Swiss performance to conclude Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival

June has been all about the dance and choreography world as local and international performances have been taking place in Nicosia and Limassol. The latest edition of the Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival 2023 began earlier this month and it concludes on Thursday with a performance from Switzerland at Rialto Theatre.

Titled Forever, Tabea Martin’s dance performance looks at how life and humanity would be if we all lived forever. “The dream of a life after death has always inspired humans,” say organisers. “Numerous fairy tales and legends deal with death, resurrection or eternal life. Greek mythology created immortal gods, animals, monsters and giants with supernatural powers.

“What do children think about life and death, about dying and immortality? To what extent may and can children be confronted with this topic? There are many ways to make yourself immortal: starting a family, creating artistic works and leaving a political legacy. Limited by our own death, we try in various ways to create a continuity that remains once our own life ends. Children have a gift of dealing with topics in a playful manner.”

Through a series of interviews, games and workshops, the ideas and fantasies of children between the ages of eight and 12 about life and death, about dying and immortality were awakened. The result was then translated by five professional dancers to create this upcoming performance.

The Forever production creates a world of immortality in which creatures are brought to life by children’s fantasies. A visual, joyful, sensitive and moving journey through a visual language about what would be if we all lived forever. Forever is part of a trilogy of productions by Tabea Martin on the topic of transience. This Is My Last Dance (which premiered in February 2018) deals with the transience of one’s own body, with the experience of the final state. Forever playfully looks at our ideas of life after death, the desire for infinite life.

With Forever, the 2023 edition of the Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival comes to an end after seven performances and several shows in the two cities.

Forever

Final performance of the Cyprus Contemporary Dance Festival. By choreographer and performer, Tabea Martin. June 29. Rialto Theatre, Limassol. 8.30pm. €8. www.rialto.com.cy. Tel: 7777-7745