Two works, two eras, the same body in transition

On stage this evening, we’ll encounter two distinct styles: one that drives forward with power and precision, and one that moves in the gray area where everything can dissolve.

Boléro by Marcus Baldemar

We live in a time when conflicts and wars shape both our daily lives and our worldview. Against this backdrop, choreographer Marcus Baldemar and Norrdans explore the tension between struggle and gentleness.

Taking Maurice Ravel’s classic *Boléro* as its starting point, the work draws inspiration from one of the most emotionally charged pieces in music history. Since its premiere in 1928, *Boléro* has evoked associations with discipline, repetition, and collective power. Here, the iconic music is transformed into a physical state. The snare drum evokes thoughts of a military march and collective movement, but also of resistance and endurance. Softness becomes a way to arm oneself, an active choice rather than a retreat. The piece is permeated by a queer perspective in which norms are challenged, structures are shifted, and space is made for other ways of being.

“Boléro” is a work about resistance and community. It is about fighting without losing one’s humanity.

*Rivers of Mercury* by Per Jonsson (1998)

A work that is already part of history, yet has never left the present.

Per Jonsson’s final work. A choreography on the verge of dissolution. Movements that rush by, vanish, and return as memories in the body. Like mercury—fluid, elusive, dangerously beautiful. The tempo here is breakneck. An existential precision. The dance seems to be slipping away at every moment—and that is precisely why it remains.

“Rivers of Mercury ” is considered one of the most significant works in the history of Swedish dance. An explosive gem. A farewell that still resonates.

Tickets go on sale August 11 at 12:00 p.m.!