The Space Between Us Is Not Empty

The piece begins with the radical difficulty of coming together. Each body follows its own path and faces knots it may not want to face; even a simple step across the space can feel like a radical act. Trust in the other is both the condition for the work and its greatest risk, and failure is not hidden: it is part of the material.

The work lives in the suspension of escalation, in a collective pause that feels like waiting for something to explode. It does not resolve that tension; it holds it, as bodies hold it in rehearsal. Failure is redefined as half-hearted presence: the demand is not for harmony or polish, but for fullness, presence and risk.

The piece is not finished; it is becoming. It is rehearsal extended into performance, and it invites audiences into the fragile attempt to connect.

Rūta Ronja Pakalne is a Latvian-Estonian dance and film artist based in Estonia, working across choreography, performance, film and teaching. She trained in choreography at the Latvian Academy of Culture and at P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels, holds an MA in Film Arts from TLU BFM, and has taught at TLU BFM, Tallinn Ballet School and ETA Tantsukool since 2019.

Wednesday 18 November, 19:00, Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (STL), Telliskivi 60a/9, Tallinn.