Rethink Dance is an artist driven forum for new dance. The forum show works by choreographers who are performing in their own works, and highlights dance artists from home and abroad that are unknown to the Norwegian dance audience. Rethink Dance aim to inspire, create exchange and knowledgeproduction, through work in progress showings, performances, talks, and seminars.
Rethink Dance started in June 2009 as a festival of solo works “Solo Dance Festival 8″. The festival was held at the Scenehuset, in collaboration with the Norwegian Dance Information. In June 2010, we changed to the current name, and showed six solos and two group works in a performance space at Rom for Dance, in collaboration with Room for Dance. In November 2011, Rethink Dance was organized in collaboration with the RAS (Regional Arena for Contemporary Dance) in Sandnes and Tou Scene in Stavanger. Here, both international and domestic works were shown by artists such as Irina Müller, Holden / Sortland / Myhre, Marit Sandsmark, Kristine Slettevold, Maja Roel, Ayara Hernández Holz and Felix Marchand. In cooperation with RAS, Rethink Dance and theater scholar Karoline Skuseth facilitated a two-day seminar with presentations from amongst others; Ina Christel Johannessen, Knut Ove Arntzen
and Robert Steijn.
Rethink Dance 2013 will take place on 13th – 17th of February at the Dramatikkens hus and the Norwegian Dancehouse in Oslo. During Rethink Dance 2013 there will be works by Diego Gil, Angela Schout/Jared Gardinger, Ingeleiv Berstad, Jefta van Dinther, Marte Reithaug Sterud, Marianne Kjærsund and Bryan Campbell.
Rethink Dance 2013 is supported by the Arts Council Norway and the Fund for Performing Artists. Rethink Dance is produced in collaboration with Dramatikkens hus and the Norwegian Dancehouse. The initiators and responsible for the implementation of Rethink Dance is dance artists; Therese Markhus,Venke Sortland, Ingeleiv Berstad and Pernille Holden.
Therese Markhus is trained as a dancer at the London Contemporary Dance School and choreographer at the School for New Dance Development in Amsterdam. In 2000 she was a DanceWEB. Markhus has worked as a dancer with Impure Company / Hooman Sharifi, Diego Gil, Irina Muller, Naiara Mendioroz, Pere Faura and Nat (T) prod. / Kristine Slettevold. Markhus has produced performances “Heart”, “Simultaneously Involved”, “Reflection” and “This shadow is named Susan.” As a choreographer has Markhus done several commissioned works and collaborations with artists as composer Per Zanussi and Ning ensamble with the show “Our picture is continous Fractions”. Markhus currently working for Regional Arena for Contempoary Dance (RAS).
Venke Marie Sortland, working as a freelance dance artist based in Oslo. She has her art education from the School of Contemporary Dance in Oslo, from 2002 to 2005. In 2008 she was in DanceWEB. Venke has worked as a performer for several Norwegian choreographers; Ingri Fiksdal, Project Isadora / Caroline Whalstøm Nesse and Camilla Myhre, Impure Company / Hooman Sharifi, Wee Company / Francesco Skavetta. She has also worked as a performer for the German choreographer Jana Umüssig and the Austrian choreographer Philip Gehmacher. Venke has also worked in several groups: a trio of dance artist Pernille Holden and musician Jo Berger Myhre, and group Nummen Safari. She also runs production under the name Landing. Venke teaches at the School of Contemporary Dance (Room for Dance).
Pernille Holden is a graduate of the School of Contemporary Dance, Oslo, 2003-05 and Spin Off, Oslo, 2002-03. Pernille has worked as a performer with choreographers such as Ingri Fiksdal, Zanussi / Markhus project, Skjeldal / Bjørkli, Nummen Safari, Impure Company / Hooman Sharifi and Project Isadora / Caroline Whalstøm Nesse and Camilla Myhre. Pernille is working on their own projects, and the constellation with, among other dance artist Venke Marie Sortland and musician Jo Berger Myhre.
Ingeleiv Berstad is a dancer and choreographer from Norway. She studied MA in choreography at the Art Academy in Oslo, where she completed summer 2012. She does her own performances, collaborates with other artists and being engaged as a performer for other choreographers. Ingeleiv is working with Julian Skar under the name Berstad/Skar and have established the collective Choreography Students with Kristin Helgebostad and Eivind Seljeseth. In 2013 she will choreograph and / or be a practitioner in collaboration with Ingri Fiksdal, Human Failure Collective, Universal Performance. She received Danceweb Scholarship 2012.
