Thirst

Rituals may be seen as expressions of unrest as the latter has been internalized, processed, transformed and commemorated by the collective body. Their disappearance is responsible for the emergence of communities without communication, the growing pathology of a present characterized by apathy, commodification, individuation, conformity, as per philosopher Byung-Chul Han.

Repetition, attraction and rejection are the elements Ermira Goro utilizes to create a true experience of the primeval and ever-cherished concept of rituals. With the help of six dancers and an original composition by Stavros Gasparatos, the work explores how contemporary art may be part of the quest for—or, better put, the invention of—“new” rituals necessary for our survival.
In an era where “rituals” have become individualized and detached from the context of community, how do we detect the physical memory that exists in all authentic rituals? Flashes of memory, fragments of movement, shells of experience underline the question driving the piece forward: If rituals inhabit our common cellular memory, what can they reveal about their contemporary structure and the bodies attempting to perform them?

The work was originally produced by, and premiered at, the Athens and Epidaurus Festival 2022.

The performance contains nudity and is suitable for audiences aged 15 or older.