The power, depth, and vulnerability of the Atlantic Ocean form the starting point for an exploration of the relationship between humans and the sea. In hryggr, a constantly shifting physical and visual landscape unfolds, where the contrasts of nature mirror human experience and emotion.

Through movement, the body gradually transforms, opening space for changing images, rhythms, and energies. Body, sound, and space merge into a universe that moves between the tangible and the dreamlike, between reality and imagination. Audiences are invited to reflect on their own connection to the sea, to nature, and to the unknown.

The title hryggr derives from Old Norse and carries a double meaning: as a noun it means “back” or “spine,” and as an adjective it means “sad” or “sorrowful.” The word may refer to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which from space resembles a giant spine running through the ocean, but also to the grief associated with the environmental destruction of our time.

hryggr is created by Icelandic choreographer Bára Sigfúsdóttir in collaboration with composer Eivind Lønning and Antwerp-based artist Andrea Kränzlin.

“It’s not dance, nor is it music. It’s movement, it’s sound, it’s breath.”
— Roos Vlogman, Festival Cement Dagkrant