living in Lithuania – as teachers taught at school, Lithuania “is not in a seismic zone”. So far, as so awaited adulthood for a teenager, which does not come quick enough. Close, as sudden growing old. Close as roaring thunder for the one, who is afraid of the lightning. Close, as two and half an hour flight from London to Lithuania. <...> Notions close and far are perceived individually. It is a choice to perceive the distance according to personal interest, personal state, mood. Sometimes it is a conscious choice. Most often – no. But the moment of recognition is an important factor of perception, and the SENSE of community brings closer”, the team of “Meno Parkas” gallery interpret the slogan “Far Away, So Close” chosen for the biannual international contemporary art festival. This year, the event flood the spaces of Kaunas gallery, M. Žilinskas Gallery of Art and Kaunas Artists’ House.
More events pilnas.kaunas.lt
2018
OCTOBER
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Calendar Sports Sunday, 10 07, 5 pm
A league: “Stumbras” – “Sūduva”
National Football Academy Stadium, Aukštaičių g. 51
We waited for the Euroleague season to begin so much that even Leo Westermann decided to come back to Žalgiris! Will the first match scheduled for October 12th be sold out? You tell us. Wednesday, 10 17, 7 pm
Lithuanian handball league: “Granitas-Karys” – “Varsa-Stronglasas” Kaunas Sports Hall, Perkūno al. 5
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An excellent chance to visit the historic sports hall and cheer for the Kaunas team that finished third in the previous season. That’s “Granitas-Karys”, fellows.
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Wednesday, 10 24, 20:30 “Sūduva” are the leaders of A-League, and the Kaunas team “Stumbras” are doing their best to keep up with the speed of Marijampolė players.
National Ice Hockey League: “Kaunas Hockey” – “Geležinis Vilkas”
Kaunas ice arena “Baltų ainiai”, Aušros g. 42C
Friday, 10 12, 8 pm
Euroleague: “Žalgiris” – “Baskonia” „Žalgirio“ arena, Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. 50
Only four teams are competing in the Lithuanian league, and there’s a high chance the Kaunas boys will end up
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October with something more valuable than silver this year.
museums, libraries and cinemas have all teamed up!
Other events
Wednesday, 10 03, 09 am
09 28 – 10 27
Hospitality Complex “Monte Pacis”, T. Masiulio g. 31
Cultural heritage festival “Baterija”
Creative Innovation Festival “Supernova”
Various locations
2018 is the year of European heritage. In Kaunas, we mostly talk about modernist architecture in the context of heritage, but there’s much more, and it’s surrounding our city. We mean the Kaunas fortress, its numerous forts and other structures. Many of them have been cleaned up and are taken care of by an ever-growing group of dedicated history and Kaunas lovers. Join them in one of the locations in October. More events to follow. 10 01 – 10 31
Senior Citizens Month Various locations
The whole of October is filled with cultural and sports events, discussions, excursions and tea parties, all balanced for the elderly. Galleries,
Internet of things, digital content improvement, spiritual growth and good old marketing - all of this will be covered in the creative innovations festival held at the Pažaislis monastery. It’s free, but the spaces are severely limited. 10 03 – 11 08
Simonas Daukantas month Various locations
A literary breakfast, a scientific conference, a pub quiz and a field trip are all part of a month dedicated for Simonas Daukantas, a Lithuanian/ Samogitian writer, ethnographer and prose historian. In Lithuanian (and Samogitian).
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2018
OCTOBER
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Calendar 10 04 – 10 06
International Children and Youth Folklore Festival “Baltų raštai” [“Baltic Patterns”] Various locations
October 4, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals. Lithuanian Zoo decided to move the party to Sunday! Monday, 10 15, 5 pm
Book presentation
Concerts, educational and traditional craft workshops, dancing, performing and acting - the 10th festival focusing on traditional Baltic culture will attract more than 500 participants from Lithuania and neighbouring countries.
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Maironis Museum of Lithuanian Literature, Rotušės a. 13
Sunday, 10 07, 12:00
World Animal Day Lithuanian Zoo, Radvilėnų pl. 21
Dalia Saukaitytė has published a new poetry book and has invited actor Gediminas Storpirštis to help present it. In Lithuanian. Tuesday, 10 23, 7 pm
Poetry slam #15
Kaunas Artists’ House, V. Putvinskio g. 56
World Animal Day is an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually on
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October For the fifteenth time in history, you’re welcome to showcase some of your best poetry that doesn’t have to be poetry. English-speaking slammers are more than welcome - an American artist won the contest a couple of months ago! The best one this time will receive a ticket to the National slam championship in Vilnius. Register at menas@kmn.lt. Wednesday, 10 24, 10 am
KTU WANTed Career Days “Žalgirio” arena, Karaliaus Mindaugo pr. 50
Sunday, 10 28, 7 pm
Daniel Sloss: X “Renginių oazė”, Baltų pr. 16
Don’t miss the stunning new show from Scotland’s internationally acclaimed and award-winning comedy star. Fast becoming one of the world’s biggest comedy names, with 2 hourlong Netflix specials being released internationally in 2018, Daniel’s last smash-hit tour spanned 150+ shows across 28 countries around the globe. Thursday, 11 01, 5 pm
“Sielų upė” [“River of Souls”]
Kaunas Centre and Old Town
One of the most significant and most important events in the field of career days is a great chance to meet your future employers and maybe even colleagues. That’s also an excellent place to start if you don’t know who you want to be. Organised by the Kaunas University of Technology.
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The event has been held every November 1st for almost 20 years now. The students of Kaunas invite those who want to be closer to their loved ones but can’t anymore to light candles. All of the candles together make up a beautiful river of light - a river of souls, really, that keeps getting longer every year.
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pilnas.kaunas.lt
“I saw Nasvytytė for the first time in 1937 or 1938 at the house of professor Petras Šalčius. When I learned that she was studying dance in Berlin, I got slightly rattled – she seemed a bit too rotund and short-legged. But how could I have known then that when it comes to modern dance, what matters most is not the perfect figure or physical appearance, but dancer‘s personality and talent.” Ballet dancer, ballet historian, theatre scholar and critic Aliodija Ruzgaitė (1923 – 2017) on dancer, choreographer and teacher Danutė Nasvytytė (1916 – 1983).
KAUNAS FULL OF CULTURE Monthly newspaper about personalities and events in Kaunas (free of charge)
Laisvės alėja 59, third floor
Editorial office:
Authors: Andrejus Bykovas, Artūras Bulota, Austėja Banytė, Bernadeta Buzaitė, Daina Dubauskaitė, Dainius Ščiuka, Edvinas Grin, Eglė Šertvyčūtė, Gunars Bakšejevs, Kotryna Lingienė, Kęstutis Lingys, Laimutė Varkalaitė, Paulius Tautvydas Laurinaitis, Tautė Bernotaitė, Teodoras Biliūnas.
Patrons:
KAUNO MIESTO SAVIVALDYBĖ
RUN 100010COPIES TIRAŽAS 000 EGZ.
ISSN 2424-4481 2424-4465
Leidžia: Publisher
2018 No. 2017 Nr.102 (38) (18)