Silhouette Letters
Aerowaves artist
CHOREOGRAPHY:
Arturs Nigalis
DANCERS:
Arturs Nigalis, Marite Supe
LIGHT DESIGN:
Nikola Suhareva
MUSIC:
Kaspars Niklasons
PRODUCTION:
Latvian Academy of Culture
MENTOR:
Olga Zhitluhina
PREMIERE:
29 April 2024 Riga Circus, Latvia
DURATION:
30 min.
The presentation of Silhouette Letters is held under the auspices of H.E. Vilmārs Heniņš, Ambassador of Latvia to the Czech Republic.
Silhouette Letters opens a door into a world where silence turns into story, and where a single rope can reveal what words often leave unspoken. This deeply emotional duet weaves together the power of contemporary dance, acrobatics, and an intimate confession about the relationships that shape us.
In a calm, uncluttered space, a long rope hangs from the ceiling. Two dancers become entangled in it, wrapping their bodies around its taut line. Silhouette Letters is a bittersweet duet about relationships that exist in silence, memories, and imagination—with those who are no longer by our side, or perhaps never truly were.
Within a fragile, tender choreography, we witness the birth and transformation of a single relationship. The rope becomes an acrobatic partner—a tool for levitation, climbing, rotation, pendular motion, and delicate balances. The lighting design draws geometric patterns on the floor and, together with the music, deepens the scene’s meditative quality.
The dynamics gradually intensify: the duet grows into a display of acrobatic virtuosity and precise work with weight, counterbalance, and rotation. Lifts, jumps, controlled falls, and meticulous partnering are technically striking. Yet into this intensity enter moments of quiet closeness—long embraces, eye contact, and small but powerful gestures that reveal the intimacy of their connection. The two performers move in complete harmony; although the choreography employs strong physicality and elements of contemporary circus, its expression remains profoundly emotional, intimate, and human. Silhouette Letters is a highly personal confession, drawing on the creator’s own experience of a childhood marked by the absence of a father.
Artūrs Nīgalis is an experienced Latvian dancer and an emerging talent in contemporary choreography. His debut duet Silhouette Letters became the first-ever project from Latvia to be selected among the TOP 20 works of the prestigious European platform Aerowaves 2025.
Artūrs Nīgalis is an experienced Latvian dancer and an emerging talent in contemporary choreography. His debut duet Silhouette Letters became the first-ever project from Latvia to be selected among the TOP 20 works of the prestigious European platform Aerowaves 2025. For this piece, he received four nominations at the Latvian Dance Award 2023–2024 and won the award for Best Contemporary Choreography. Since its premiere, the duet has been presented at leading festivals across Europe and Latin America. Most recently, he premiered his new choreography Made by Person at Riga Circus.
