In Vērpete (vortex, whirl), the creators-performers Erik Eriksson and Krišjānis Sants take the principle of a turning couple – a movement that is more familiar in games, folk and ballroom dancing – as a starting point and develop it into a dance of precision, speed, trust and exhilaration. As they vortex through the space, turning hand in hand, the performers bring the audience together and take apart in dynamic patterns of repetition. Dancers create a paradox by committing to support one another through opposition, collaborating by constantly pulling apart. Vērpete is accompanied by a live music of vibraphone and guitar, creating a dense and embracing soundscape, performed by Mārtiņš Miļevskis and Rihards Lībietis. Audience shares the same space as performers and many have described their experience as if finding themselves in the midst of a natural force, perceived by body rather than mind. “Vērpete” was premiered at International Festival of Contemporary Theatre “Homo Novus” in 2015 and has won the highest praise from critics and audiences, including the Latvian performing arts award in 2016 as “Achievement of the Year in Contemporary Dance”.

Erik and Krišjānis met in Brussels during their studies at P.A.R.T.S. and have since collaborated on numerous projects. Erik Eriksson holds an MFA at Danish National School of Performing Arts (2022). He works in Sweden, Latvia, Belgium and Finland as a performer, teacher and choreographer, taking interest in sharing the physical sensation of dancing. Krišjānis Sants has an MA in Scenography at the Latvian Academy of Arts (2018). He is a part of duo IevaKrish and together with Ieva Gaurilčikaite-Sants (LT/LV) has been creating performances that focus on tacit communication of space and rhythm and contemporary re-interpretation of Baltic traditional polyphonic singing. As a performer Krišjānis works internationally with fieldworks/ Heine Avdal & Yukiko Shinozaki. Mārtiņš Miļevskis is a versatile percussionist and has played with several well know Latvian bands, like H2O, Astro’n’out, Otra Puse, folk group Auļi, as well as orchestras in Riga and Liepāja. Rihards Lībietis plays acoustic guitar and writes music, and has released four albums with his instrumental band Rihards Lībietis Orchestra.

We would like to thank Kaunas Evangelical Reformed Church congregation and its representative, chairperson Egle Grucyte, for the space provided for the performance.