Dansdesign is a trademark of the spectacular. The choreography team, made up of husband and wife Leif Hernes and Anne Grete Eriksen, has so far been responsible for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Lillehammer Olympics, as well as several spectacular outdoor events in Norway and abroad. Having staged large productions on mountaintops and thundering canyons, the pair has focused much of their creative energy on investigating what they call the “supernatural” – the effect created when nature and culture combine to produce extraordinary moments.
Leif Hernes. Photo: AreopagosIn May, Hernes and Eriksen, along with composer and sound artist Bjarne Kvinnsland, will travel to Yunnan, China on invitation from the TCG Nordica culture centre in Kunming and Areopagos in Norway. The aim of the visit is manifold: Dansdesign will host workshops and seminars with local dancers and artists, sharing their expertise and experiences. Also, the trio will spend time absorbing, capturing and collecting unique expressions of Yunnan culture – particularly minority culture – as it appears in sounds, movements, culture etc. These experiences and observations may prepare the ground for the development of a larger project in the future, in which the encounter between Norwegian and Chinese modernity is explored, focusing on the transformation from rural dwelling to aggressive urbanization.
Dansdesign will host a workshop at TCG Nordica on 14th May which is open to the general public.
Dansdesign’s visit to China is sponsored by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.