Feb 28 feb–March 2. Blessika / Ellen Söderhult
Dances and sounds with cold temperatures and moist textures sneak up, drag along, whisper in your neck, and twitch. Ghosts and myths about things that happen when the sun isn’t shining are invited in, and moods and states related to folklore, the Middle Ages, and the night are depicted. A world steeped in mythology and ballet history unfolds. The four dancers in Blessika stir through historical echoes that are distorted and exaggerated.
Blessika is a horror-inspired performance full of dance and auditory illusions. Blessika is the second of three works by Ellen Söderhult that explore choreography as a haunted art form, where the stories, ideals, and images passed down as history—and who has transmitted them—reveal as much about history as the stories themselves. The first work in the series was Ghost Dances (Spökdanser), which dealt with how dances can “haunt” the dancers’ bodies.
February 28 at 7pm
March 1 at 7pm
2 mars at 5pm
Weld
Norrtullsgatan 7
Book: book.weld.se
Choreography: Ellen Söderhult
Dance: Cajsa Godée, Ellen Söderhult, Nathalie Wiberg, Catarina Zarazua Mujo.
Composer: Kajsa Blom / KABLAM
Set and costume design: Amanda Hedman Hägerström
Lighting design: Michael Forsberg
Mythology author and narration: Liv Hargne Granath
Administration: Interim Kultur
Co-production: Weld and Scenkonst Sörmland
With support from: Swedish Arts Council, Region Stockholm, Stockholms stad, Nordisk Kulturkontakt
Many thanks to EMS
ELLEN SÖDERHULT
is a dancer and choreographer based in Stockholm. Her choreographic works have often taken on the collective as protagonist (Rudy, Shane et al, How to do things with Romance: a prologue, DUNKA DUNKA), but also explored monstrous emotions and textures in sweet-bitter love (GROV) and the ghostly in the relationship between dancer and dance (Ghost Dances). With a background in choral singing and sports, she often works with voice, immersive soundscapes and big leaps. Ellen has worked with choreographers such as Iki Gonzalez Magnusson, Sorour Darabi, Anna Källblad, Nikima Jagudajev, Sindri Runudde, Nadja Hjorton, Marvil Iglesias and Catarina Zarazua Mujo, and as a musician with composer Hara Alonso. In 2022 she was awarded the Cullberg Scholarship from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee. Ellen is educated at Bollnäs Folk High School’s music line and at the bachelor’s programs in contemporary dance and circus at DOCH / Stockholm University of the Arts.
CAJSA GODÉE
is a queer dancer and choreographer working mainly in Berlin and Stockholm. Cajsa gravitates towards exploring themes around sexuality from a queer experience. Her dance foundation is within groove oriented styles and club dances, especially locking and popping, and was acquired and developed in the Streetdance community. For 15 years Cajsa has created stage work in different constellations and groups. For example as one of the founding members of the dance and performance group JUCK (Thrust), initiated in 2012, which aims to expose structures of power through the movement on thrusting. Cajsa is currently freelancing with her own work, working as a dancer in other choreographers’ staged pieces and mentoring dance students.
CATARINA ZARAZUA MUJO
is a dancer and choreographer trained at Åsa Folkhögskola’s street dance programs. She has participated in several stage productions, including The Hip Hop Symphony, where she both danced and choreographed, Inga känslor är också känslor at Dalateatern, choreographed by Iki Gonzalez Magnusson, and Dansa för mig with the company Rosales under the direction of Paloma Madrid. Catarina was also one of the dancers and choreographers for Whiffcraft in 5D together with Ellen Söderhult and Marvil Iglesias.
NATHALIE WIBERG
is a dance artist whose practice includes listening with all her senses, playful explorations, and shifting between fiction and reality. She has trained in Stockholm, Copenhagen, and Barcelona and holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of Stavanger in Norway. BLESSIKA is the third work by Ellen Söderhult that Nathalie takes part in; she has previously danced and sung in DUNKA DUNKA and GROV Group Version.
KABLAM
is a composer, producer and DJ based in Stockholm. She started her career as a DJ in 2013, and is perhaps best known as one of the residents of Berlin’s infamous Janus party alongside co-residents M.E.S.H. and Lotic. In 2016 Janus published KABLAM’s debut EP titled Furiosa. She has since released one album and several EP:s on her own label. KABLAM has also produced remixes for and collaborated with mobilegirl, DJ Babatr, Coucou Chloe, Osheyack, estoc, Your Planet Is Next, rip ME and more. KABLAM’s music is characterized by detailed rhythms, found sounds, sampledelia and sensory experiences. Her music has been described as sonic maximalism and “stonkcore”. KABLAM both DJs and plays live, and has performed in venues such as Berghain, Sonic Acts, ALL Club Shanghai, Circus Tokyo, Left Bank Tbilisi, Nrmal Festival Mexico and many more.
AMANDA HEDMAN HÄGERSTRÖM
is a costume designer and scenographer who works with the body, queer gaze, vulnerability and humor. She is Interested in seductive aesthetics with desire and intuition as an artistic compass. Graduated from the bachelor’s program costume design & scenography at the Stockholm University of the Arts in 2022. Amanda works both in institutions and in the free field, she is and is one of three founders of the group Goosebumps Scenkonst.
MICHAEL FORSBERG
has always been interested in the arts. In 2021-2024 he went to Stockholm University of the Arts to study lighting design, and has since participated in many collaborations. He is particularly fond of colourful, straightforward lighting, that serves to enhance the space, the bodies, the message, and sometimes just the experience and the sensation of light itself. www.michaelforsberg.se
LIV HARGNE GRANATH
is an actor educated at the Theater Academy in Malmö 2021-2024 and Fridhems Folkhögskola 2016-2018. Since graduation, Liv has been employed at Regionteater Väst.
Weld is supported by Stockholms stad, the Swedish Arts Council and Region Stockholm