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Ukrainian choreographer Mariia Bakalo will present her new premiere in Kaunas City Chamber Theatre on November 22 and 23 — the movement performance “Strings Attached”. This is a joint work with Kaunas-based choreographer and dancer Tadas Almantas, created together with a team of professional dancers and performers with various disabilities. The work is based on the ancient Platonic myth about the origin of human love and the search for connection, exploring universally relevant themes of intimacy and togetherness.

Just days before the premiere, the theatre invites audiences behind the scenes through a conversation with the artist.

– “Strings Attached” is not the first movement performance you have choreographed for this theatre. Could you tell us more about this collaboration?

In the summer of 2022, together with choreographer Inna Falkova, I created a sensitive movement-based performance, “Is It Easy?” at Kaunas City Chamber Theatre. I was truly happy to be invited back to the Serpantino Laboratory project to develop a new mixed-ability performance with some of the performers from the previous work. This project holds a special place in my heart — I grew as an artist and learned many important things about what it means to be human.

– This time you developed the theme together with the whole team. What did that process look like?

I was searching for a shared foundation — a theme that could resonate with everyone. When I asked the creative team what themes they would be interested in exploring in a movement performance, some suggested basing it on literature or a narrative, while others preferred personal experiences and a documentary approach. In the end, no single theme clearly stood out.

So I proposed we talk about different forms of love. It felt meaningful to hear how people with different disabilities experience and speak about love and connection. I believe it can be valuable for audiences to see how a sense of wholeness can be achieved in relationships, even when conventional abilities or “normalised” dynamics are not present.

Although love may seem personal, it is also deeply political — the personal is always connected to social and cultural contexts. Speaking about love in a world full of crises and injustice also feels like a way to balance tension and division.

In this work, I also explore romantic love and the human need for connection. People live and die for love, sacrifice for it, fight for it. Most major works of art in one way or another speak about love. I was interested in what people with disabilities could add to this conversation.

– The work is based on Plato’s ancient myth about humans searching for their other half. What attracted you to this myth?

Many fundamental ideas in our culture are deeply rooted and rarely questioned. The “soulmate” ideal is very strong in Western society. It is romantic and hopeful, but it can also become a trap — creating unrealistic expectations or constant searching instead of growing with another person. Some people never find inner peace because they believe there is only one perfect match.

I am interested in how myths, metaphors, and beliefs shape our everyday choices. Even when we do not consciously remember them, they still influence us.

– The performance focuses strongly on vulnerability. How does this affect relationships between performers on and off stage?

A large part of our process was listening — truly listening to each person’s pace and way of thinking. This kind of attention opens sensitivity and helps us remove the “armour” we usually wear. Vulnerability appears when people are able to be themselves and accept others without trying to change them.

– What did rehearsals look like?

We spent a lot of time activating both body and mind, often through interpersonal interaction. We used physical contact, improvisation, vocal work, drawing, listening exercises, dancing, and watching videos of mixed-ability dance companies. We also used experimental approaches inspired by Meg Stuart and Fluxus practices. The goal was to build an open, inclusive, creative environment.

– How do you imagine the future of mixed-ability dance, especially in Eastern Europe?

The more inclusive theatres and societies become, the more human we become. Art should not simply reflect the existing world with its inequalities and violence — it should question it and suggest alternatives.

Mixed-ability art opens new perspectives and contributes to more hopeful futures. I would like to see more opportunities in Eastern Europe for people with disabilities to learn and work professionally in the performing arts.

The performance is part of the Serpantino Laboratory, an inclusive performing arts platform of Kaunas City Chamber Theatre, running since 2019. It brings together professional artists and people with disabilities, developing new methods of creation, training, and social integration.

The premiere of “Strings Attached” will take place on November 22 and 23 at Kaunas City Chamber Theatre.