Kartellet and the Arctic Philharmonic open the Festival in Northern Norway 2024 with their concert performance "Rækved." Here, five dancers and a string orchestra explore how we try to understand each other and interact in both playfulness and seriousness. The choreography combines traditional elements from folk dances from Nordland, Troms, and Finnmark with elements from rituals and sports games. The music is based on folk music from the north in a modern guise, mixed with musical plays and "groove." The title "Rækved" refers to all that drifts ashore, which can become components in something new – in this context, parts from different folk traditions woven together into a new expression.

Previous Festival Profiles

"Kartellet has performed several times with us, offering both courses and performances since they were festival profiles back in 2016, and now we're excited to see them in the Main Hall at Harstad Culture House in this format," says Ragnheiður Skúladóttir, director of the Festival in Northern Norway.
Kartellet was initially the name of a dance performance initiated and choreographed by Sigurd Johan Heide but eventually became the dance company Kartellet A/S. Kartellet won the Critics' Award 2016 for the performance "DoPPler." That same year, they were Festival Profiles during the Festival in Northern Norway and were also awarded the Troms County Culture Prize.

An Exploration in Men, Male Physicality, and Play

Dance company Kartellet is a physical collaboration among men. All dancers in Kartellet have a strong individual style and leverage their bodily knowledge and competence to create a close visuality. The performances are an exploration of men, male physicality, and play. Intensely so. The company always uses live music in their performances.
The Arctic Philharmonic is the world's northernmost professional orchestra. With Bodø and Tromsø as its home bases, the orchestra performs over 200 shows and concerts each year, both in their home cities and on tour throughout the region and abroad. The orchestra plays classical music ranging from small groups to large symphonic repertoire and opera, and for the opening of the Festival, they will feature their chamber orchestra to interact with the dancers in Kartellet.
 

"I am very excited to be able to launch 'Rækved.' The performance is based on our unique, northern traditions in dance and music, set in an entirely new context. It fits very well as the opening performance in this year when the Festival celebrates its 60th anniversary. This will be a unique experience of playfulness and seriousness, which will both touch and engage," concludes Skúladóttir.

Time: Saturday, June 22, at 18:00
Location: Harstad Kulturhus, Main Hall
 

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