LA PETITE MORT

La Petite Mort
by Nikos Kalyvas

Why do you dance? Why are you afraid to stop dancing?

The phrase “la petite mort” in French literally means “the little death” and is commonly used to describe orgasm, implying a moment of ultimate intensity and surrender, often seen as a form of “small death.”

How much more pain can you endure? Why do you keep dancing despite the fear and exhaustion?

Two dancers experience physical and mental fatigue at the peak of their careers. Though not immediate, the expiration date of their profession looms as a constant threat — a present absence. Their bodies, inevitably injured and worn out, become battlegrounds of conflict. It’s a race against time, desires, pleasure, decay, and acceptance. Each injury, both physical and emotional, foreshadows a “small death.” Every traumatic experience and temporary pause is a warning of what lies ahead. Every fall resembles death, yet every rise becomes an act of resistance against loss. Each “small death” can simultaneously be an explosion of life.

Are you still running? Are you laughing?

Bringing to the stage physical combinations, past relationships, and personal traumas — both humorous and intense — the dancers oscillate between questioning and reaffirming their ability to endure and rediscover joy repeatedly. They illuminate both the fragility and resilience of the human spirit and their profession.

But when will you stop?

The performance is supported financially by the Ministry of Culture.

Duration: 50 minutes