Women on the Edge

Women on the Edge: Recovering the Women of the Trojan War

A Conversation with Pascal Rioult and Peter Burian

Join us for a discussion of the power of dance to connect contemporary audiences to ancient Greek texts. Choreographer Pascal Rioult, artistic director of RIOULT Dance NY, comes to the American Dance Festival this summer to present Women on the Edge… Unsung Heroines of the Trojan War, his triptych inspired by Euripides’ heroines Helen of Troy, Iphigenia, and Cassandra. Our discussion with Rioult will be led by Duke Professor Emeritus of Classical Studies, Peter Burian, world-renowned expert in Greek drama and translation and author of numerous books and articles on Euripides’ tragedies. Together, Burian and Rioult will guide us through an exploration of Euripides’ timeless themes: the brutality and irrationality of war, the grace and strength of women in society, and the power and resilience of the human spirit.

Free and open to the public. This discussion is co-sponsored by the American Dance Festival and Duke University’s Forum for Scholars and Publics. Rioult DANCE will perform at Reynolds Industries Theater July 18, 19, and 20 at 8 pm. The program includes Rioult’s Iphigenia, On Distant Shores, and the ADF commissioned Cassandra’s Curse, each set to commissioned music by contemporary American composers Michael Torke, Aaron Kernis, and Richard Danielpour, respectively.

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Dancing to the Continuing Relevance of the Trojan War by Geoffrey Mock, Duke Today