The performance CLAP & SLAP explores a complex and paralysing tension which emerged in Eastern Europe (and between Lithuania and Belarus specifically), following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24th 2022. This tension is examined through historical, political, geographical, and social lenses, alongside the personal experiences of Agnietė and Igor. Being politically engaged in the events of the Belarusian revolution in 2020, Igor participated in protests in Belarus, while Agnietė participated in demonstrations in front of the Belarusian embassy in Vilnius. Igor was forced to leave his homeland; Agnietė made the decision not to collaborate with Russian-speaking artists. Today, meeting on the same stage, these two artists make an attempt at a dialogue that seems impossible outside of art: dialogue between fear and the necessity of action, between collective and personal responsibilities, between personal tragedy and geopolitical catastrophe.

Without naive ambition to find solutions to political or military conflicts, the performance hopes to invoke political and philosophical reflection upon our own ability to distinguish responsibility and guilt, nationalism and patriotism, self-defence and aggression, seeking to trust and trying to protect. How can we maintain a balance between the need for self-defense and the risk of mirroring the very aggression we are fighting against? Can we respect each other’s differences, uphold personal beliefs, and protect individual freedoms without infringing on others’ rights? This is the line of questioning, to which Agnietė and Igor expose themselves and their audience.
The performance has been selected for Aerowaves Twenty26. The performance received the Special Jury Prize at the Sirenos International Theatre Festival (Lithuania, 2025)
BE COMPANY is an independent Lithuanian contemporary dance organization founded by dance artists Agnietė Lisičkinaitė and Greta Grinevičiūtė. It operates as a production and representation platform for dance makers, empowering emerging as well as established artists by providing space to create, experiment, and develop their artistic voices. The organization supports interdisciplinary, socially engaged, and niche dance practices, fostering collaboration and open creative processes that actively involve diverse communities.
Igor Shugaleev is a Belarusian-born choreographer, actor, and performer based in Warsaw. He graduated from the Belarusian State Academy of Arts in Minsk in 2012 and began his career as a performer in independent theatre and dance. Since 2019, he has focused on creating interdisciplinary solo projects, developing an artistic language at the intersection of dance, physical theatre, performance, and political activism. His practice explores the vulnerable body in extreme states through endurance, repetition, and intensity. His work 375 0908 2334 / The Body You Are Calling Is Currently Not Available, created with Sergey Shabohin, has been presented at major European festivals, including Internationale Tanzmesse NRW, Santarcangelo Festival, and SPRING Performing Arts Festival, and received international recognition for engagement with repression in Belarus and the struggle for freedom. In his projects, Shugaleev addresses queer identity, forced migration, systemic violence, and bodily resistance, treating the body as a site of political expression and reclaiming its right to voice and autonomy. He is currently a member of the ensemble at Nowy Teatr in Warsaw.
Agnietė Lisickinaitė is a Lithuanian choreographer, performer, and educator whose work bridges contemporary dance, political engagement, and civic action. A graduate of the Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theatre (BA in Contemporary Dance, MA in Choreography), she currently teaches there, mentoring emerging artists. At the moment Agniete is doing her second master studies at DAS choreography in Amsterdam. Lisickinaitė explores the body as a site of resistance and protest. Her solo work Hands Up—a participatory performance investigating gesture, contradiction, and solidarity—has been presented in over 10 countries, including at New Baltic Dance (Vilnius), Santarcangelo Festival (Italy), What You See Festival (Utrecht), Théâtre de la Ville (Paris), and Toulouse Biennale, among others. From 2020 to 2024, she served as chairwoman of the Lithuanian Contemporary Dance Association and remains active on its board, advocating for the dance field through policy and community work. Guided by the belief that choreography is a form of activism, Lisickinaitė uses movement as a tool for dialogue, resistance, and transformation.
Authors of idea, choreography: Agniete Lisičkinaite, Igor Shugaleev Performers: Agniete Lisičkinaite, Igor Shugaleev Composer: Agne MatulevičiūtėScenographer: Oles Makukhin Dramaturg: Bush Hartsorn Consultant director: Olga Lapina Light designer: Povilas Laurinaitis Premiere: 2025, New Baltic Dance Festival
Production: Be Company / Agniete Lisickinaite Funded by: Lithuania Culture CouncilCreative residencies: Radialsystem Berlin, Studio ALTA, Bora Bora dance centre, Santarcangelo Festival.
Nudity, violence (during the show the artists slap each other)
The performance is part of the Reykjavík Dance Festival program. The festival program can be found at https://www.reykjavikdancefestival.com/