Farewell rituals exist in all cultures: mourning a loss and sharing our grief with the community enables us to face up to it. Dances and songs have always played a central role in rites of passage, particularly in Mediterranean cultures.
This is the case for the miroloi of Epirus, Greek dirges sung not only at funerals but also when someone leaves the family to marry or emigrate, and which are the source of inspiration for Lamenta, which arrives at Rovereto after being presented last year at the Avignon Festival.
Amazed by the fusion of these songs with modern sounds, choreographers Koen Augustijnen and Rosalba Torres Guerrero decided to bring together musicians from across Europe to accompany the powerful voice of Xanthoula Dakovanou, in a miroloi revival that glides seamlessly into musical forms influenced by post-rock and jazz. Masters in translating emotions into moving bodies, the two choreographers, together with the nine talented dancers on stage and 16 musicians (soundtrack), explore the fusion of tradition and contemporary creativity.
In Lamenta, a successful and much applauded choreography, the choral work and incessant rhythm is striking.
