Thursday 7 May 2026

Beautiful and Ugly in a Celebratory Blend – Summer Edition of Pianofavoriter med Norrdans

What is a classic, really — and who decides what is beautiful or ugly? In the summer edition of the acclaimed Pianofavoriter med Norrdans, audiences are invited to an anarchic dance carnival outdoors.

In this summer version of Pianofavoriter med Norrdans, Martin Forsberg explores taste and aesthetics. An international dance ensemble meets classical pianist Ramez Mhaanna. The dancers perform — with complete sincerity — to some of the most overplayed pieces in the classical repertoire: Für Elise, the Moonlight Sonata, and the Aria from the Goldberg Variations. Music and dance intertwine with a stream of text written by Rebecka Berchtold.

“For me, the work is an overflow of grand emotions: sticky romanticism, megalomania, intense listening, and idol worship. It is a cavalcade of dances to some of the most overplayed works in classical piano music. We want to bring them down from their pedestal, but we also want to listen carefully again and again and again,” says Rebecka Berchtold.

Pianofavoriter med Norrdans received the Swedish Theatre Critics’ Association Award for Children and Youth Theatre in 2021 and was selected for the Swedish Biennial for Performing Arts in 2022.

The summer edition premieres on Saturday, May 23, at the outdoor stage on Norra Berget in Sundsvall, before touring from Piteå in the north to Växjö in the south.