By: Stela Mišković

The premiere of the dance performance „Sara-je-vo“ by choreographer Edhem Jesenković took place at the Sarajevo Youth Theater last night (performed by dancers Mojca Majcen, Ognjen Vučinić, Miona Petrović, Luka Ostrež, Ana Kuzmanović, Emir Fejzić).

The minimalist stage design is dominated by a monolith which stands as a symbol of integrity, unity, firmness and stability. Alongside the monolith, there is also a metronome whose sound reminds us of a clock ticking, which in turn symbolizes the passing of time and transience of things, as well as of the fact that everything is prone to change and decay no matter how unbreakable and solid it may appear. Four dancers enter the stage through the auditorium, thus making the audience direct participants of the performance. In the first part of the performance, we see an impeccably synchronized and unison performance in a rhythmically robot-like movement, following the rhythm of the metronome. The performers tread the stage with great care, exploring the firmness of the ground with their feet, as if making their very first steps in life. Gradually, this discourse assumes a more serious tone and when we hear shots, we come to the realization that the exploration of youth is over. That childhood has been interrupted and that Change has come. We become aware of the harsh truth that the monolith is actually a mediaeval tombstone – the only place that awaits us all with arms wide open and where we are all welcome.

The performer speaks loudly about Sarajevo and about growing up, but his voice gradually fades and becomes no more than an inarticulate murmur in the background. He does not want things to be forgotten without questioning or understanding what had happened; he does not want to move on without rounding up a piece of sense. He observes others who, like an ancient chorus, represent people and who keep repeating the mantra „Every day, in every way, we’re getting better and better”, whose brains have been washed out and who are – almost unconscious and bereft of their own being – moving forward. He is no longer heard. The voice of the people does not exist. Or else it has been turned into a pointless mantra from self-help reference books, or numbed by a devastated life or just violently silenced by someone.

In the second part of the play, we see alienation, nonconformity and emptiness in an every-day quest for a normal life. The consequences of the war are unfathomable, particularly in the department of the soul. The attempts to make contact with people, to continue an abruptly interrupted youth hardly seem to work if we are locked in our fears and trauma.

Versatile, superbly performed, detailed and discernible as a portrayal of society, this performance with its rich and versatile, dynamic and picturesque dance language, is a true measure of dancing skill and stage expression as a kinesthetic description of multi-layered nuances of emotional suffering. The dancers’ performance, the masterful control of their body and their exceptional individuality makes this choreodrama turn into a universal psychological analysis of a post-war micro-community as a core unit of social relations in general. 

The art of dance, in instances when it’s mentally, choreographically and performatively developed on solid foundations, manages to establish a deep connection with the emotional side in all of us and to avoid hermeticity.

This performance has a soul. Its soul is Sarajevo.