Performance-tour STEP BY STEP

What connects the interwar capital of Lithuania and today's European Capital of Culture? We invite you to look for the answer not by reading a history textbook or browsing the internet, but by embarking on a live, experiential journey through Žaliakalnis.

This performance-tour is not an ordinary walk with a guide. It is a performative event where history comes alive through dance, theater, and music, and the spectator becomes an active participant. Each step is like a rung on the stairs of time, leading from interwar Kaunas to the present day.

The journey begins at the legendary Kauko laiptai – one of the most prominent symbols of interwar Kaunas. According to architectural historian J. Kančienė, they were the most beautiful stairs in Lithuania at the time. And legend has it that Kaukas reigns here – a small but mysterious hero of Lithuanian myths. Perhaps you will meet him too?

Voices sounding in your headphones, authentic stories voiced by actors, and music created specifically for this project merge with the live action around you. The memories of Žaliakalnis residents, documentary narratives, and contemporary artistic interpretation create a unique experience where the city's past and present exist simultaneously.

This is a joint creation by the dance troupe ULNA and the project Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022 – an artistic cross-section of a Kaunas cell, Žaliakalnis. Here, professional and young artists, community members, and the city's history meet.

In this project, the spectator does not just watch – they listen, move, stop, and experience. The city becomes a stage, and you become a part of it. –– Creative team: Idea author, director, and choreographer – Indrė Puišytė–Šidlauskienė Choreography – Indrė Puišytė–Šidlauskienė and dancers Dramaturg – Lina Laura Švedaitė Composer and sound director – Kristijonas Lučinskas Scenographer – Simonas Šidlauskas and students of Kaunas Art Gymnasium Costume designer – Radvilė Kisieliūtė and students of Kaunas College of Arts Kaukas costume authors – Aistė Ramunaitė and Rita Kazokaitė –– The event will be filmed and photographed, and the material may be used for publicity purposes. –– The activities of the ULNA troupe are partially funded by the Lithuanian Council for Culture. Partners: KKC / Kaunas Cultural Centre, Contemporary Dance Association. Thanks to Kaunas Mikas Petrauskas Performing Arts School - KSMM.