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Dance

Astronaut

Creation by Carl Olof Berg, Mariam Wallentin and Maja Gunn

A space-bound dance performance for children aged 8+

  • Duration

    Approx. 35 mins, no intermission

  • Dates

    09 — 31 May 2023

  • Stage

    On tour in Västra Götaland

  • Genre

    Dance

  • Price

    50–100 kr (Göteborg Opera’s Small Stage)

  • Recommended age

    8 and over

  • Accessibility

Revival premiere for Astronaut, a vertiginous dance work for children 8+ and their adults. Join us in the test lab to prepare your body for space journeys and walks on the moon!

Many of us dream of travelling into space and discovering things from a new perspective. What does it really take for the human body to withstand a journey into the universe? Astronaut takes us on a trip to outer space and back again.

Choreographer Carl Olof Berg explains:

“This work focuses on the demanding physical and mental tests that 13 female pilots took part in during the 1960s space race in the United States, which were aimed at identifying who was most physically suited to work as an astronaut. Even though the women outperformed the men in some of the tests, it was still the men who got to go to the moon.”

Astronaut is also inspired by NASA’s plans to put humans back on the moon in a few years, perhaps with Swedish-American Jessica Meir on board. The audience gets to follow the three dancers through challenging tests, vertiginous walks on the moon and the outlandish experience of returning to the Earth’s gravity. We look back in history and ahead at the possibilities of the future and astronauts’ dreams.

Carl Olof Berg has long been creating exciting experiences in classrooms, private homes, changing rooms and on dance stages. The original score is composed by Mariam Wallentin from Wildbirds & Peacedrums, while the costume design is the work of Maja Gunn, professor in design and craft at HDK Valand.

Please note: there ar two short sequences featuring strobe lighting during the performance of Astronaut

Tour calendar

Public performances

Göteborg
Lördag 21/1 kl. 11.30am och 2.30pm
Söndag 22/1 kl. 11.30am och 2.30pm
Plats: GöteborgsOperan, Lilla scenen 
Biljetter: Se ovan

Meet the Astronaut dancers!
Stay behind for a chat after the performance (approx 10-15 minutes).
Applies only to performances which start at 11.30am on 21 & 22 januari. (Not the 2.30pm performances)

Lerum
27 januari kl. 16.00
Plats: Almekärrskolan
Arrangörer: Musik i Lerum och Lerum Kultur och Bibliotek

Ale, Nödinge
28 januari kl. 15.00
Plats: Blackboxen, Ale Kulturrum, Nödinge
Arrangör: Ale Riksteaterförening och Ale Kommun

Kinna 4 februari kl. 11.30
Plats: Lyckeskolans scen och salong, Skjutsgatan 7 Kinna
Biljetter: Säljs vid spelplatsen från 11.00, kontant eller swish
30 kronor per person, från 3 år.
Arrangör: Kultur- och fritidsförvaltningen Marks kommun

 

School performances

GöteborgsOperan, Lilla scenen 17–19 januari

Lerum 26–27 januari
Arrangörer: Musik i Lerum och Lerum Kultur och Bibliotek

Kinna 31 januari–2 februari
Arrangör: Kultur- och fritidsförvaltningen Marks kommun

Vara 9–12 maj

Göteborg 15–26 maj

 

DANCERS
Nathan Chipps, Zander Constant, Danielle de Vries, Viola Esmeralda Grappiolo, Logan Hernandez, Bettina Jurák, Fan Luo, Auguste Palayer, Satoko Takahashi, Johanna Wernmo

Göteborg Opera Chorus (pre-recorded) 

Trailer

Photos from the performance

En dansare iförd en glänsande orange dräkt, vita stövlar och en pannlampa balanserar på ena handen över ett spegelgolv.

In photo:  Logan Hernandez|Photographer:  Tilo Stengel

Teaser

Watch some rehearsal and hear choreographer Carl Olof Berg talk about the show.