Absolutely love love love “Medusa” by Jasmin Vardimon Company tonight. Two more performances at Sadler’s Wells through Wednesday. Go see the show!!!
I was blown away by the company’s production of “Pinocchio” last year. I’ve been both excited yet nervous about tonight. Will the new work bring the same level of creativity, intensity, playfulness, and stunning technical execution as last year — especially when the new creation is an abstract concept?
Medusa surpassed Pinocchio at every level.
I interpreted the show as centering around men’s desire for power, control, and exploitation — over women, over the environment, and even over mythical creations — and the resulting damage. The piece is dark and emotional, speaks to current events, and challenges the audience to think twice about the complex, unspoken, or forgotten root cause of the societal issues today.
Thank you, Jasmin and the dancers Jasmine Orr, Olga Clavel, Patricia Hastewell Puig, André Rebelo, Lucija Božičević, Silke Muys, Kieran Shannon, Joshua Smith, for giving us an absolutely incredible experience tonight.
Memorable scenes.
“The Housewife” and how men assert psychological, emotional, physical control over women. The girl on stage is a pretty inanimate doll to be dressed up, to be accessorized for men, to be waltzed (and tossed) around by men, until she is eventually transformed into a housewife. Even in her adult form, her body is still owned by men — who extended their arms, reached inside of her vagina as they pleased, and ripped the fetus right out of her as they wished. In the background of the housewife scene are two young women out and about — trying to enjoy a day at the beach while wearing a gas mask to survive.
During the post-show chat, Jasmin explained that most people remember only the ending of the Greek mythology where Medusa is a terrifying monster. However, she was not born that way. Medusa was once a beautiful maiden, but was raped by the God of the Sea in Athena’s Temple. Her later form came from her anger and her rage, yet the early part of her story is often omitted or even forgotten.