Events

Monday, September 28, Klaipėda at 6:30 p.m.
Performance “This is Not Mårup Church” / Granhoj Dans (Denmark) @
Culture Factory (5A Bangų St., Klaipėda).

RECOMMENDED for those who miss what is lost

Critics’ Corner**
“Incredible and very moving.” Kirsten Dahl / “The poetry of the body on the edge of the world.” Kulturnyt.dk / “It’s not Mårup Church—it’s a magical surrender to higher powers.” Iscene / “Very moving, when Granhøj finally looks wistfully out over his sea of audience members”. Weekendavisen / “A beautiful and moving dance performance about a universal feeling of longing.” Dans tidningen

“I walked into the empty Mårup Church—I was just passing by. At that point, only the walls remained. There, I heard the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. Some might say it was a skylark soaring high. But I stood there for a long, long time and listened. Suddenly, I heard something… or someone… gathering together—and they sang. From up there.”

ONCE, THERE STOOD A CHURCH
Mårup Church was built in 1202 on a cliff on the west coast of Denmark—at the time, 1.2 km from the sea. Year by year, the raging North Sea gnawed closer, and in 2007 it was decided to dismantle the church, stone by stone, with hopes of a future reconstruction. But that dream was later abandoned. In 2015, Mårup Church was reduced to rubble and forgotten.
The award-winning dancer and choreographer Palle Granhøj was born in a small town, a stone’s throw from where Mårup Church once stood. The performance “This is not Mårup Church” is a journey into Palle Granhøj’s personal space—a poetic reflection on the longing for what is no longer there, presented as a combination of words, live music, choral singing, and movement.

LONGING LIVES IN THE BODY
What is longing? A first love, the discoveries of childhood, the eagerness and vitality of youth—feelings that have left their mark but no longer exist. On stage, the choreographer himself, alongside four dancers, two musicians, and a polyphonic men’s choir, uses elastic bands and his iconic technique of obstruction to explore the nature of longing.
Some may know Mårup Church from the film Babette’s Feast. Others perhaps precisely because it no longer exists. This performance is about what we miss, and a reminder that what is lost can still reach us—through the body, the music, and the silence.
“What is longing? It must be something approaching, perhaps something religious. In any case, it’s an irrational, ritual surrender to some greater forces.” – Palle Granhøj, choreographer

Duration: 55 min
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/1130198483

Participants: Palle Granhøj, Sofia Pintzou, Dominyka Markeviciute, Povilas Jurgaitis, Marius Pinigis, Anne Eisensee
Musicians: Dalia Dedinskaite (violin), Gleb Pyšniak (cello)
Lighting designer: Darius Berulis
Choreographer: Palle Granhøj
Set designer and lighting designer: Palle Granhøj
With support from: The Danish Arts Foundation, The Augustinus Foundation, and The Beckett Foundation

Granhøj Dans is an internationally renowned dance company based in Denmark. The company’s productions are created by its artistic director and choreographer, Palle Granhøj, in close collaboration with the dancers. The starting point for every production is the Obstruction Technique developed by P. Granhøj, which has enabled the creation of approximately 40 original works over the past 35 years. Based on this working method, the choreographer reshapes the performers’ movements through obstructing actions, revealing inner layers of their personalities in the process and thereby shining a spotlight on the human condition. Rather than presenting dancers and choreography on stage, P. Granhøj seeks to present men and women as they are: genuine, alive—and complex. Palle Granhøj’s works have been presented in 50 different countries to date. www.granhoj.dk

The festival is supported by #LithuanianCouncilforCulture and #KlaipėdaCityMunicipality