STORY OF A MAIDEN

This is a story of a caryatid, a young woman who is a column, coming to life. She witnesses her civilization rise, blossom, destroyed by Turkish wars, and her stance as a woman is finally liberated with gradual improvement within the society. Such an ambiguous stance of women, where they are simultaneously appreciated and yet looked down upon is reflected well by the no less ambiguous origin history of caryatids. Some say they are respected and glorified priestesses and others state they are women of traitors siding with Persians who were humiliated for all eternity by having to carry the burden of buildings. 

Ancient Greeks poorly treated women by modern standards. The women could not leave the house unaccompanied by either their father, brother, or husband. They had to marry at a young age to someone chosen by their father, and later their older husband would write in his will who would marry his wife after his passing. The household was divided into women’s, common, and men’s territories. Women stayed on the women’s side, only entering the common area if the men of the house were not having a symposium - a party. Women also had to cover themselves and wear long dresses. They had no freedom by our contemporary understanding. The issues with the treatment of women pertained well into the 20th century when finally they gained their voting rights in 1952 and the ability to pursue higher education. This is reflected by the more burdened stance at the beginning and a more upright stance at the very end of the performance. 

The art piece is about exploring and empowering women through dance via a mix of contemporary dance elements, as well as Greek folk dances like zeibekiko which remains an exclusively male solo dance to this day and sirtaki. Zeibekiko as a dance originated while Greece was under the Turkish rule. It is also called an eagle dance when the dancer is as free as a bird, but at the same time it carries some tint of sadness and power to fight within. The masks serve as a means of separation of the performer from the audience but also incline heavily into the traditions of the Greek theatre where all actors were men who used expressive masks to convey their characters’ emotions. This fights the patriarchal traditions by having a woman wear them. 

Red and white were specifically chosen, for their meanings in both Western symbolism, and ancient Greek understanding of cosmos. White is the colour of innocence but also grief, youthfulness, and femininity for the Greeks. Red means dominance, aggression, and strength in the West but also the colour of transition in Greek history – both bridal and funeral veils were red. The white fabric on the caryatid at the beginning plays as both aesthetics and as a hint at the Western erroneous perception of Greece consisting of white ruins while everything was colourfully painted in reality. The fabric also serves as a white flag for when Greece gave in to the Turkish invasion, with the red dress signaling the blood of war. The red dress serves to also strengthen the woman, showing the potential of her dominance.  

The ambient soundtrack further gives hints at the story by having elements such as the fire starting hinting to the myth of Prometheus as he brought the fire to start a civilization, crowd noises when the Greek civilization blossomed, the war with the Ottomans and cries of people. This artwork displays the strength, loneliness and perseverance of women throughout eternity. It shows that women are no less strong or capable than men and play just as equal part in society. The performance aims to inspire the improvements in the position of women not just in Greek society but globally.