HERSTAD & BERSTAD – ON TOUR

Kompani Haugesund – Herstad & Berstad

This dynamic world-colliding performance was able to be shown once again, this time at RAS Sandnes Kulturhus, February 17th 2025.

“KØ” by Ludvig Herstad

It is said that boredom is the root of creativity. But when you’re not bored, they are. Your unborn ideas. They sit there, in your inner waiting room. They wait for the limbo of boredom to take root in you, for then it’s their turn to jump out. Their turn to shine. Or wither. Or explode—depending on whose turn it is.

“NATTSANG” by Ingeleiv Berstad

NATTSANG is a sleep-drunken contemporary dance musical and an extended nervous system of tense strings stretching across the entire space. Five dancers and one musician work with the dust of everyday life and existential reflections through space, body, and voice. The text is largely written by the dancers, with selections made by Berstad and Frøkedal. The hopeless and the hopeful, the absurd and the vulnerable exist side by side in NATTSANG. We wake with a start, with our own or someone else’s words in our mouths, and stagger on without knowing whether we’re asleep or awake.

Herstad and Berstad have chosen an unconventional approach to creating a two-part evening. The two performances spill into and blend with one another, unlike the typical intermission usually seen in such split evenings. Instead of two hermetically sealed works, the audience gets to witness how space and moods topple over, transform, and leave imprints in each other’s worlds. For two choreographers who have not worked together before, this was also seen as a golden opportunity to get to know each other’s universes.

CREDITS
Choreography: Ludvig Herstad and Ingeleiv Berstad
Co-creating dancers “KØ”: Martine Bentsen, Panisara Wanlopbanhan, Victoria Jane Harley, Miriam Hammersland, and Oda Østenstad Fjell
Co-creating dancers “NATTSANG”: Martine Bentsen, Panisara Wanlopbanhan, Victoria Jane Harley, Even Eileraas, and Ludvig Herstad
Sound mix “KØ”: Kristian Brummenæs and William Boo
Composer and musician “NATTSANG”: Anne Lise Frøkedal
Lighting design: Martin Myrvold
Set and costume design: Thale Kvam Olsen
Producer: Oda Østenstad Fjell
Stage manager: Kine Rostøl Ottesen
Graphic design: Tobias Gulbrandsen
Photography: Tale Hendnes

Produced by Kompani Haugesund, co-produced by Festiviteten and RAS – Regional Arena for Contemporary Dance, in collaboration with Haugesund Teater.

Supported by the Kulturrådet, Fond for Utøvende Kunstnere, Rogaland fylkeskommune, Haugesund kommune, og Haugesund Sparebank.

Nattsang by Ingeleiv Berstad

Oda Østenstad Fjell

Oda Østenstad Fjell graduated with a BA in contemporary dance from Oslo National Academy of the Arts in 2017. Her first performance as a professional was with Kompani Haugesund in «Todelt Aften» with choreographies by Janne-Camilla Lyster and Stian Danielsen. Since then she has worked in different dance and theatre productions such as «Evita»at Bømlo Teater and «Orfeus and Eurydike» at Haugesund Teater, as well as producing and touring her own work «Kvinne i for stor herreskjorte», «på liksom.» and «a song about a song about love». She is currently based in Oslo, working as a freelancer.

Victoria Jane Harley

Victoria Jane Harley is a dance artist settled in Haugesund, originally from Son in Viken. She received her dance education from the University of Stavanger (2014), and completed part of her studies at Escola Superior de Dança in Lisbon. Fall 2017 she completed a training program in contemporary dance at Gibney Dance in NYC. Victoria works as a dancer and choreographer.

Examples of work include Mars by Odin Staveland at Haugesund Teater, Herstad/Berstad with Kompani Haugesund, If One Keeps Walking by Hagit Yakira at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, Ekko by MOCO at the Kapittel Festival, Våken drøm by Vamp and Yngve Sundvor at Rogaland Teater, L longed for it by Therese Markhus/Ingrid Toogood at the National Museum and Horisont by Anders Engebretsen at Ravnedans. She is also working on her own projects, and touring through DKS with Sommerfugl i magen, co-created with Marte Hagland. Last year Victoria was awarded the Rogaland County Municipality Cultural Grant. Victoria holds a degree in Dance Pedagogy from the University of Stavanger, and has been teaching in high schools, University and evening schools for dance.

Miriam Hammersland

Miriam Hammersland has studied at Spin Off, Oslo National Academy off the arts (KHIO) and Copenhagen Dance Education. She has worked with choreographers like Belinda Braza, Didde Mie and Ida Vibe. She has also danced and choreographed for artist like Ramón, Rü and Hedda Mae. Her first performance with Kompani Haugesund was “Kø” av Ludvig Herstad in “Herstad/Berstad” 2024. She is currently based in Oslo, working as a freelance dancer and choreographer.

Martine Bentsen

Martine Bentsen graduated with a BA in jazz dance from Oslo National Academy of the arts in 2015. She has worked with Elephant in the black Box company under direction of Jean Phillippe Dury from 2016-2017. She studied partnering and floor work for a year at RCPD Mariemma in Madrid. In 2016 she won the competition «Talent de Madrid» with the piece «Vent litt… La meg forklare» in collaboration with NeveS. Her first production with Kompani Haugesund was the production «Todelt Aften» choreographed by Janne Camilla Lyster and Stian Danielsen. At the moment she is based in Oslo.

Panisara Wanlopbanhan

Panisara Wanlopbanhan (b. 1997) is a Norwegian/Thai dance artist. She holds a BA in contemporary dance from Oslo National Academy of the Arts. After graduation, she was part of the talent program at Nagelhus Schia Productions (NSP2), where she worked with choreographers Daniel Proietto and Ida Haugen. Around the same time, she had the opportunity to join Kompani Haugesund and has been affiliated with the company ever since. In addition, she has worked extensively within the independent performing arts field. From performing in children’s performances—Ingri Fiksdal’s Stillheten and Shi Pratt’s Kaleidoscope—to dancing for the artist AURORA alongside choreographers Yaniv Cohen and Liv Lockwood. She also appeared in the operetta Orfeus in the Underworld, directed by Vidar Magnussen and choreographed by Stian Danielsen at the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.

Ludvig Herstad

Ludvig Herstad graduated with BA in jazzdance from Oslo National Academy Of The Arts in 2018. He has worked in different productions such as «Tordenskjold» musical, directed by Mads Bones and choreographed by Belinda Braza at Trøndelag Teater 2019 and “Sykle I Snøstorm”, directed by Petter Næss and choreographed by Un-Magritt Nordseth at Hålogaland Teater 2018. Ludvig Herstad is one of 4 founders of walk dance company. Walk dance company works with combining different techniques and styles with a focus on timing and storytelling. Their latest projects include “pm – press mute” during En Kveld at Scenehuset Oslo, and choreographing the graduation performance for the bachelor students at Norges Dansehøyskole. He is based in Oslo, and currently working as a freelancer.

Even Eileraas

Even Eileraas graduated with a BA in dance from Oslo National Academy of the Arts. He has done several productions with Kompani Haugesund, most resent ‘’Todelt aften’’ where he worked with Janne-Camilla Lyster and Stian Danielsen. He has also worked with ‘’MASS’’ by Rina Rosenquist and performed the piece both in Iceland in 2018 and Oslo in 2019. Even is currently working as a freelancer based in Oslo.