Dance Performance “The Great Unknown”
Zuga United Dancers
Often the stories in our lives are serious or even deadly solemn, final! Live carefully, walk along the string, do not get cold, you will get sick and an icicle will fall on your head, you will break your neck and find your end. But what if that end isn’t the end? If all this has no sad ending? Just as the starry sky seems endless, enchanting and endless to us. What if all those who say that we are going to a better place, where green and moist meadows are awaiting, are right?
What if we burn away all our pain and go on a flight like fiery birds. Light and free?
Wouldn’t it be nice to do some rituals together, wash your face, dress up and put on our best coat, and dance some bold group dances? Touch the soil with our hand, throw our ashes into the wind. And give away our heart, not hold on to everything with our ten nails that we think belongs to us.
There is no point in making a face that we know everything, that everything is clear to us. It would be better to admit we don’t know. There is a great, deep unknown before us. And it is up to us to determine the color we add to this depth. Either black, dark blue or light blue. Whether our lack of knowledge is heavy and burdensome or light and airy. Or both.
Long live the great unknown, may our future be deep, beautiful, and all-encompassing. Let it be. What may come, may come.
“The Great Unknown” is a physical contemplation by Zuga United Dancers about letting go, sending someone off, and rituals that cleanse and prepare us for meeting with a new space and a new world.
Creative Team
Directors, choreographers and performers: Tiina Mölder, Kärt Tõnisson, Helen Reitsnik, Ajjar Ausma, Päär Pärenson Designer: Keili Retter Lighting Designer: Oliver Kulpsoo Composer: Lauri-Dag Tüür Dramaturg: Andri Luup Technical Support: Marko Odar
Premiere: March 10, 2022 at Independent Dance Stage Duration: 1 hour
Photos: Alan Proosa
The production was supported by the Estonian Cultural Endowment.
Reviews and Coverage
- Postimees – “Zuga United Dancers’ new production talks about the great unknown” (February 3, 2022)
- Vikerraadio – Guest Päär Pärenson (February 16, 2022)
- Sirp – Tambet Kaugema: “Flyby – Päär Pärenson, Zuga united dancer” (February 18, 2022)
- ERR – “Zuga dancers bring to stage a piece for adults ‘The Great Unknown’” (March 9, 2022)
- EPL – Kärt Kelder: “We are in the great unknown together” (March 10, 2022)
- Music Magazine – Aet Kubits: “Lauri-Dag Tüür – on development, design music and ‘The Great Unknown’” (March 11, 2022)
- Classical Radio – Theatre Magic: Interview with Tiina Mölder and Andri Luup (March 12, 2022)
- ETV “OP” – Zuga United Dancers’ “The Great Unknown” (March 24, 2022)
- Sirp – Kaja Kann: “Zuga’s Great Knowledge. For Children.” (March 25, 2022)
- Kes-Kus – Marie Pullerits: “How to meet the new and unknown space. Interview with Andri Luup” (March 29, 2022)
- Postimees – Ilona Vapper: “Everything disappears, disappears everything” (April 4, 2022)
Discussion “Death as the Great Unknown”
On March 29, 2022, a discussion on the theme “Death as the Great Unknown” followed the performance. How to accept that everything comes to an end? Why is death such a taboo in today’s society? The discussion featured dramaturg Andri Luup, religious scholar Ringo Ringvee, and singer and death researcher Karl Käsnapuu. Moderated by critic, translator and publisher Leenu Nigu.