Studio grant holder at The International Dance Programme in Stockholm 1 March – 31 May 2022

Anna Öberg is a dancer and choreographer who uses Swedish traditional dance as the starting point for both her artistic and research work. In 2015 she was awarded an MFA degree in Choreography at Stockholm University of Arts (Uniarts), as the first traditional dancer in its history.

Anna’s work comprises her own artistic projects as well as commissions from different venues and institutions in Sweden and abroad. Commissioned works in recent years include e.g Musik i Syd, Dalateatern, Stadsteatern, ScenkonstSörmland, Riksteatern, Dansnät Sverige. Her stage works has been presented at e.g. Dansens Hus, MDT, Norrlandsoperan, Dansstationen in Sweden, Dansehallerne in Denmark and Riksscenen Norway. Brut Imagetanz Vienna. During 2019 she created Solitude as Dancenet Swedens new co production.

Anna Öberg. Photo: Mats Bäcker

Anna has also recurring commissions as a dramaturg, moderator and pedagogue. During the years she has initiated and curated platforms for stage art, pedagogical issues and research, latest FLOCK, – a new festival för scenic art in collaboration with Dalateatern and Folkmusikens Hus.

”The core of my craft is an interdisciplinary choreographic practice that takes its origin in my background in Swedish Folk Dance, contemporary music performance and conventional aspects of performance studies. Social Folk Dance is a highly interactive setting where different elements and actors contribute to a multi sensory, immersive and participatory experience. Togetherness mediated through common experiences of beat where perception and kinesthetic transference are central. During the years I have been interested in how I can use that experience as a performative platform to approach, develop and understand other things, striving towards the shift from what those areas depicts and represents to the affects and experiences they produce.

During this residency, I will partly focus on the physical practice I have developed over the years and which has its background in Swedish folk dance filtered through the various of other contexts I have been part of. My desire is to challenge it, and through that myself as performer, by exploring methods and materials together with invited collaborators. In addition, I will work with the preparatory work for the upcoming production SHADES. ”