Dance performance Eglė, Queen of the Grass Snakes, choreographed by Martynas Rimeikis, returns to Palanga – a town where Eduardas Balsys, a composer of perhaps the best known Lithuanian ballet, had spent much of his time. It was at the Palanga Concert Hall that the premiere performances of this production have been shown in August 2019.
For the Lithuanian audience there is no need to read the libretto of this dance performance created by Rimeikis: everybody remembers the folk tale about Eglė and Žilvinas from the time of their childhood. “As the tale goes, Žilvinas is an enchanted young man who can only revert back to his human form in his own world, beside a beloved woman. His otherness has been defined by curse. Whereas Eglė… True, she is one of a kind in her village. That is why she is chosen by Žilvinas, and we can enjoy the legend of their undying love,” claims Rimeikis, a recipient of two Golden Stage Crosses, who had no intention to impose present-day social contexts upon the tale’s mythical framework.
In his production of Balsys’ Eglė, Queen of the Grass Snakes at the Klaipėda State Musical Theatre Rimeikis has collaborated with music director and conductor Modestas Barkauskas, set designer Marijus Jacovskis, costume designer Elvita Brazdylytė, and lighting designer Levas Kleinas.
Dance performance Eglė, Queen of the Grass Snakes was recognised as the best new production of the year 2019 in Klaipėda and awarded the Mask of Acknowledgment. It also drew the attention of the jury in the national competition for professional theatre productions: Martynas Rimeikis was nominated for the Golden Stage Cross Awards as the best choreographer and ballerina Julija Stankevičiūtė was nominated as the best dancer of the year 2019 for her appearance in the title role.