VOICES OF CAUCASUS
Voices of Caucasus an evening consisting of three parts
Part A
‘Sepia’ by Stav Struz Boutrous
Choreography, Performance and Stage Design: Stav Struz Boutrous
Artistic Advising: Adi Boutrous
Lighting design: Amir Castro
Costumes: Marina Golodriga, Stav Struz Boutrous
Soundtrack design and edit: Adi Boutrous, Stav Struz Boutrous
In this work I return to my Georgian cultural roots, where my family comes from. The desire to experience Georgian dances in my body brought me to this research, which deals with movement, music and fabric. Sepiashvili was my grandfather’s last name before it was changed: an inspiration that accompanies me throughout this process.
Sepia is a feminine martial dance, which allows an intimate gaze at the world of combat, focused on the Khorumi dance- a traditional Georgian war dance and the stages of combat that inspired the construction of this piece: searching, invitation, combat and victory. The Khorumi dance is, originally, performed by a small number of men (up to 10). Over the years, it was broadened. The contemporary Khorumi dance can include up to thirty or forty male dancers. Although the number of participants changed, the structure of the dance remained the same. The dance depicts the life of a Georgian warrior in centuries past, the bravery and lust for battle of the soldiers. The male Georgian dance requires lightness, grandiosity and force, passion and virtuosity, work in the thighs and fast turns, rising to the tips of the toes, work with firsts and sharp hand movements and along with this (some claim in spite of this) the dance is feminine, delicate, doll-like and refined, supple hand work, the gaze is often down, the costumes are ornate with long dresses, evoking a sense of floating, modesty and strength. The creation ‘Sepia’ deals with concepts of gender using these movement elements, which are traditionally separated according to male or female and, as such, builds a movement language that bridges between them.
Present times afford and beseech us to break down female stereotypes regarding how a woman should move, what is or is not appropriate for her to do, what is feminine and what is masculine. Other sources of inspiration arose from ancient Causasian (Kavkazi) dances, which change character and shape depending on the nation. Many traditions are vanishing, operating in public spheres allows for their memory to sustain and makes present the rich ancient knowledge of these cultures. The creative process allowed for a meeting with an endless collection of movement traditions and an interpretation of them into personal, contemporary material.
‘Sepia’ premiered as part of the Between Heaven and Earth Festival in 2021 under the artistic direction of Tammi Itzhaki. The production was supported by the National Lottery Association’s Culture Council and the Movement Studio of Ifat Galinsky + NIA.
Part B
‘The Magician’ by Zohar Ron
Participants in Filming: Meshi Olinky, Love Raviv, Adi Boutrous, Stav Struz Boutrous
Choreography: Stav Struz Boutrous
Performance in the exhibition: Love Raviv
Costumes: Marina Golodriga, Stav Struz Boutrous
A photography exhibition of the director and photographer Zohar Ron.
The exhibition presents a series of photographs and an art film in an homage to the legendary cinema artist Sergei Parajanov. The creations tell the basic tale of human society through images and symbols in directed scenes. Childhood and innocence. Losing one’s way and the mystery of coming of age. The need for belonging and societal conventions. The adult and his inner child. The aspiration for ascendence and connection with the spirit. Personal and cultural heritage. The departure and death. All of these are represented in the photographs as was customary to transfer through crafts such as rugs, wall paintings and embroidery in ancient cultures.
The creation was presented as part of the performance “Voices of Caucasus” by Stav Struz Boutrous in
collaboration with the mythological Eden Cinema.
Part C
'Final Chord' by Adi Boutrous
Vinyl set of 70s Georgian and Caucasian, Turkish and Iranian music.
