Flicker Out
How to describe the moment just before the end? That fragile threshold that marks the ending, where joy and sadness merge in a momentary charge, playing on the verge of closure. A zoomed-in image of red and yellow hues of a gentle flame, which separates from the wick with a hint of blue. Flicker Out observes the moment in which echoes of memory become interpersonal worlds, as the final gushes of love and loss collide in rapid succession, leaving behind, in the remnants of light, what once was.
Collaborating with the choreographers, and keeping with the character of the piece, Ivan decided to place the piano at the centre of the composition, making it the protagonist of the story. Although the music is entirely electronic, the piano remains an exception – it is the only element not subjected to strict quantization, making it stand out from the ambient backdrop of synthesised and sampled sounds. Dramaturgically, the music builds the narrative by means of two thematic lines. The first, fragmented and metrically undefined, reflects the protagonist’s initial state. The second, symbolising their growth and change, is initially only hinted, but gradually the two merge into a single whole. Undergoing this transformation, the character learns from their mistakes and moves on, enriched by experience – the experience of a broken relationship.
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Behind the name Pett Clausen-Knight are James Pett and Travis Clausen Knight. Having built their careers with Wayne McGregor and Richard Alston’s dance companies, they founded PCK Dance in 2019. After only a year’s activity, they were nominated for Best Independent Dance Company at the National Dance Awards. Since 2023, they have been Associate Artists with DanceHAUSpiù in Milan. They employ choreography to explore the relationship between visual art and dance, while also being actively involved in pedagogical work and socially engaged projects.
Ivan Končić is a contemporary music composer with a more traditional approach. On this occasion, he ventures into composing an entirely electronic piece for the first time. He currently teaches at the Academy of Music in Zagreb.
Black Puzzle ~ Still, I Rise
The concept of relationships is often explored in terms of love, family, friendships, and society. Human connections are formed through countless invisible threads, and at times, individuals find themselves tangled in these vast networks of relationships.
The ballet explores the relationship between an individual, Haku, and society, while simultaneously depicting his inner conflict – a path of self-discovery. Society often imposes uniformity, forcing individuals to adhere to the same answers, opinions and actions, like a puzzle that needs to be solved in a prescribed way. Except each individual possesses a unique soul and the puzzle pieces come in different shapes. Haku feels at odds with society, alienated. He confronts his one hundred thoughts, each of which represents a part of his identity, trying to rearrange them in search of personal peace and a prominent place in society.
Echoing the feminist poetry of Maya Angelou, the composer offers her own reading in the ballet score of Still I Rise, focusing on the complexities of the relationship between women and society, observed through the prism of the struggle against systemic obstacles and imposed expectations that hinder personal growth. Divided into nine movements, with different ensemble compositions – from duets for two instruments to instances for the entire orchestra – the ballet explores external challenges, as well as internal conflicts, including facing one’s own prejudices and insecurities. It encompasses moments in which the main character withdraws into herself, searching for a way to become a better person and confront her own demons, as well as moments of disappointment with society, but also moments of support arising from the community.
The ballet is a synthesis of two worlds. In its embrace of Broken Relationships, it unveils the shifting nature of meaning—a journey once unwavering, now illuminated in its complexity.
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The Principal Dancer of the National Theatre in Zagreb’s Ballet Ensemble, Japanese artist Takuya Sumitomo, started practicing ballet at the age of four at his grandmother Taguchi Satsuki’s dance studio. He formally trained in Japan and Antwerp, going on to performe as a soloist in Estonia and Serbia. He came to Zagreb in 2015.
Veronika Reutz Drobnić is a composer and performer of new music. She explores the boundaries of improvisation, theatre and non-traditional scores through different interdisciplinary works. She is currently a teaching assistant at the HfM Karlsruhe and a PhD candidate at the Zurich University of the Arts.
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The Most Familiar Stranger
When relationships are broken, parting follows. What we once considered familiar, irrevocably changes. People who were close to us become strangers, and places we called home become alien. These separations create tensions in the fragile web of society. They alter existing relationships between people and shape new dynamics – creating invisible walls between us and them, as well as within ourselves. In this performance, we witness a group of individuals entangled in their fictional community, as they experience connection, separation and internal change – within themselves, with each other, and in relation to the world around them. There is sadness in this change, but there is also transformation, and renewal. Inspired by the Museum of Broken Relationships, The Most Familiar Stranger lends shape to a fluid anthology of human relationships – their bonds and breakups.
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Allesandro Giaquinto is an Italian dancer, choreographer and creator. Themes such as spirituality, collectivity, affection, violence and death are tightly woven into his artistic practice, which uses precise theatrical images and complex phrasing to find a fine line between dramatic tension and heart-warming release.
Rafał Ryterski is a Polish composer, interdisciplinary artist and activist. His work deals with issues of identity, cultural phenomena specific to the LGBTQ+ community, and unmasking violent mechanisms. His signature genre-bending style is a synthesis of different musical genres, creating works at the intersection of theatre and performative art. In 2021, he was nominated for the Paszport Polityki Award in the category of classical music for his contribution to the introduction of LGBTQ+ themes into Polish contemporary music.
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Flicker Out*
Ivan Končić, composer
Pett Clausen-Knight, choreography
Petra Pavičić, costume design and scenography
Deni Šesnić, light design
Ana Trišler, costume design assistant
Iva Višak, ballet master
Black Puzzle ~ Still, I Rise*
Veronika Reutz Drobnić, composer
Takuya Sumitomo, choreography
Petra Pavičić, costume design and stage design
Deni Šesnić, light design
Ivan Josip Skender, conductor
Ana Trišler, costume design assistant
Rieka Suzuki Sumitomo, choreography assistant
Pavla Pećušak, ballet master
The Most Familiar Stranger*
Rafał Ryterski, composer
Alessandro Giaquinto, choreography and costume visual identity
Petra Pavičić, costume design associate
Chiara Bugatti, stage designer
Ivan Josip Skender, conductor
Shawn Wu, choreography assistant
Ana Trišler, choreography assistant
Andrej Barbanov, ballet master
Ballet of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and the Orchestra of the Opera of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb
Ljudmila Šumarova, music director
Teo Visintin, musical accompanist
Ana Vnučec, stage manager
co-production - MBZ and HNK Zagreb
*premiere – commissioned by the 33rd MBZ and HNK Zagreb, through international open calls for composers and choreographers
supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Croatia
Black Puzzle ~ Still, I Rise
