Prometheus

Ballet in two acts Music: Philip Glass (Symphony No. 11 and Mad Rush) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Requiem in D minor) Premiere: 18/06/2025, Polish National Ballet, Warsaw

We all know the story of Prometheus, who steals fire from the gods to make it available to mortals, thus contributing to their development. The Promethean myth lived for centuries and constantly developed in culture. The eponymous titan has become the epitome of the idea of rebellion against tyranny and a symbol of the heroic struggle for freedom, and its history has ignited the imagination of poets, writers, painters and sculptors for centuries...

Even Krzysztof Pastor does not hide his fascination with its symbolism, but also points out with concern the ever new consequences of his act. Prometheus, stealing fire from the gods and sharing it with man, has indeed contributed to the development of mankind, but this progress of civilization also has its dark sides - unfortunately it leads to the slow destruction of the world around us. But let us remember: in the myth, next to the misfortunes that befell humanity after the act of the titan and the opening of Pandora's can, Hope also appears. Its traces can also be found in the modern world. The ballet of our choreographer is therefore another, thoroughly original attempt to reinterpret the myth of Prometheus.

My ballet is a story about Prometheus, a mythical titan who stole fire from the gods, endowing humanity not only with warmth and the ability to prepare food, but also the ability to dynamically develop civilization. In this context, fire becomes a symbol of both power and progress that leads us to the heights of civilization. But fire also has its dark side, personifying the destruction of nature and the unrestrained development that inevitably leads us to destruction. This dual nature of fire — as a force of creation and destruction — is revealed, for example, in the powerful, unbridled fires that plague our planet every year, constituting an eloquent consequence of unsustainable development.

On the other hand, this story also takes up the theme of punishment. Zeus, the highest of the gods, decided to punish Prometheus for his sacrilege and rebellion against the divine absolute power, chaining him to a rock and condemning him to eternal suffering—every day the eagle ate his liver, which grew back at night, so that the next morning the torture could begin anew. This unceasing torment is a symbol of the eternal sacrifice of the individual for the good of the whole.

The vengeful Zeus did not stop at punishing Prometheus himself. He also decided to take revenge on humanity for accepting the stolen fire. To this end, he instructed the gods in charge of the creation of Pandora, a woman of extraordinary beauty and virtues, endowed with intelligence, musicality and grace. Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus, fell in love with her infinitely and decided to marry her. The insidious Zeus, however, offered her a mysterious dowry before the wedding, enclosed in a casket, known today as “Pandora's Box”, but with a strict ban on opening it. Meanwhile, Pandora, succumbing to irresistible curiosity, lifted the lid, releasing into the world all the plagues: diseases, wars, hatred, plagues, pandemics, floods, downpours and devastating fires that were destined to plague humanity forever. Terrified by her act, she quickly closed the casket, happily retaining at the very bottom the spark of hope that we carry within us to this day believing that not all is lost. This hope, fragile but enduring, has the power to both deceive and save us.

This is the essence of my Prometheus. Of course, the ballet will touch on all these topics in a symbolic and metaphorical way, using the abstract language of dance. So it will not be a literal story, but rather a poetic ballet that allows the viewer great freedom of personal emotions and interpretations.

My ballet is a story about Prometheus, a mythical titan who stole fire from the gods, endowing humanity not only with warmth and the ability to prepare food, but also the ability to dynamically develop civilization. In this context, fire becomes a symbol of both power and progress that leads us to the heights of civilization. But fire also has its dark side, personifying the destruction of nature and the unrestrained development that inevitably leads us to destruction. This dual nature of fire — as a force of creation and destruction — is revealed, for example, in the powerful, unbridled fires that plague our planet every year, constituting an eloquent consequence of unsustainable development.

On the other hand, this story also takes up the theme of punishment. Zeus, the highest of the gods, decided to punish Prometheus for his sacrilege and rebellion against the divine absolute power, chaining him to a rock and condemning him to eternal suffering—every day the eagle ate his liver, which grew back at night, so that the next morning the torture could begin anew. This unceasing torment is a symbol of the eternal sacrifice of the individual for the good of the whole.

The vengeful Zeus did not stop at punishing Prometheus himself. He also decided to take revenge on humanity for accepting the stolen fire. To this end, he instructed the gods in charge of the creation of Pandora, a woman of extraordinary beauty and virtues, endowed with intelligence, musicality and grace. Epimetheus, brother of Prometheus, fell in love with her infinitely and decided to marry her. The insidious Zeus, however, offered her a mysterious dowry before the wedding, enclosed in a casket, known today as “Pandora's Box”, but with a strict ban on opening it. Meanwhile, Pandora, succumbing to irresistible curiosity, lifted the lid, releasing into the world all the plagues: diseases, wars, hatred, plagues, pandemics, floods, downpours and devastating fires that were destined to plague humanity forever. Terrified by her act, she quickly closed the casket, happily retaining at the very bottom the spark of hope that we carry within us to this day believing that not all is lost. This hope, fragile but enduring, has the power to both deceive and save us.

This is the essence of my Prometheus. Of course, the ballet will touch on all these topics in a symbolic and metaphorical way, using the abstract language of dance. So it will not be a literal story, but rather a poetic ballet that allows the viewer great freedom of personal emotions and interpretations.

VOCAL CAST IN MOZART'S REQUIEM:

Nataliia TeplabasFelix Pacher, soprano Kamila DutkowskaTenordaShuai ChenaltNataliia TeplabasFelix Pacher

Polish National BalletChoir and Orchestra of the Grand Theatre - National Opera

Kuba Matuszczyk - pianist (Mad Rush by P. Glass)