Prometheus

IN THE WORDS OF THE CHOREOGRAPHER

MY PROMETHEUS

My ballet is, on one hand, the story of Prometheus, the titan who stole fire from the gods, enabling humanity not only to warm itself and secure food but also to make enormous strides in civilization. In this context, fire symbolizes both power and civilizational progress. However, fire also represents the darker side of our times, embodying the destruction of the natural environment and the relentless, unchecked progress that pushes us toward disaster. This dual symbolism of fire – both as a force of creation and destruction – is reflected in the massive, uncontrollable wildfires that plague our world each year, the tangible consequence of unsustainable development.

On the other hand, the story also explores the theme of punishment. Zeus, the god of gods, decided to punish Prometheus for his defiance by chaining him to a rock and sending an eagle to eat his liver daily. Each night, the liver would regenerate, only for the cycle of torment to begin anew the next day, symbolizing the eternal suffering and sacrifice of an individual for the greater good of society.

Zeus, however, did not stop with Prometheus. He also sought to punish humanity for accepting the stolen fire. To do this, he ordered several lesser gods to create Pandora, a woman of extraordinary beauty and virtue, endowed with intelligence, musicality, and grace. Prometheus's brother, Epimetheus, fell deeply in love with her and decided to marry her. Cunningly, Zeus presented Pandora with a mysterious wedding gift for Epimetheus – a box, "Pandora's Box", with the strict instruction that it should never be opened. Yet, Pandora, unable to resist her overwhelming curiosity, opened the box, unleashing all the evils that would plague humanity forever: diseases, wars, hatred, plagues, pandemics, floods, torrential rains, and violent fires. Horrified by what she had done, Pandora quickly shut the box, trapping a small spark of hope at the very bottom – a hope that we carry with us, the belief that not everything is lost. This hope, fragile yet enduring, holds the power to either deceive us or save us all.

This is the essence of my Prometheus. Of course, the ballet will convey these themes in a more symbolic and metaphorical manner, using the abstract language of dance to explore these ideas poetically rather than literally.

Krzysztof Pastor