Pandora
The production draws on the Greek myth of Pandora, while also incorporating an interpretation inspired by Goethe’s festival play Pandora, which departs from the classical version. The dance performance picks up the story in the aftermath of Prometheus’s rebellion against the gods.
Schedule
At the beginning of the production, the Titan who stole the divine fire and gave it to humanity is already serving his punishment. Prometheus embodies the timeless spirit of rebellion against authority and the questioning of the established order. Despite his suffering, he remains unbroken, sustained by his passion and his faith in humanity. His figure symbolises humanity’s estrangement from the divine, disillusionment, and the disruption of an original state of harmony.
Pandora, the title character, plays a dual role: she is both a link between the divine and human worlds and an embodiment of the enduring question of human destiny. The dance work embraces Goethe’s interpretation of Pandora as the one “endowed with all gifts”. The first woman becomes an instrument of divine punishment, yet she is not the direct cause of human suffering. Instead, she is an earthly messenger of divine harmony and beauty. In a state of seemingly hopeless chaos, Pandora disappears from the horizon of human history, while Goethe explores the conditions for her return in an age ravaged by war and suffering.
The production’s relevance lies in the wars, epidemics and uncertainty that continue to shape our world. Faith in the future and in the beauty of human existence seems to be fading, making it art’s task to remind us that the potential for change lies within us. Just as Goethe’s unfinished fragments sought to offer guidance to the people of his time, the dance production Pandora follows this hopeful tradition, aspiring to become a source of spiritual strength for modern humanity and a messenger of faith in human goodness.
National Dance Theatre
On 15 February 2019, Budapest's unique new cultural arena opened its doors: the new National Dance Theatre in Millenáris Park. The building, equipped with the latest theatre technology and featuring unique architectural solutions, offers two theatre halls and a chamber hall for dance lovers, as well as rehearsal rooms for professional dancers. The foyer of the building will also become a community space open to visitors to the park, giving Millenáris the opportunity to become even more part of the capital's bloodstream.
