Heroina
Marta Jamsja
Director and performer: Marta Jamsja
Video and sound design: Israel Bañuelos Loreto
Light design: Iiris Purge
Stage design: Laura Põld
Vocal coach: Mariliis Lahesalu
Duration: 35 min
Premiere: 8. March 2024 at Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava as part of the PREMIERE program
Residency: Ehkä-production/Contemporary Art Space Kutomo (Turku, FIN)
Supporters: Cultural Endowment of Estonia
Kissing a frog, singing at a well, waiting to meet a pair of eyes to whom you could swear for eternal love… Marta Jamsja’s solo performance “Heroina” floats between fantasy and autobiography, looking back at her childhood dream of becoming a princess.
Through the fairy tale genre and symbols, Jamsja reflects upon the complex relationship between being a woman and the expectations set for women. By turning naiveness and fragility into an advantage, the hope of eternal youth is demystified and space is made for the body and aging. Navigating in the turmoil of modern beauty ideals and gender roles, the performace’s heroina (heroine in English) finds herself by the wishing well, not knowing what she truly desires. The line between fairy tale and reality gets blurred.
Marta Jamsja (b. 1996) graduated from Tallinn University with a degree in choreography and received her second BA in Dance from The Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp in 2023. Marta’s work revolves around exploring and experimenting with the image conveyed by the body, delving into topics such as social norms, gender, and sexuality. Through her artistic approach, she seeks to challenge established notions and stereotypes surrounding these themes, inviting viewers to question and reevaluate their own perceptions. In her choreographic idiom, she likes to combine abstract storytelling with movement, text, and voice. By blending these different mediums, she aims for a multidimensional experience that enhances the audience’s ability to relate to her artistic expression. She received the Mait Agu Dance Scholarship in 2019.
In the media:
“Noored kunstnikud: kunstivaldkonnad segunevad ja ühest andest enam ei piisa” – Katariina Libe, Areen, 27.03.2024
“Noored koreograafid jätsid laigu põrandale” – Kaja Kann, Sirp, 22.03.2024
“Noored koreograafid pakkusid Premiere’il õudust ja kõndisid hea maitse piiril” – Ele Viskus, ERR kultuuriportaal, 20.03.2024
“KIIRKOHTING: ELLE VIIES JA MARTA JAMSJA” – Helena Aadli, Müürileht, 11.03.2024
“Premiere’24-l esietenduvad uute koreograafide debüütlavastused” – ERR Kultuuriportaal, 8.03.2024