Halla Ólafsdóttir

Halla Ólafsdóttir is a dancer and choreographer with an MA in choreography from Stockholm University of the Arts (formerly DOCH). She always works collectively in various constellations, looking for ways to expand the notion of choreography. A big part of her work revolves around inventing new formats for dance performances and how politics and gender are projected onto body movements. Halla often uses recognizable material from art and popular culture in order to explore what happens when it is put in the context of contemporary dance.

Together with Amanda Apetrea she has toured and created the pieces Sälkvinnorna (2022), DEAD (2017) and Beauty and the Beast (2011), winner of the Prix Jardin d’Europe Awards in 2013. Halla and Eliisa Erävalo have a communal practice called bitchcraft and together they have created the works Granddaughters (2022), Bitch (2021) and BITCHCRAFT (2017). Together with Erna Ómarsdóttir Halla created The Juliet Duet (2022) and Romeo <3 Juliet (2018) which was nominated for “DER FAUST Awards” in 2019. Halla premiered the piece Sylph (2023) together with Cullberg at Dansens Hus and has an upcoming tour in spring 2024.

Halla has choreographed various international dance companies such as Cullberg (SE), Iceland Dance Company (IS), Böler Samvirkelag (NO) and Gärtnerplatztheater company (DE). As a dancer she worked with choreographers and collectives including Samlingen, Dorte Olesen, Inpex, Nadja Hjorton and The Knife. Halla experiments with various art forms and expressions and has acted in films by Ester Martin Bergsmark, Sidney Leoni and Joachim Koester.

Photo: Lilja Jóns