Other artists
Many art forms are connected with dance. A broad team of artist is often involved in making a dance performance, along with the dancers and choreographer. Iceland Dance Company puts great emphasis on working with the most qualified artists in order to create the best pieces.
Music
ID prides itself on a tradition of working with emerging talents in all artistic fields,
especially music. The company frequently commissions new music and has in the last few years
worked with a wide range of artists, including the rap group Quarashi,
CAPUT, a group of avant-garde composers, Gusgus, the
internationally known purveyors of smooth electronica, and the Iceland Symphony
Orchestra. ID took part in Baldur, a choreographic drama by Jorma
Uotinen commissioned by Reykjavik 2000 to music by Icelandic composer Jón
Leifs. Baldur was premiered in August with the Iceland Symphony
Orchestra and Schola Cantorum. Sixpack, a short
pas-de-deux in collaboration with Mum, another emerging musical talent, was
performed in November 2001 in the Batofar, a floating nightclub cum cultural centre anchored by
the new National Library in Paris.
The piece Lúna by Lára Stefánsdóttir, premiered in February 2004,
uses life music on stage, performed by Rússíbanar. The composer,
Hjálmar H. Ragnarsson first created the music for a theatre piece and was
awarded Grímuverðlaunin 2003, a prestigious prize for theatre artists.
In October 2001, ID's Artistic Director Katrín Hall was commissioned to
create new work for the company. In collaboration with one of Iceland’s most progressive
new music ensembles the Kitchen Motors, Hall’s choreography In Between
Worlds grasps the music of Barry Adamson and Pan Sonic,
one of the most respected electronic music groups on a world scale, using the beautiful voices
of Hljomeyki, one of Iceland’s best choir ensembles. Barry
Adamson’s The Hymn of the 7th Illusion and Between Worlds sing together.
Lighting Design
Iceland Dance Company’s main lighting designers are Elfar Bjarnason,
Benedikt Axelsson, Lárus Björnsson, and Kári Gíslason.
Elfar Bjarnason has designed most of ID’s performances in the past, here in
Iceland and abroad. His works for ID include Alone, La Cabina 26, Outlaws, Dear Lóló,
Auðunn and the polar bear, Féhirsla vors Herra, Motions, Æsa, Sixpack, NPK, Man is always
alone, In between Worlds, Plan B, DA , Diaghilev and Lore.
Elfar was a lighting designer in the Reykjavík City Theatre. He graduated with a BA degree in
Theatre Arts with an emphasis on lighting design from Rockford College in Illinois, USA in
1986. He has designed the lighting for Reykjavík Theatre Company, National Theatre, Iceland
Dance Company and many other theatres in Iceland for many years.
Lárus Björnsson is head of the lighting department of Reykjavík City
Theatre
Benedikt Axelson and Kári Gíslason are lighting designers
with Reykjavík City Theatre. Lárus and Benedikt have designed the lighting for ID’s
performances in February and May 2003.
Benedikt designed the lighting in The Match, in 2003 and has traveled on tours with
the company since 2002.
Kári has designed the lighting for works including Party 2003 and Lúna
2004
ID has presented the work of various other lighting designers through the years. Amongst
these are Juha Westmann, Joop Caboort and Benno Veen.
Set and Costume Design
Most of Iceland’s best set and costume designers
have worked with ID through the years. Amongst these are Elín Edda Árnadóttir,
Saguaro Jóhannsson, Stefanía Adolfsdóttir and Stígur Steinþórsson
ID has presented work by various European set and costumes designers, Kathy Brunner, Ilona Suonio, Jutta Delorne, Mechthild Seipel, Heidi van de Raad and Ascon de Niijs, to name a few.
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