On the floor are two red Japanese tatami mats. On top of them, the performer lies in the fetal position. From there, the body comes to life and is moved by images such as the womb, the worm and the tree, accompanied by vocals, cello and electronics.
A spastic body doesn’t have the same physical expressiveness as the bodies of regular dancers, yet there is a constant internal drama of tension, shock spasms and the daily struggle to make the body respond to internal impulses, or simply to maintain balance when moving from one position to another. This drama may not be visible to the unaware, but that doesn’t make it any less real.
In most cases, spasticity occurs as a combination of premature birth and lack of oxygen to the brain, and the premature nervous system is particularly sensitive to sonic fluctuations. Thus, soprano, performer and composer Annemette Pødenphandt has created a pulsating soundscape using recorded and processed real sound in electronic interplay with live vocals and a cello that squeaks, screams and writhes under the heavy pressure of the bow.
The work is both visually and audibly built around the contrasts between the slow poetry of the inner images and the outer bodily premise, which is very much shaped by tension, friction and resistance.
Link to trailer:
Kaaos Company: Sister, I feel it in my bones
Sister, I can feel it in my bones is a story-driven, physical
performance by two performers that echoes their lives. The piece travels
into a rich world of laughter, ballads, wisdom and the desire to be at
peace as part of the spectrum of life, as one’s self.
The performance
is a mischievous celebration of capturing joy and remembering that
sometimes you have to listen to the strong voice of the sensitive before
you say anything. Much more than disability identity politics, the work
explores the embodied experience and tension between just wanting to
live an equal life, and the myriad ways society continually falls short
along the way. In this way the mirror is held up to us all. The audience
is invited to witness, experience and laugh with the performers and to
understand our part in creating this shared world.
The performers are Christelle Dryer from South Africa and Noora Västinen
from Finland, who is also a long-time member of Kaaos Company, as well
as the director-choreographer Jonna Lehto. Both performers have a
brittle bone disease, Osteogenesis Imperfecta. In addition to Christelle
Dryer, Kaaos Company’s new artists are Ellen Virman, sound designer,
Saana Volanen, lighting and spatial designer, and Moa Larsdotter
Persson, costume designer.
Started in the fall of 2025 and continues in the spring season of 2026.
‘Dråbe’ is a multidisciplinary group of artists who started meeting in late September 2025. At the beginning of their collaboration, they explored themes such as pleasure, touch, sisterhood and poetry using choreographic tools.
ENG: ‘Dråbe’ is an interdisciplinary group of artists who began meeting at the end of September 2025. At the beginning of their collaboration, they explored topics such as pleasure, touch, sisterhood and poetry using choreographic tools.
“There is nothing more vulnerable than caring for someone; it means not only giving your energy to that which is not you but also caring for that which is beyond or outside your control. Caring is anxious-to be full of care, to be careful, is to take care of things by becoming anxious about their future, where the future is embodied in the fragility of an object whose persistence matters. Becoming caring is not about becoming good or nice: people who have “being caring” as their ego ideal often act in quite uncaring ways in order to protect their good image of themselves. To care is not about letting an object go but holding on to an object by letting oneself go, giving oneself over to something that is not one’s own.” – Sara Ahmed, The Promise of Happiness
The art film ‘Nuances – below the surface’ was created through a house artist project in collaboration with Klub Levuk in Hillerød and their young members.
The work is an insight into the unique space created by the project, where young people slowly sensed their way forward and moved beyond existing boundaries.
In the water, they were given opportunities for expression and an experience they have never had before. The focus has shifted from their disability to a poetic and aesthetic depiction of being in and under water.
It’s a space where young people don’t stand in the shadow of their disability, but where they shine as who they are and with what they can do.
In January 2026, the film is nominated for an award through the Danish Press Photographers Association.
Underwater photographer: Nanna Kreutzmann
Costume designer: Line Lund Bak
Movement teacher: Janne Weidinger
The exhibition ‘Nuances – Beneath the Surface’ combines art, movement and experience in a project that allows both participants and audience to experience the world – and themselves – in new ways.
The project aims to disseminate and support new narratives about young people with disabilities as cultural actors. The project supports better access to poetic and artistic experiences.
