Dance Performance “Sofija” | In the Shadow of a Genius

What does an ambitious woman feel when she remains forever in the shadow of her husband – a genius?

The “Lietuva” Ensemble presents its premiere – the dance performance “Sofija”, which will awaken the unexpected, and perhaps also what is often left unspoken, through a bold perspective. The Year of M. K. Čiurlionis is filled with attention to his most outstanding achievements and impressive artistic biography, which inspired the creators of the performance to take an opposite approach – an exceptionally sensitive and open encounter with his great muse, Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė.

“It is time to turn our attention to the person who best understood and most deeply felt the genius of M. K. Čiurlionis while he was alive. A person who, in our opinion, unfairly remained in her husband’s shadow, whose contribution has been unjustly forgotten. Sofija – a woman who endured the twists and turns of life and contained countless roles within herself. Her love, struggle, determination and devotion are simply inspiring. While researching her biography, I realised that she had to experience a great deal, and these experiences will encourage audiences to reflect and raise provocative questions,” says director and chief choreographer of the “Lietuva” Ensemble Aušra Krasauskaitė about the idea behind the performance.

The new performance will highlight the multifaceted personality of S. Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė through the language of movement and symbols, especially its less-revealed sides, most intimate turning points and transformations.

What does it mean to live with a genius? How do you survive the mental illness of a loved one? What is the meaning of fighting for and preserving every memory of your husband? How much can love withstand poverty and lack of recognition? How many roles can one woman contain?

“Čiurlionis is one of the most intriguing Lithuanian artists, whose life, work and thoughts allow us not only to explore his distinctive artistic philosophy about the eternal incompleteness of a work, to ask where the boundary lies between genius and madness, and to feel concern about lack of recognition or poverty. Alongside this, we can admire an extraordinary love story with a strong and exceptional woman – Sofija Kymantaitė.

An active promoter of Lithuanian identity, public figure, writer, one of the first literary and theatre critics. Sofija Kymantaitė-Čiurlionienė – the genius’s teacher, muse, beloved, wife, caregiver, mother of his child, and the main guardian and disseminator of Čiurlionis’s creative legacy. After the death of her beloved husband, Sofija remained a widow for the rest of her life, turning her loss into the driving force of her life and following love until the very end.

The fact that today we can explore Čiurlionis’s creative legacy is due to Sofija’s persistent and consistent devotion. Čiurlionis, like a hurricane, disrupted her life, but at the same time, through his early death, gave it a clear direction,” the creators say.

The dance performance will draw extensively on the musical and artistic legacy of M. K. Čiurlionis. His works are characterised by a unique synthesis of music and visual art, deep symbolism, and spiritual and nature motifs. Biographical facts will also be important, through which the main characters of the performance will be revealed.

Čiurlionis’s biography tells the story of a genius who combined music, painting, literature and philosophy. The audience is invited to get to know Čiurlionis not only as a great creator, but also as a human being – an earthly personality that resonates with us, with all the dramatic facts of his life, the inner difficulties he experienced, his relationship with his surroundings and people, and his dialogue with creativity.

At the same time, the feminine narrative will unfold – the strong personality and achievements of Sofija, her life story and her relationship with her beloved. According to director A. Krasauskaitė, the performance will reveal a deeply sensitive relationship with Lithuania, the love between a man and a woman, conflicts and even the schizophrenia that emerged.

The choreography will be dominated by classical, neoclassical and contemporary dance, with dynamic mass scenes alternating with duets and solo compositions. Contemporary choreography intertwined with ethnic motifs and complemented by Lithuanian folk traditions will strengthen the images being created.

The scenography will draw inspiration from the paintings of M. K. Čiurlionis. The performance will feature contemporary arrangements of M. K. Čiurlionis’s music, motifs from his most recognisable works and electronic treatments. Music by composer Mindaugas Urbaitis and the group “Happyendless” will also be used.

You can read more about the performance here.

Tickets can be purchased here.