MYRIAM PERROTTET
When Ishtar steps onto the stage, she notices objects scattered on the floor, drawn to them without conscious intent. These objects symbolize worldly burdens: the Belt of Cowardice, the Necklace of Vanity, the Cloak of Hypocrisy, the Scepter of Violence, and the Crown of Pride. From the beginning, Ishtar wears a veil-like black tunic — the Veil of Selfishness — a symbol of her inner division.
Seduced by the allure of these objects, believing they will help her assert herself and fill her sense of lack, she reaches for them one by one, dressing herself without realizing that each piece becomes part of a costume that pulls her further from her true self — a weight that burdens her even more.
Confronted by her reflection through the other dancers, she fights desperately against it. Yet with every strike, she wounds only herself, until she understands she must shed it all to reclaim her authentic self. As the final veil falls, the stage becomes a space of transformation, self-knowledge, and acceptance.
In the end, a beam of light falls onto the stage from the side — a sign that the next Ishtar will also find her own way through this cycle of transformation.
Choreography und conzept by Nunzia Tirelli
reimagination of Rudolf Labans piece "ISHTARS HÖLLENFAHRT" (1913)
created and presented for kulturtanz, erbe! Festival (2020-2022)