Meeting Point North


Opening performance with delicate samples

The time has finally arrived to open the doors to this year’s Treffpunkt Nord (Meeting point North), where we showcase samples from some of the performances that will be shown during this year’s festival. This year we have samples from the entire Barents Region and then some. This will be both a funny and serious evening with something for everyone. Dancers from Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia will bring us on a journey of impressions, moods and experiences.

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Photo from Dans Meridian by Solveig Leinan-Hermo / Stellaris DansTeater

Excerpts from Solveig Leinan-Hermo’s Dans Meridian is showcased this night. Anna Karpova’s two choreographies Barina and Pas de Trois are shown as a pert of Stellaris Barentsproject. This is a project that creates productions for stage between artists in the Barents Region through performances and networking. Both Barina and Dans Meridian are a part of a planned tour of the Barents Region this autumn.

Dancer and choreographer Reidar Sjøset, who just participated in Festival for Ung Koreografi (festival for young choreography) at Dansens Hus in Oslo, shows excerpts from his solo Flukt (Escape). Flukt is a lightly confused, light-hearted and playful outline about always looking for new experiences, and not taking the time to experiencing the present.
This night will also showcase an excerpt of the performance Don’t Panic by Magnhild Rem Fossum and Lebanese Omar Rajeh. Rem Fossum and Rajeh have collaborated in Lebanon. In spite of the dramas they have witnessed, they will try to draw a different picture than what we see on TV and in the news. Because of the political situation in the country Omar Rajeh was not able to leave Lebanon. This is why Magnhild Rem Fossum and Anwar Saab have finished the performance. Don’t Panic is a product of the situation it describes. The individual versus society’s changing ruling powers. Further work on this performance will be in co-production with Stellaris DanceTheatre.

In a completely different genre, but also on the subject of great political events, Amanda Roynesdotter will show her interpretation in an excerpt of the musical Cabaret.

During this year’s Treffpunkt Nord we will also show an exceptional collaboration between pianist Tor Egil Braseth, based with LINK in Hammerfest, and dancer Titta Court from Finland. Court and Braseth will improvise for the audience through music and dance. This meeting between cultures and artistic disciplines will be an exiting experience.

We will also show an excerpt from the production Flyt (Flow) by the group Blendbox from Tromsø, tonight represented by dancer Kathrine Jacobsen and musician Bernt Simen Lund on cello. Blendbox is with Flyt a collaborative project between three dancers, two musicians, four film artists and three composers. The theme is flow and movement through a landscape. Flyt consists of four short films, all with their own artistic theme, distinctive stamp and music. In connection with one of the films Blendbox have received permission by director Sjur Paulsen and Sub Productions to use two sequences from the Norwegian documentary LOOP. These sequences are meetings with philosopher Arne Næss. His thoughts, philosophy and playful being have been of great inspiration for Flyt. Artistic director and dancer: Kathrine Jacobsen

Along with all these people and groups more North-Norwegian dancers will enter the stage this exciting night. Thorbjørn Gabrielsen will deliver the opening speech from Stamsund International Theatre festival.

Welcome to the first performance of DanceFestival Barents 2007.
Let the dance celebration begin.


Performance: Hammerfest Cinema Friday 23rd of March 7 p.m.