Lina Lapelytė: Pirouette

Written in 2017, Pirouette is an intimate performance exploring physical endurance, bodily memory and fragility. Conceived for a duo of a retired ballerina and a saxophonist, the work establishes a dialogue between the repetitive movements of the dancer’s body and the musician’s continuous circular breathing techniques, revealing the boundaries between control, vulnerability and exhaustion. With her subtle, meditative approach, Lina Lapelytė questions ideas around virtuosity and performance, offering a poetic reflection on time, ageing and the persistence of gesture. Lapelytė, who lives between London and Vilnius, represented Lithuania at the 2019 Venice Biennale with Sun & Sea (Marina), winner of the Golden Lion.

Lina Lapelytė presents Pirouette together with Liudas Mockūnas (Saxophone player) and Ilva Juodpusytė (Ballerina).

Photography: Lina Lapelytė, Pirouette, Performance documentation, Museo di Roma in Palazzo Braschi, 2018. Photo by Cultural Institute, Rome, IT