Who are they? Where and why do they drag their stones? What must a woman go through to give birth? What tests does the goddess face on the path to creating something? The way turns into girlish passion and obsession. A tender sisterhood turns into a bitter struggle. Humility and disobedience. The old must die, because only death can give birth to life. A stalk of wheat dries under the scorching rays of the July sun, its grain sprouts through the warm, soft earth … and the dance begins.
Dance Performance
Fertility Performance is based on the exploration of the interplay between the essence of femininity and the eternal Earth, delving into the very core of the concept of fertility and the ritualistic nature of this profound interaction.
Each of the dancers drags along her own stone, conveying unique and dynamically-evolving relationships. The long rope symbolizes her past, accumulated experience, and invaluable knowledge. The stone itself, steeped in the history of a person’s life, also reflects the complex dynamics with men, as well as the feminine role in the sacred process of creating new life and skillfully tending to fertile soil.
The performance is a prayer with symbolism embedded in every detail. Grains of wheat poured onto the stage and sieves on the dancers’ heads represent steadfastness and peace before sowing. Created by Ukrainians, whose history is rooted in cultivated soil, the performance reflects their deep reverence for fertility, especially in times of scarcity.
Photo: Leo Ollikainen
Photo: Leo Ollikainen
Bios
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Photo: Darina RodionovaAnastasiia Mostova
UA
Anastasiia Mostova is a member of the Ethno Contemporary Ballet. She hails from Ukraine and presently resides in Finland. She also serves as an assistant at the ECB, a dance theater delving into a symbol-infused framework interlaced with hints of rituals and traditions that mirror deep cultural insights from diverse backgrounds. Her previous works with the Ethno Contemporary Ballet as performer include 4308 (2023), Fertility (2020), ORGANization (2020), and Say It Quieter If You Can (2018).
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Photo: Darina RodionovaKateryna Zhuravlova
UA
Kateryna Zhuravlova is an artist at the Ethno Contemporary Ballet. Originally from Ukraine, she is currently based in Finland. She also works as an assistant at the ECB, a dance theater that explores a symbol-based system interwoven with allusions to daily rituals and ceremonial practices, as well as reflecting diverse cultural perspectives. With a foundation in the unique Ethno-Contemporary technique, she can craft dance programs that enhance physical abilities.
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Photo: Nico BackstromNina Bulgakova
UA
Nina Bulgakova is a choreographer and dancer based in Finland. She is also a co-founder of the Ethno Contemporary Ballet—a dance company originally from Kharkiv (UA)—as well as a choreographer, producer, artistic director and dancer. Her previous works with the Ethno Contemporary Ballet as choreographer and performer include 4308 (2023), Fertility (2020), ORGANization (2020), and Say It Quieter If You Can (2018).
Credits
Fertility Performance was staged by choreographers Nina Bulgakova and Vadym Yesaulenko (Ethno Contemporary Ballet) in Kharkiv (UA) in 2022.
Duration: 65 min, without intermission / Stage Directors and Choreographers: Vadim Yesaulenko and Nina Bulgakova / Artists: Anastasiia Mostova, Nina Bulgakova, Kateryna Zhuravlova / Musical Accompaniment: Dakha Brakha (UA), Laboratorium Pieśni (PL)
The presentation of the work is funded by State of the ART(ist), a collaboration between the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ars Electronica.
