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April 20th, 2013

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Palle Granhøj has been a noted presence in the Danish dance community for the past 20 years. He started as a professional dancer in 1986, made his debut as a choreographer in 1990 and went on to found the Granhøj Dans company. Now dance enthusiasts will be able to enjoy some of his finest work in a dance extravaganza featuring six original works by the Granhøj Dance company, two of which have never been shown in Copenhagen before. Additionally the dance festival will feature two international dance companies.

The festival kicks off with Men&Mahler, a Reumert-nominated piece that is being shown for the first time in Copenhagen. It combines an extravagant set design with the rough body language of eight muscular men − of six different nationalities, no less − set against the elegant and intricate music of Austrian composer Gustav Mahler. 

Another piece getting its Copenhagen debut is Aline ikke Alene, a passionate biographical piece inspired by Aline Sanchez Rodriguez’s life. The work features some monologues and is accompanied by live Cuban folk music. 

Dance me to the end on/off love is an emotional piece that was also nominated for the prestigious Reumert award when it debuted in 2010. The work is a very visual performance and it features the music of Leonard Cohen. Fans of Granhøj himself can also look forward to seeing the choreographer join the dancers on stage for the first time in 17 years.

Also being shown by the Granhøj Dance company is I want it all to be so well/A portrait of Anne Eisensee, a moving tale of a woman who, in her loneliness, is forced to face her angels and demons. The performance features the multitalented Anne Eisensee.

And the last piece by the Granhøj Dance company is W[doubleyou] − Undertow, a work that originally made its debut in 2007. It is highly unorthodox as the audience will be lying on the floor, watching the spectacle through a glass ceiling. 

In addition to the six pieces by Granhøj, there will be two international pieces making their debut in Copenhagen. From Norway there is the groundbreaking piece A Dance Tribute to Ping Pong by the Jo Strømgren company from Norway. According to Strømgren, ping-pong is not just a sport, but a philosophy that is present in every aspect of our daily lives. Ping-pong is a game that is both complicated and recondite, just as life itself, and this dance piece seeks to explore that with some intricate choreography, beautiful sound design and puppetry.

The other international piece comes from the Finnish dance company Karttunen Kollektiv and is called Lacrimae. In this moving solo piece, Jyrki Karttunen seeks to interpret some famous death scenes from baroque operas. The work is a delicate interaction between Karttunen’s dancing and live music performed by pianist Eero Hämeenniemi.

Granhøj’s 6Pack + 2 is being shown at Dancehallerne, and for those looking to see as many of these unique performances, there is the possibility of buying tickets for three shows and thereby saving 180 kroner. 6Pack + 2 is set to offer a wide variety of performances with an array of talented dancers, musicians and puppet masters, all against the backdrop of some amazing music and unusual settings. 

Granhøj Dans presents 6Pack + 2

Store Carl at Dansehallerne, Pasteursvej 20, Cph V; starts Tue, ends April 27, performance times vary, 29 in total, including from 10:30 on April 26 & 27; tickets 120kr, three tickets for 180kr, other concessions available; www.dansehallerne.dk