Reykjavík Grapevine - 02.08.2013, Side 40

All Tommorrow
40
It was thus in 2012 that the job began
for Erna Ómarsdóttir and Valdimar
Jóhannsson, life and creative part-
ners and current artistic directors for
this year’s Reykjavík Dance Festival.
Both have been fervently active in
the performing arts in town for years
now. Erna as an independent chore-
ographer and dancer, and Valdi as a
core member of the bands Reykjavík!
and Nine-Elevens. They have also
created numerous works together,
most notably ‘The Tickling Death
Machine,’ 'Teach Us To Outgrow
Our Madness,' and 'Lazyblood'. With
Erna on the verge of breaking water
of her and Valdi’s second child, they
met with us to discuss their other
new baby: the festival.
The Theme Is Overkill!
What was your overall vision for this
festival and does it differ much from
last year?
Erna: The whole festival is quite ex-
perimental. I think that last year it was
good that they tried something totally
different, and it was necessary, but it
might have connected to the public
better. This year will be totally differ-
ent. Peoples’ concept of dance and
choreography will expand if they come
to see a few different pieces. In Ice-
land, we only get one or two flavours
of dance, but there is so much variety.
Valdi: The theme, I would say,
would be ‘overkill’. Because we wanted
to do something larger than before,
and it became larger than the large we
were expecting. Some of these pieces
are doing choreography for stuff, not
people, for example. They don’t have
bodies in them.
In what sense?
V: For instance, dancing curtains.
Choreography for fireworks. A dance
show taking place in Bónus. It’s nice
to take the festival out of the dance
community a bit. It’s happening all
over town—in Harpa, Dansverk-
stæðið, Hafnarhúsið, Bónus. It’s get-
ting spread out.
E: Dansverkstæðið itself will also
have a big role. Our home. It will be
the main centre, the bar, every day’s
programme ends there. Sometimes
it starts there too. There will also be a
lot of workshops there, like Beyoncé-
dancing, and a hula-hops. Those will be
both for the public and the dance com-
munity. Then there will be stuff more
aimed at professionals.
Needs More Crack
What are your thoughts on
the Reykjavík dance community?
E: It needs some vitamins.
V: Yeah, or just some crack.
E: [Laughs] Since the dance depart-
ment at LHÍ opened and with more
Icelanders going abroad to study and
work, it’s gotten more exciting than
it used to be. Over the last ten years
things have gotten more exciting. In
many other countries, dance is well re-
garded and respected by the public as
much as theatre. Here, people are afraid
of this thing! But that is changing. The
audience demographic is growing and
it’s no longer only for people who are
interested in academic dance move-
ments. It’s just a piece of art.
“Here, people
are afraid of this
thing! But that
is changing. It’s
no longer only
for people who
are interested in
academic dance
movements. It’s
just a piece
of art.”
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Scream
Extremity and overkill reign supreme
at the Reykjavík Dance Festival
by Rebecca Louder
After several years of trying different steps and shapes, the festival that
unites Iceland’s freelance dance professionals has found a new model that
could serve to move it even further. Starting last year, the festival adopted
the model of choosing artistic directors to curate each event, who would in
turn take one the following year’s directors as apprentices.
ArtThe Reykjavík Grapevine Issue 11 — 2013
Magnús Andersen