Dancers

Dancers in Omega and the Deer (from left): Marianne Haugli, Erik Rulin, Matias Rønningen, Ida Wigdel, Marta-Luiza Jankowska, Mattias Ekholm

Erik Rulin graduated from The Swedish College of Ballet in 1992. He has been a long-standing member of the Carte Blanche ensemble in Bergen, where he has worked with choreographers such as Amanda Miller, Jo Strømgren, Ina Christel Johannessen and Antony Rizzi. He has also been a principal dancer in Jo Strømgren Kompani, where he danced in A Dance Tribute to the Art of Football and The Arrival. He started working with Ingun Bjørnsgaard in 2002, when he performed in her piece 7 imperatives for Carte Blanche. He has since then contributed in several productions for Ingun Bjørnsgaard Prosjekt such as Poppea (2009) and this year in Sjøen (2010).

Lone Torvik studied dance at the Norwegian State Ballet Academy. Since 1999 she has taken part as a dancer during Oslo’s millennium celebration in a choreography by Un–Margritt Norseth. She danced with the Oslo Danseensemble in the period 1999−2002 and has gone on tour with this company. She has also had roles in Chicago at Oslo Nye Teater, in productions at the Norwegian National theatre and for the opening of Ibsenhuset. Since 2003 she has been a permanent dancer in Ingun Bjørnsgaard’s company, with roles in four pieces including Sjoa & Skjåk (2004), I det förflutna (2007/08) and Poppea (2009). In 2006 she took part in Lille Eyolf – en duett2, Schreibstuck and JUV with the company Dansdesign. Lone is dancing in the new production Sjøen (2010).

Mattias Ekholm graduated from Balettakademien in Stockholm in 1993. He has since then worked with choreographers such as Kenneth Kvarnström, Mats Ek, Rui Horta, Ina Christel Johannessen, and Cristina Caprioli. He worked for Carte Blanche in Bergen for 7 years. Mattias has toured all over the world and has done productions for television in Sweden. Mattias has done several choreographies with Ingun Bjørnsgaard, including Poppea (2009) and, most recently, Sjøen (2010).

Ida Wigdel graduated from Oslo National Academy of the Arts in 2006. She has worked with Dans Design in four productions and with other choreographers such as Ina Christel Johannessen, Kjersti Alveberg, Hege Haagenrud and Francesco Scavetta. Together with Janne-Camilla Lyster she runs the company Haagenschmagen and in collaboration with Kristina Søetorp and Ole Martin Meland is also responsible for the company The Line. She also works as a choreographer for theatre director Øyvind Osmo Eriksen. Poppea (2009) was Ida’s first production for Ingun Bjørnsgaard Prosjekt. Ida will dance in IBPs next production, Sjøen (2010).

Halldís Ólafsdóttir and Bjørnsgaard collaborated for the first time in 1993 on Alminnelig Olympia. Since then, Halldís Ólafsdóttir has been a central protagonist in the development of IBP. In 1984, she was also one of the initiators of the dance company Carte Blanche where she worked for a decade. Halldís Ólafsdóttir has collaborated with several other choreographers and dance companies, such as The Norwegian National Ballet. She has done interdisciplinary projects within the fields of the visual arts, theatre, music, film and video. Halldís will dance in IBPs next production, Sjøen (2010). Halsldís has a Bachelors degree in Psychology.

Christopher Arouni worked with the Swedish choreographer Jens Östberg for a period of time before moving to Norway. From 1997-2001 he worked for the contemporary ensemble Carte Blanche in Bergen, collaborating with several prominent choreographers such as Jorma Outinen, Ina Christel Johannesen and Ingun Bjørnsgaard. Christopher has been with IBP since 2001, dancing in “Book of Songs”. “Capricorn domestic”, “Four Pieces including Sjoa & Skjåk” and “I det förflutna”.

Sigrid Edvardsson has been a prominent dancer with IBP since 1990, with outstanding performances in “A solitary shame announced by a piano” and most recently in “Capricorn domestic”. She trained at The Norwegian College of Ballet, Oslo and at The Peridance Centre, New York. As a freelance dancer she has performed in a number of productions by for example Dans Design, Wee, Kjersti Alveberg and Georgio Rossi and for the Norwegian Broadcasting Company.

Lars Jacob Holm trained at The Norwegian College of Ballet. He has worked extensively at Norway’s major theatres since 1993, with roles in “Phantasma” and “Don Quijote” at The New Norwegian Theatre and “Cabaret“ at Oslo Nye Teater. “Four Pieces including Sjoa & Skjåk” was his first collaboration with IBP and he later contributed in “The Solitary Shame Announced by a Piano” in 2007.

Torunn Robstad performed with IBP in “Alminnelig Olympia” 1993 and “Sleeping Beauty” in 1994. Robstad moved to Stockholm later that year to work for the Cullberg Ballett company. There, she performed several major roles – including Mats Eks’s “Sleeping Beauty”, “Giselle” and other productions – up until her return to Oslo in 2000. Since then, Robstad has been working with the IBP and the National Theatre in Oslo.

Aleksandra Sende, norwegian dancer, mostly based in Sweden. She graduated from Kungliga Svenska Balettskolan in 2004. Since then she has worked with production by Eva Lundquist, Björn Elisson, Asher Lev and Ohad Naharin – all of them presented in Sweden and Norway. She has also choreographed and staged some smaller performances and videos. At the time she also works for Örjan Andersson at Dansens Hus in Stockholm. Poppea is her first production for Ingun Bjørnsgaard Prosjekt.

Other dancers who have worked with IBP are Gry Kipperberg, Suzie Davies, Caroline Walström Nesse, Marianne Albers, Terje Tjøme Mossige and Marius Kjos.