Movement Sessions: Artistic Practice

Since autumn 2020, the dancers of the Norrdans ensemble have been allocated dedicated working time to deepen and develop their own artistic interests.

The initiative was launched by former Norrdans dancer Rebecka Berchtold. The aim is to strengthen each dancer’s individual artistry, enabling them to contribute their full artistic voice in collaborations with invited choreographers. This initiative, called Artistic Practice, is unique to Norrdans.

Each December, the work is shared with the wider community through a semi-public Artistic Practice Sharing. There is also an informal collaboration with Mid Sweden University, which enriches and deepens the process.

This workshop explores movement and dance in a free and organic way. Through bodywork (touch-based guidance in pairs) and simple instructions, we will tune in to and experience the body in motion.

There is nothing to achieve in this work other than your own listening and your engagement with the body.

When and where?
Tue 13 January, 5:30–6:30 pm, Norrdans Studio.

Who can participate?
From age 16 and up, with or without dance experience.

Good to know:
The workshop will be held in English.

Clothing and footwear:
Comfortable, durable clothing. Barefoot, socks, or shoes (clean for indoor use).

Fee:
SEK 100 per session. Swish payment on site.

The workshop is led by Ruben Brown.
More information about him can be found here.

“A Space to Be Strange.” The workshop begins with a short warm-up and then moves into an improvisational journey in which participants explore body, space, and emotions through movement. The focus is on creating a safe environment where it is allowed to be different and to explore the unexpected, from beautiful to “ugly” movements, from comfort to discomfort.

The exercises are based on mental images and scenarios, such as imagining familiar spaces that suddenly change, raising questions of belonging and boundaries. The class is individual rather than interactive, offering the possibility to turn inward and let movement emerge organically.

The ambition is to offer a glimpse into the artistic practice that characterizes Gorik’s work: challenging norms, creating freedom, and allowing the strange to become beautiful.

When and where?
Tue 20 January, 5:30–6:30 pm, Norrdans Studio.

Who can participate?
From age 16 and up, with or without dance experience.

Good to know:
The workshop will be held in English.

Clothing and footwear:
Comfortable, durable clothing. Barefoot, socks, or shoes (clean for indoor use).

Fee:
SEK 100 per session. Swish payment on site.

The workshop is led by Gorik Bellemans.
More information about him can be found here.

Drawing on Claire Bishop’s view of distraction as a relational, sensory, and socially constructed form of attention, rather than as misdirection or a lack of presence, Alvilda uses distraction as a choreographic tool.

She explores distraction both as a body in constant drift between overlapping desires, and as a constructed and temporarily frozen division of body parts and their points of attention.

In this workshop, she will invite you to engage with some of these strategies and to move with distraction as a driving force for dance and movement.

No prior experience in dance or movement is required. Participants are welcome to move with their whole body or from a chair, if preferred. Movement can be small, slow, or even imagined. What matters is your ability to shift your attention, regardless of how or how much you move.

When and where?
Tue 27 January, 5:30–6:30 pm, Norrdans Studio.

Who can participate?
From age 16 and up, with or without dance experience.

Good to know:
The workshop will be held in English.

Clothing and footwear:
Comfortable, durable clothing. Barefoot, socks, or shoes (clean for indoor use).

Fee:
SEK 100 per session. Swish payment on site.

The workshop is led by Alvilda Faber Striim.
More information about her can be found here.

The workshop explores mapping the body through poetic language in order to understand its landmarks and pathways. Through words and movement, we investigate how attention and imagination can guide us through the body.

When and where? Tuesday 3 February, 5:30–6:30 pm, Norrdans Studio.
Who can participate? From age 16 and up, with or without dance experience.

Good to know: The workshop will be held in English.
Clothing and footwear: Comfortable clothes you do not mind moving in. Barefoot, socks, or indoor shoes.

Cost: SEK 100 per session. Swish on site.

The workshop is led by Kaelin Isserlin.
You can find more information about them here.