Between Sept. 30th and Oct. 20th, the Icelandic choreographer Steinunn Ketilsdóttir will be working on her project “Nordic Blondes” in Bucharest, in the frame of the E-Motional/ ArtistNe(s)t residencies, organised at ZonaD studio by Gabriela Tudor Foundation.
Nordic Blondes is an evening length dance work for 4 female dancers premiering in Tjarnarbíó Theater in Reykjavík Iceland in the fall of 2015.
Together with the dancer Snædís Lilja Ingadóttir, the choreographer will research self-image and existence within both individuals and particular social groups. Exploring what it is people see and sense simply by observing other people and their actions, their impressions and how they perceive and experience others. Concurrently researching our own perceptions and experiences of ourselves; how we view ourselves in relation to a community and in an international context.
Within the context of self-image and existence we will specifically examine the stereotypical Nordic blonde; our own personal relationship to the cliché, how other women perceive the idea of the Nordic blonde and how the rest of the world experiences the idea of her.
The residency includes a workshop open to both professionals and amateurs, on October 15th and 16th, and will be concluded with a public presentation on October 18th. The event includes a introduction to the artistic practice of the choreographer Steinunn Ketilsdóttir and to the contemporary dance scene in Iceland.
Steinunn Ketilsdóttir graduated in 2005 from Hunter College New York with a BA in dance. Since graduation Steinunn has worked both independently and in collaboration with other artists. Since 2007 she has worked closely with the dancer and choreographer Brian Gerke, under the name Steinunn and Brian. In their collaboration they have created both duets and group works and performed across Europe and in the US. Steinunn’s creations have been shown in Iceland, and in NY her work has been presented by Movement Research at the Judson Church and by Dixon Place. In 2010 Steinunn received the Icelandic Theater Awards for both performance and choreography for her solo Superhero. Steinunn premiered her latest work Yes dear, a group work for 7 performers, in December 2012. Last summer Steinunn started the creative process of a new solo and doing research for a new group piece, which she will continue in 2014. Steinunn is a board member of the Reykjavík Dance Atelier and the Reykjavík Dance Festival and is an active member in the independent dance scene in Iceland. She is also a faculty member at the Theatre and Dance Department of Iceland Academy of the Arts and a guest teacher at other organizations.
http://steinunnketilsdottir.com
The workshop and residency presentation in the frame of the “E-Motional: rethinking dance” European programme, organised with support from the Culture programme of the European Union. Cultural project funded in the frame of Bucharest 555 cultural programme of ARCUB – the Centre for Cultural Projects of Bucharest Municipality. Cultural project funded by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund.