"Vi kan göra va du vill" is a dance performance for the Swedish dance company Norrdans. More info about Norrdans and upcoming tours: www.norrdans.se
With this piece, Ludvig Daae and his team wanted to dive into themes like folk culture, national identity and belonging. Their main interest was the social aspect of folk dance: everyone is welcome to join, and when you dance you contribute to the community that is created in the room, while at the same time becoming part of a folk tradition and history.
For that reason, “Vi kan göra va du vill” takes place around and among the visitors, rather than the traditional theatre situation with a sitting audience. Performers and audience become part of the same social context.
According to Ludvig, certain parts of folk culture are appropriated, or kidnapped, by nationalists who wish to use the culture as a symbol for their own agenda. But Ludvig’s experience, the folk culture is both open and generous, not excluding or right-wing extremist. Rather than attempting to reclaim the power over these attributes, “Vi kan göra va du vill” focuses on the meeting point between the present, the traditional and the potential future by updating and reinterpret these characteristics.
The dancers in Norrdans come from seven different countries, and the choreographic process started from their respective backgrounds to create a new, inclusive and diverse folk dance. The music, costumes and set design related to the themes in a similar fashion where different elements meet and melt together to allow for new, unknown expressions to emerge.
Nine different weaving workshops, spread all over the north of Sweden created more than 20 rag rugs that are used in the set design. The rugs are woven with materials such as electric wires, moss, glitter, trash bags, newspaper and twigs. These rugs form a unique collaboration that weaves together cities, countries and regions in a massive tapestry that covers the stage floor.
Tove Berglund’s costumes are an investigating hommage of folk costumes from the region of Ångermanland, where Norrdans is located. She used traditional, woven folk fabrics from Västernorrland Museum to create modern sportswear and then she made a second outfit for every dancer, consisting of garments and costumes created from traditional folk patterns from the 19th century but made from new materials such as plastic and reflex.
Contributing weaving workshops: • Sundsvalls Vävstuga • Hemslöjdens Vävstuga; Sollefteå • Lennart Högberg; Åsele • Stavre Vävstuga, Gällö • Njurunda Vävstuga • Bränneriets vävstuga • Margareta Fernholm • Vävhäxorna; Östersund) • Häggdångers vävstuga
Dancers: Rebecka Berchtold, Tomáš Červinka, Sam Huczkowski, Nastia Ivanova, Seung Hwan Lee, Chang Leo Liu, Jade Stenhuijs, Leila Verlinden
Choreographer: Ludvig Daae Costume design: Tove Berglund Composer: William Rickman Set design: Tove Berglund & Ludvig Daae Light design: Carl D Kristiansson Norrdans team: Artistic director: Martin Forsberg Producer: Sara Selmros Technical coordinator: Daniel Mårskog Rehearsal director: Jenia Kasatkina Tour planner: Kristina Gillström Production assistent: Anna-Leena Järvelin Techincal assistent: Hans Vallin House manager: Barbro Öberg Marketer: Andreas Näsholm Art Director: Lia Jacobi Massage therapists: Mona Nixon, Sabine Melin