Butoh Trilogy
Kiki et Colette / The Age of Time
Kiki de Montparnasse and Colette, two iconic figures of the Parisian Belle Époque and the Années Folles of the 1920s, left an indelible mark as artists and pioneering personalities. They lived through an era of artistic upheaval and new ideas, moving forward with passion, dreams and daring, and leaving a lasting imprint on collective memory.
A century later, these two women became a source of inspiration for performers Aliki Germanou and Nikoleta Xenariou, who created the Butoh dance-theatre trilogy Kiki et Colette / The Age of Time. The work explores Time as an endless cycle: the connection between past and present, and the past returning in a new form.
In the first part, The Illusion, the two protagonists meet for the first time in a house that becomes a stage, accompanied by ancestors, ghosts and truths. In the second part, The Dream, they willingly surrender to a shared subconscious. In the third and final part, The Gift, they become fully attuned in a radical drama unfolding in the present.
Time, a mysterious figure, runs through the entire trilogy, transforming from host and usher in the first part, into burglar, fish and gift-bearer in the second, and finally into a stern, high-ranking divine entity in the third.
The work is shaped by the choreographic language of Butoh and draws on tools from Viewpoints. Its sources of inspiration include alchemical psychology, the films of David Lynch, texts by T. S. Eliot, biographical material on Kiki de Montparnasse and Colette, as well as personal experiences.
The performance is an ongoing search for new choreographic structures and forms of narration. Time expands and floods the space. Shifting images create a surreal visual experience, while the sequence of scenes and their unexpected juxtapositions form a paradoxical narrative.
Scenography, soundscape, lighting and video art operate as integral elements of the dramaturgy, shaping the overall experience of the performance.
Performances in Aegina
Dates: 2, 3, 4 and 9, 10, 11 May, 9:00 pm
Venue: Mikro Studio, 5 Agiou Nikolaou Street, Aegina (near the Aegina Municipal Art Gallery)
Location map
Limited seating. Reservations: kiki.et.colette@gmail.com
Tickets: €15
Duration: 80 minutes, including an intermission
For adult audiences.
Credits
Concept / Choreography / Costume curation / Performance: Aliki Germanou & Nikoleta Xenariou
Performance: Christos Karnakis
Scenography / Set construction: Andreas Theodorou
Sound design / Video art / Photography / Technical support: Aris Michalopoulos
Lighting: Ioanna Athanasiou
Mask construction: Giorgos Gyparakis
Graphic design: Vangelis Fokas
Production management and execution: Common Era
