GODOS
Godos is an ongoing series of dance performances, originally created in 2016 by famous Lithuanian choreographer, founder of the Kaunas Dance Theatre Aura, Birutė Letukaitė, and two Norwegian choreographers, Anne Ekenes and Pia Holden, from the Panta Rei theatre. It reveals the world where the past, the present and the future intertwist, where feminine sensuality, secret mythological creatures and futuristic visions meet.
What is the importance of history to any individual? How does the past shape our identity? “Godos” is an old Lithuanian word that denotes wistful dreams, feelings, hopes, nostalgic thoughts, and unfulfilled expectations. What does “godos” mean today? How do we experience “godos”? Choreographers from Panta Rei took their inspiration from the interpretation of “godos” as the song of the heart. Meanwhile, the inspiration for the Lithuanian choreography by Birutė Letukaitė is the elemental past and its reflections in the people of today.
In the first part of this double bill, the audience will have a unique opportunity to see the legendary performance Godos 2.0 by Birutė Letukaitė. According to theatre critic Deimantė Dementavičiūtė-Stankuvienė, Godos can be ranked among Aura’s finest creations. Thus far, this production has been shown on tour across Lithuania, in Norway, the United States, Turkey, Germany, India, Italy, Poland, and Germany. In this newly revived performance, the Aura dancers invite the audience into an imaginary world filled with archetypes of the past, where feminine sensuality, mysterious mythological creatures, the elemental past, and its reflections in today’s human beings shimmer.
The second part presents the premiere of Godos 3.0: a near future where differences and emotions from the past come again to the fore. Visions of a futuristic world intertwine with contemporary issues: the search for one’s self, loneliness, the need to be part of a group, emotions experienced by people who don’t fit into traditional notions of gender. In these futuristic visions, gender differences seem to disappear, along with conflicts over them. Futuristic people become more like each other.
PROGRAMME
PART I
GODOS 2.0
Choreography and direction: Birutė Letukaitė
Music: Antanas Jasenka
Lighting design: Vladas Šerstabojevas
Video: Saulius Paliukas
Costumes: Thom Bara (Coal Studio)
Assistant choreographer and répetiteur: Robert Przybyl
Dancers: Dalila Tiraboschi, Ester Bega, Marine Fernandez, Nanaho Kugawa, Pepe Jaimes, Susana Maggio
Premiere: 17 February 2016
PART II
GODOS 3.0
Direction: Birutė Letukaitė
Choreography: Birutė Letukaitė in collaboration with the dancers
Music: Antanas Jasenka
Lighting design: Vilius Vilutis
Costumes: Eglė Sakalaitė
Assistant choreographer and répetiteur: Robert Przybyl
Dancers: Andres Ortiz, Dalila Tiraboschi, Ester Bega, Heung Won Lee, Julija Strupaitė, Marine Fernandez, Marianna Lo Coco, Nanaho Kugawa, Pepe Jaimes, Susana Maggio, Victor Gil Mendéz
Premiere: 16 April 2025
