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Scholar and choreographer Machi Dimitriadou-Lindahl’s Asomates Dynameis dance group recently presented the dance-drama Antigone based on Sophocles’ play of that name. 4 dancers and 2 musicians who alternated the roles of tragic heroes with those of the Chorus narrated Antigone’s tale using body language and music. The performance was staged on 25, 26 and 27 June 2015 at the Dance House Nicosia.
In the choreographer’s own words, “Antigone is above all an anti-war, anti-authoritarian work, exploring human nature, hubris, violence, compassion, death and the hereafter. In a spirit of humanity, Antigone embraces winners and losers, and takes a critical stance against the irrationality of power and refuses to surrender her own humanity. In her phrase ‘I was born to share love, not hate’, she chooses a path marked by moral law, by what she calls ‘divine law’.
“The voice of her heart dictates that she do things that lead to her death, but she takes with her the entire rotten edifice of Creon’s power. Antigone becomes a symbol of moral integrity and daring; a symbol who has inspired generation after generation, from then to now. No matter what form one chooses to retell the story, the text itself serves as a guide and leaves one richer, more aware in both moral and aesthetic terms.
“Interpreting the tragedy through choreography allowed us to explore the ‘body’ of the spoken word and to look at gestures and expressions, as well as the dynamic of space and relationships, and to bring up kinaesthetic memories that encounter archetypal forms. We use the body and sound as our expressive media. Using those tools we attempted to embody the ideas of uprising, courage, pain, conflict, the violence of power, love, despair, grief and a sense of being crushed. Switching from their main roles to the Chorus, the dancers and musicians experience vibrations and sensations that are greater than us; that are timeless, universally human. We treaded difficult, unknown paths, but we’ve come out richer and grateful for the journey”.
Direction, dramaturgy and choreography: Machi Dimitriadou-Lindahl. Music composed and performed by Georgios Kolias and Dimitris Spyrou. Set and costume design: Elena Katsouri. Dancers: Loizos Konstantinou, Alexia Nikolaou, Fouli Stylianidou and Panagiotis Tofi. Production: Asomates Dynameis Dance Group, with the support of the Cultural Services of the Cypriot Ministry of Education & Culture as part of the 2015 Terpsichore Programme for the enhancement of creation and research in the field of modern dance.