The work consists of 16 photographic works (see a selection below) and a 4 min. art film: https: //youtu.be/5XRimroewhw
Nuances, is an award nominee at the Press Photographers Association, under Open Class for 2025.
Underwater photographer and videographer: Nanna Kreutzmann
A process video was also created from the training at Slettestrand (4:35), by Berkay Altintas v. Levuk: https: //youtu.be/cr3sO5rpoVw?si=J7x_3jd52TowtWNG
Parent testimonials:
Asta have really gotten a lot out of your water project. It has made a difference. There is no doubt about that.
Asta is definitely not a fan of being in a big pool of water, so the fact that Asta could actually complete it with such success is just amazing.
We are fully aware of the enormous effort it took from the two amazing artists. So that Asta could still participate on her own terms without getting her head under water.
Asta still talks about it to those around her. So it’s definitely an experience that has stayed with Asta as something very big and positive. Asta proudly shows off the photo book.
It was great for us parents to be at the opening and get to see the pictures, the film and not least talk to the two super talented and dedicated artists.
We think it’s the most beautiful and cool project and the best photos. We are so happy that Asta has gotten the opportunity to be a part of it.
Sincerely yours. Finn and Birgit
The project was a great experience for our daughter. There was great commitment and community in a group of young people who each have their own type of challenges, but under water turned out to have a lot in common.
We parents are impressed with the result and think that both the pictures and the movies have a very special atmosphere, and are both different and touching. A very important project in the name of diversity.
Best regards Lea, Fiona‘s mom
The boys were very happy to participate. Something different happened at the colony than usual. Anders was especially happy about that.
Great pictures and movies came out of it all.
I think they would both like to participate another time if you did something similar. Looking forward to hearing when and where images will be exhibited.
Sincerely , Bettina
A teaser video about integrated dance:
“Cath, who is in a wheelchair, and Malene, who is missing a hand, create magic and beauty together when they meet in dance. Malene has been dancing since she was 18 and her dream of becoming a professional dancer grew so big that she applied to dance schools around the world. But can they ignore the fact that Malene is missing a hand?”
“Anew” was created from footage from the association’s first major performance “Where do we go from here?”, which was created due to the 10th anniversary of the pioneering work.
The performance was a one-hour presentation of integrated dance, including 10 performers, a soundscape and a common audience costume.
Klub Levuk’s Theater & Music Line has in collaboration with the Association for Integrated Modern Dance in Denmark (FIMD) by Janne Weidinger and Costume Designer & Textile Facilitator Line Lund Bak, developed the performance “Sanse, Danse… -a human being comes into being”.
The performance is part of a house artist project under the Danish Arts Foundation, where the house artists at Levuk, Line and Janne, since August 2024, have danced, played, sensed, and learned about textiles and their creation twice a week with Levuk’s theater and music team. This has resulted in an aesthetically beautiful, sensuous and touching performance with the young people on stage.
In the course, the students have helped create parts of the costumes, set design, sound and dance that can be experienced in the performance. Through the collaboration, we have expanded the young people’s understanding of what dance is and how to use textiles as a creative element.
We thank you for a great collaboration!
Video by Steinunn H. Thorsteinsdottir:
Testimonial:
“We experienced an overwhelmingly sensory performance with fine lighting, beautiful
costumes and a fantastic scenery. A fantastic and professionally executed performance,
which has been set up in a relatively short time with great understanding of our young
people’s different challenges.
The young people showed great commitment and contributed each especially based on their individual abilities, which created room for everyone’s challenges. It was It was touching to experience the strong sense of cohesion in the group.
The performance touched us deeply and gave us as parents of Jens an insight into a maturity
and confidence that we haven’t previously seen in him in the same way. Jens has been
very engaged – talked a lot about the preparations and dental appointments etc.
several times to allow him to participate in tests and classes.
He has exceeded his limits with a huge victory. He is proud and very
happy to have participated and dares to believe in himself more and more with the victories he gets. We are
still talks about the good experience with him.
We are very impressed and happy with the experience we have all had and hope that others
will have the opportunity to experience something similar.”
The project was supported by:
Danish Arts Foundation, Klub Levuk, Hillerød Municipality, Saks Potts, Magnetz and Bamboo
