Dance as an art form and men who dance with other men have little in common with traditional ballet. In Norway dance has often had military associations which stretch right back to Viking times.
A nimble military music corps and two of the country´s most agile dancers join a young fiddler with a penchant for off-piste skiing. The main ingredients the Arctic Arts Festival and FMKN offer in this concert are breakneck scenic narratives about the essence of Norwegian music. Music and dance are after all two sides of the same coin. We do not claim to be 100% factual, and we take some artistic license. But equally, this production with the Defence´s Chief Music Inspector, the Finnmarking Ole Olsen promises to be a fascinating and close look at our music history. A history in all its diversity, based on believable and somewhat less believable sources, lively histories and indisputable facts.
One of the country´s most iconic cultural phenomena is the hallingkastet, when folk dancers leap into the air, try to kick off hats placed on a post, as they dance the Halling or Høfsar in northern Norway. One of the oldest photos that exists in Norway portrays just such a Hallingkast, and it´s no coincidence that the dancers are in uniform. This was a standard entertainment on Saturday evenings during regimental gatherings. Male duels when they dance the «lausdans» to folk tunes are meant to challenge the dancers both physically and artistically.
Cossack style turns and sporting pursuits increase suppleness and strength which are highly valued by the military. Formations and etiquette are central themes when placed in a military context. Officers from all class backgrounds in this arena, can be at ease socially, communicate freely and be taken seriously. In the military it is a tradition which lives on today. The military academy´s cadet ball at the Grand Hotel is one of the biggest events in the capital´s calendar, and follows rules of etiquette which date back to the 18th century.
Without dance we would scarcely have had any musical life in Norway at all. A bridal march can be military, a military march can have folky elements. There are bridal marches, cattle calls, military signals, folk dance and European banquet dances, and they all form the basis of Norwegian musical tradition. Before Norway launched its own radio corporation around 1925 it was military music, or fiddlers that brought live music to the Norwegian people. The music was closely connected to occasions such as weddings, anniversaries, market days and other social events.
Harstad and other garrison towns often shared a lively music and cultural life. A key contributing factor were the military musical activities which took place over many decades. Aside their duties as members of the corps, the musicians have adopted roles as music teachers, composers, soloists and conductors. That´s how it is today and the country´s five music corps have tremendous support from their local public and politicians.
In this production the energetic fiddler Erlend Viken also takes the stage-a musician who is well known through his own Erlend Viken Trio, and who is a member of the Earlybird Stringband. He has won several prizes for records produced in collaboration with Aslak Brimi. He composes music for the Frikar Dance Company and has contributed to numerous album releases such as OnklP & De Fjerne Slektningene.
The dance company Kartellet were Festival Profile Artists in 2016 and are impossible to pigeonhole. Their work has many roots, most notably folk dance and traditional music. Kartellet´s Sigurd Johan Heide has collaborated a number of times with the man who conceived and directed this project - Anders Eriksson. The last time out they presented a large production at the Barents region´s 20th jubilee. When Anders and Sigurd took on the military lausdans together with FMKN it seemed only natural to extend the guest list.
Anders Eriksson has a background as a musician and producer, and has for many years taken up creative positions at festivals. He runs his own production company Mansard Management and has recently been installed as the director of the contemporary music festival ILIOS in Harstad.
Lausdans with a royal flavour!
For this performance you can purchase a ticket which includes a regal cruise with the Strønstad after the performance.
Read more here.