About GöteborgsOperans Danskompani
GöteborgsOperans Danskompani consists of 38 dancers from about 20 countries, with Icelandic Katrín Hall as artistic director since 2016.
In recent years world premieres of creations by choreographers such as Sharon Eyal, Yoann Bourgeois, Emma Portner, Hofesh Shechter, Imre and Marne van Opstal have received wide critical acclaim, as did the massively popular Hammer by Alexander Ekman and 12 Songs by Kenneth Kvarnström, featuring singer Ane Brun on stage with the dancers.
Collaborations with both well-established choreographers and rising stars attracts international visibility, which leads to new collaborations, new creations and tour requests. Katrín Hall has also developed the company’s relationship with the local Gothenburg audience through physical introductions, open rehearsals, new formats for children and youth and a dance festival.
The Göteborg Opera is a wholly owned company within Region Västra Götaland, and was inaugurated in 1994. GöteborgsOperans Danskompani’s roots trace all the way back to 1920, when the city’s former opera venue Stora Teatern employed its first dancers.
At the new Göteborg Opera house, the name of the dance ensemble was initially The Göteborg Opera Ballet – and was run under the artistic direction of Robert North (1994-1996), Ulf Gadd (1996–1999), Anders Hellström (1999-2002), Kevin Irving (2002–2007) and Johannes Öhman (2007–2011). Due to the introduction of a more contemporary repertoire, under the artistic direction of Adolphe Binder (2011–2016) both the direction and name of the ensemble was changed from “ballet” to “dance company” in August 2012.
Göteborg and Region Västra Götaland is the company’s home base, where they perform most of their shows, and international tours have become an increasingly important part of the company’s performance calendar since the turn of the millennium. Using an approach labelled “the sustainable dancer”, all work is conducted with a holistic perspective aimed to minimise injuries and provide a sustainable dance career over the long term.
GöteborgsOperans Danskompani is now regarded as one of the most prestigious contemporary dance companies in Europe. A bold, forward-thinking company with the courage to make unexpected choices and to create artworks as beautiful, challenging and unpredictable as life itself.
