LAND
How the landscape shapes us.
A site-responsive performance that translates and expresses our complex and intricate relationship to landscape and the natural worlds that we inhabit and move through.
LAND explores the intricate narrative between people and landscape, and the interplay between our inner and outer experiences. Merging dance, voice, music, and poetry, LAND translates the physical and emotive elements of the landscape into a textural and embodied expression of movement and sound. Through a poetic and embodied lens, LAND dives deep into how our landscapes move and shape us.
Premiered: 26th August 2022 at Moster Amfi in Bømlo, Norway
The project has been funded by Kulturrådet Norsk Kulturfond, Kulturrådet Fond for Lyd og Bilde, Vestland Fylkeskommune, Aktivitetsmidler for kor, Bømlo Kommune, Stord Kommune, and Moster 2024.
LAND returns to Moster Amfi as part of the Moster 2024 Jubilee!
Within the Jubilee's diverse program, an extract of LAND will be presented on the main stage at Moster Amfi on Saturday 1st June as part of Jubileumsfeiring med KORK / «Mostrasuite», and twice in the surrounding landscape at Torasletto as part of Jubileumsveka Junior. This extract will feature key moments from the piece and be woven together to be its own complete experience.
This extract of LAND as part of the Moster 2024 was performed by dancers Martine Bentsen, Marie Bru Eide, Cesilie Kverneland, Ingvild Thingnes & Oda Østenstad Fjell
With artistic direction & choreography by Anna-Lise Marie Hearn
Music composed by Chris Benstead
Featuring the voices of singers Annette Berning, Helga Farestveit, Atul Giri, Jakub Niedziela & Bjørg Sofie Eline Sætre
Including poetry as lyrics by Solveig Johanne Grønstøl
Costumes created in collaboration with Inês Neto dos Santos
Producer Mia Julie Wiland
Thanks to support from Kulturdirektoratet, Fond for utøvende kunstnere, and Bømlo Kommune.
•Creative team
Project Director & Choreographer: Anna-Lise Marie Hearn
Composer: Christopher Benstead
Poetry as lyrics: Solveig Johanne Grønstøl
Costume: Inês Neto Dos Santos
“Stein, jord, berg og hav. Landet me gar pa, og landet i oss. Alt smeltar saman i førestellinga «LAND» i Moster Amfi. (Stone, soil, rock and sea. The land we move on, and the land in us. Everything melts together in the performance “Land” in Moster Amfi.)”
— Photography by Eduardo Scaramuzza
“LAND var noko av det vakraste eg har sett. Heilt fantastisk kor det traff, rørte, helbreda og bergtok meg. (LAND was one of the most beautiful things I have seen. Absolutely amazing how it hit, touched, healed and lifted me up.)”
•Process to premiere
•Workshop & Performance Project for Youth
To include a multi-generational perspective and offer an opportunity for young people to participate in this project, we have included a workshop and performance project for youth.
Leading up to the performances of LAND, Anna-Lise led creative dance workshops for young people aged between 12 and 19 in Bømlo, Stord, and Haugesund. In these workshops, the young participants gained insight into contemporary dance movement, improvisation, and creative tasks to develop their own artistic abilities as well as collaboration skills. In just two days, together with Anna-Lise, each group created a new dance piece set to original music made specifically for them by the project composer Christopher Benstead. These pieces, inspired by elements from the natural world “WIND”, “ROOTS”, and “ROCK” were then woven together during an on-site rehearsal weekend where all the young people got the chance to meet, connect, and dance together at Moster Amfi. The youth performance was the “curtain-raiser” preceding the professional piece.
•On-site youth rehearsals at Moster Amfi
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
September 2020
An insight into our research and development phase at Moster Amfi in September 2020.
Supported by Moster Amfi, Bømlo Kommune, and local sponsors.
•Creative process, impressions video
Featuring:
Project Director & Choreographer — Anna-Lise Marie Hearn
Moster Amfi, Managing Director — Nina Meldahl Olsen
Music Director & Composer — Christopher Benstead
Dancers — Martine Bentsen, Even Eileraas, Marte Golten
Vocalists — Annette Berning, Svein Bjarne Brandtsgård, Ingvill Espedal, Bjørg Sofie Eline Sætre, Addo Selga
Documented by Pako Quijada
— Research and development photography and documentation by Pako Quijada
