Topical

On April 24, the Latvian Puppet Theatre will host a contemporary dance evening “Critique of Pure Joy”, bringing together two premieres – Sintija Skrabe’s “CAROUSEL: A Praise of Joy” and Anastasija Čornaja’s “Entwined”.

The event will present two distinct yet thematically connected contemporary dance works, in which movement becomes a language for exploring joy, intimacy, boundaries, and relationships. Alongside playfulness, both performances reveal emotional vulnerability and offer a critical reflection on the times we live in.

Artists of the contemporary dance collective “KUUP” confidently assert themselves in the field of contemporary dance by addressing urgent questions that invite audiences to connect with deeply intimate and genuinely human values. This generation of contemporary dance artists is oriented toward collaboration and creatively, intelligently, and directly seeks ways to engage with the audience’s lived experience. The world they create is captivating and suggestive,” says Elmārs Seņkovs, professor at the Latvian Academy of Culture and theatre director.

Choreographer Sintija Skrabe’s performance “CAROUSEL: A Praise of Joy” is a contemporary dance work centered around a carousel – an object that generates movement and shapes the dancers’ relationship with space and with one another. The piece explores joy as a form of play, where play becomes a structure with its own rules, directions, and tasks, but also involves risk and boundaries. How far are we willing to go to sustain movement and maintain interest? “CAROUSEL: A Praise of Joy” reveals the tension between play and labor, illusion and reality, joy and cruelty, inviting the audience to recognize themselves within this continuous motion.

Meanwhile, choreographer Anastasija Čornaja’s performance “Entwined” focuses on love and romantic relationships in contemporary society, where new ethical norms coexist with the influence of traditional perceptions. The work explores gender roles in partnerships and their transformation through a modern perspective on intimacy. Through movement, two dancers reveal the dynamics of trust, balance, and shifting roles. At times one becomes the support for the other; at other moments, the partner takes the lead, creating a continuous interplay between closeness, distance, and presence.

The performances feature artists from the contemporary dance collective “KUUP”: Anastasija Čornaja, Poļina Filippova, Rūdis Vilsons, Mārtiņš Emīls Aržanovskis, and Anna Marija Puķe.

Costume designer and scenographer Annemarija Ščegoļeva, composer Otto Auniņš, lighting designer Niks Ciprus. Produced by “KUUP” and Alise Peniga; co-produced by the Latvian Puppet Theatre and the Choreographers’ Association.

Tickets are available at lelluteatris.lv, “Biļešu paradīze” box offices, and bilesuparadize.lv.

The event is supported by the State Culture Capital Foundation (SCCF) and the Riga City Municipality.