Petricore Movement 16 April 2021

Programme

In the national public health survey conducted by the Public Health Agency of Sweden in 2020, 41 per cent of the population aged 16-84 responded that they had experienced anxiety, worry or distress at some point in their lives. The proportion was higher among women than among men, and higher among younger than older people. In the same survey, almost one in five people reported that they suffer or have suffered from and been diagnosed with depression.

The dance company Petricore Movement is planning to work on a new international production that uses dance and visual art to address the theme of mental illness with a focus on the healing process.

As dancers and choreographers, they reside in Germany, Sweden and Senegal and have a background in hip-hop, modern and house dance. In the autumn of 2019, the work began with a two-week international studio residency at the Swedish Arts Grants Committee in Stockholm to explore the idea and movement material (case number KN 2019/4308). The premiere of the performance is planned for autumn 2021, with five performances at the Pfefferberg Theater in Berlin.

"My personal motivation for the project is that in recent years I have heard stories from several friends about how they have lived and are living with mental illness. For several years, they have hidden this in fear of being mistreated by society. Once they have dared to open up and seek help, they have found that they have been poorly treated and sometimes not taken seriously. The choice of dancers/co-choreographers was obvious. Mona, Khoudia and Wanda have, in addition to their fantastic qualities as dancers and choreographers, an ability to transform the energy of a room. I feel that they have a kind of healing power in the way they see and treat people."

- Anna Holmström, Artistic Director.

Anna Holmström

Anna's passion for movement began at an early age with Rhythmic Gymnastics. During her teenage years she won junior silver in the Nordic Championships and represented the Swedish national team at international competitions around Europe. She trained at Diambra Dance Education in Stockholm and since 2010 has developed her own movement language through training and exchanges with dancers from different styles and countries.

In 2015, Anna moved to Berlin where she founded Petricore Movement, a company and platform where she creates performances and dance films that address topics such as mental health, human impact on nature, and youth confidence & self-image building. Her debut solo Debris has been performed at dance festivals in Europe and the USA.

As a dancer, Anna has worked on transnational productions such as the world tour Flying Bach ( together with the world champions in breaking Flying Steps ) and Sadler's Wells production Message In A Bottle, at the Peacock Theatre in London. Working with people from different cultures and different artistic expressions has inspired her and shaped her into the artist and person she is today.

Credits