Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness

Five Nordic women.
A terrifying secret.
Five seemingly ageless creatures.
Possessed by a spirit that turns this at times so well-mannered quintet into a Dionysian force.

Teach Us to Outgrow Our Madness sets out to explore the intense relationships that exist between women living closely together - be it sisters, nuns, witches, best friends, members of a sect, or polygamist wives. The rivalry, the secrecy, the gossip, the cruelty but also the kindness, the bonds, and the unconditional love.

This piece combines dance, live music and storytelling into a horrifying yet liberating experience.

Can theater teach us to survive daily live? Can singing and dancing heal a troubled mind?

We like to sing and dance
Go into a trance
We like gore
We always want more

Artistic direction - Erna Omarsdottir
Created and performed by
Music and texts - Lieven Dousselaere and Valdimar Johannsson
Choreography, texts and costumes
Sissel Merete Bjorkli - Riina Huhtanen - Sigridur Soffia Nielsdottir - Erna Omarsdottir - Valgerdur Runarsdottir - Also created by Margret Sara Gudjonsdottir
Dramaturgy assistant - Karen Maria Jonsdottir
Lights - Sylvain Rausa
Production/distribution - Esther Welger-Barboza

Coproduction
Les Antipodes'09 / Le Quartz - Scène National de Brest, La Passerelle, Scène Nationale de Saint Brieuc, Festival Drodesera (Drodesera / Centrale FIES), le CNDC - Centre National de Danse Contemporaine - Angers, in the frame of the"Accueil studio / Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication"

With the support of
Norden - Nordic Culture Point, Kampnagel (Hamburg - Germany), ImpulsTanz - Vienna International Dance Festival, De Warande - Turnhout (B), Vooruit (Ghent - Belgium), Workspace Brussels (B)and Reykjavik city.