Elle Sofe Sara Vástádus eana/ The answer is land 22-23 February 2023

Programme

Demonstrations, Sami rituals and formation dance have inspired this powerhouse piece that, with hypnotic timing, takes us on a journey, both on foot and within. Elle Sofe's focus is on the intentions behind movement, gaze, timing, direction, intensity and stage presence. She is inspired by the power of being part of a collective, of the strength that arises when we act together.

The joik, the Sami folk music, is the main element of the performance. The multi-part joik acts as a supporting pillar throughout the work, creating a uniquely powerful and beautiful experience that lingers long after the last notes have faded. The work is made with and for the seven female performers, who are all experienced dancers and yokels. The artists come from different backgrounds and bring their own stories and voices to the work.

The joik in the performance was written especially for this work. The composer is professor of joik Frode Fjellheim, who also wrote the intro music for the film Frost. Fjellheim shows the breadth of the joik and broadens the definition of what Sami traditional music can be.

Elle Sofe Sara

Elle Sofe Sara (born 1984) is a choreographer, director and filmmaker. Originally from Guovdageaidnu, Norway, she holds an MA in choreography from Oslo Academy of Arts (2010) and has studied dance at LabanTrinity School in London. Sara's work expands into seemingly mundane, often overlooked areas of Sámi physicality - unspoken rituals that have escaped the vice grip of colonialism. While Sara's choreography has an inherent playfulness, she also delves into taboo subjects such as trauma, abuse and suicide. As an artist, Sara seeks to create work that resonates as strongly with her own community as it does with the art world.