NODE / Brian Cliff Olguin for Ultima
Dancing into Fire
Oddrun Lilja I Fatemeh Ekhtesari I Zhanna Gladko I Kringkastingsorkestret
Music, poetry and visual art combine in a performance about freedom, hope and exile, told from a female perspective. Dancing into Fire is a sweeping, large-scale audiovisual performance where the right to liberty and self-expression and the sacrifices it may involve, are urgent topics. At the heart of Dancing into Fire lies the experience of three female artists from very different political backgrounds: Islamic theocracy, patriarchal dictatorship and idealistic social democracy.
A jail sentence hangs over Iranian poet Fatemeh Ekhtesari. Visual artist Zhanna Gladko left Belarus after finding it impossible to work as a female artist in a deeply patriarchal environment where culture is heavily censored. Zhanna lives in Norway supported by the organisation Safemuse, an organisation working for artists that have been threatened, persecuted or censored, Fatemeh is a City of Refugee artist in Lillehammer through ICORN. Guitarist /composer Oddrun Lilja grew up in the comparatively safe social reality of Iceland and Norway, but travelling the world with her music has opened her eyes to the limitations on self-expression that her peers experience elsewhere. She has created the music together with composer Rolf Wallin.
Performed by Kringkastingsorkestret and soloists, Dancing into Fire is a tribute to all artists who are persecuted for their work.
Fatemeh Ekhtesari, Oddrun Lilja and Zhanna Gladko. Photo: Aliona Paz
Composer, performer, direction, script
- Oddrun Lilja Jonsdottir
Visual work and set design
- Zhanna Gladko
Text
- Fatemeh Ekhtesari
Co-composer and arranger
- Rolf Wallin
Performer
- Kringkastingsorkestret (KORK)
Conductor
- Halldis Rønning
Soloists
- Oddrun Lilja Jonsdottir, el gitar
- Paal Nilssen-Love, percussion
- Fatemeh Ekhtesari, recitation
- Zhanna Gladko, performance
Dramaturgy
- Oddrun Lilja Jonsdottir
- Fatemeh Ekhtesari
- Zhanna Gladko
- Hooman Sharifi
- Rolf Wallin
Translation
- Mohammad M. Izadi
- Johanne Fronth-Nygren
- Matthew Rana
- Fatemeh Ekhtesari
In collaboration with
- Kringkastingsorkestret (KORK)
- Den Norske Opera & Ballett
- Safemuse
Supported by
- Kulturrådet
- Det norske komponistfond
- The Creative Europe Programme of the European Union as part of Sounds Now
Light design and co-production:
- Hooman Sharifi and Impure Company
