Our upcoming mainstage production Helena will premiere at Bærum Kulturhus on January 20, 2027.
What is true, and what is merely an image? Who are we when our identity is shaped by the gaze, language, desires, and perceptions of others?
In Helena, Ingun Bjørnsgaard Prosjekt explores the enigmatic figure of Helen from Greek mythology—the woman whose beauty is said to have sparked the Trojan War. Through this ambiguous myth, the performance opens up contemporary questions regarding truth and illusion, identity and the loss of it.
Featuring dancers Ludvig Daae, Katja Schia, Catharina Vehre Gresslien, and Ida Wigdel, alongside cellist Inga Byrkjeland, the production creates a sensory and multi-layered universe in which movement, music, and presence are intricately interwoven.
The choreography oscillates between the simplified and the construed, control and dissolution, while examining the tension between the pure and the unsettling. In Bjørnsgaard’s signature choreographic style, simple, natural rhythms and movement patterns are refined within a dense, visual atmosphere.
The performance draws inspiration from literary and artistic depictions of Helen—ranging from Homer and Euripides to modern feminist perspectives. The themes resonate with our contemporary era, a time when questions concerning desire, gender, representation, and the nature of false images and portrayals are more relevant than ever.
New music by Norwegian composer Henrik Hellstenius, composed for electronics and cello, creates an evocative live experience. Alongside baroque musical references, the score also enhances a dramaturgy defined by contrasts, tension, and unpredictable energies and beauty.
Helena is an intense and poetic dance performance about the human longing to belong—and the distance between who we are and the world we see.
Credits
Choreographer: Ingun Bjørnsgaard
Dancers: Ludvig Daae, Katja Schia, Catharina Vehre Gresslien, and Ida Wigdel
Composer: Henrik Hellstenius
Cellist: Inga Grytås Byrkjeland
Set designer: Thomas Björk
Costume designer: Solveig Holthe Bygdnes
Lighting design: Hans Skogen
Sound design: Morten Pettersen
Creative producer: Torunn Liven
Co-produced with Bærum Kulturhus – Dans Sørøst-Norge
Ingun Bjørnsgaard Prosjekt is supported by Arts Council Norway.
The rehearsal period is supported by the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet and Dansens Hus.
Honorary Award—
Duration: 1 time
Wednesday 20. January 2027
Kl. 19:00
Thursday 21. January 2027
Kl. 19:00
Store Sal
Bærum Kulturhus
Claude Monets allé 27
1338 Sandvika
Phone: +47 81 51 17 77
kulturhuset@baerum.kommune.no
Stage
Store Sal
Organizer
Bærum Kulturhus — Dans Sørøst-Norge