A Conversation About Artistry

Umeå-based choreographer Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén is celebrating 25 years in the field of choreography this year.

Hagar Malin was born and raised in Umeå and moved to Stockholm in the late 1990s to study choreography at what was then the Swedish School of Dance. She worked there for more than two decades before returning to her hometown a few years ago. Today, she runs Västerbottens Koreografiska, an organization that focuses on contemporary choreography in various formats and contexts.

Throughout her career, Hagar has created a large number of works that have moved and engaged audiences across the country, including *Bättre folk*, *Rosa löften*, and *Missionären*. This fall, her new work, *Driv Hunger*, will have its world premiere at the Norrlandsoperan, in a co-production with Dansnät Sverige.

On October 13, the Norrlandsoperan invites you to an in-depth discussion about Hagar Malin’s artistic work. Drawing on 25 years of choreographic creation, the event will bring together people who have followed, documented, and worked closely with her over many years.

The panel features Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén, Anja Arnquist, artistic director of dance at the Norrlandsoperan, Sofia Runarsdotter, a photographer who has documented Hagar Malin’s work for many years, and Åsa Söderberg, former head of dance at the Norrlandsoperan and one of the people who has helped shape professional dance in northern Sweden. Also participating is Hagar Malin’s first dance teacher in free dance.

Drawing on diverse perspectives and experiences, the panel discusses the themes, questions, and artistic methods that have recurred over the years, the relationship between the local and the universal in Hagar Malin’s work, and how an artistic practice is shaped and develops over time. An opportunity to encounter multiple perspectives on one of Sweden’s most significant contemporary choreographers.