Jo Strømgren kompani: Kjelleren

A woman enters a morgue. In front of her lies a lifeless body. She examines it. On the floor above, there is laughter with cheerful male voices. Then an arm twitches. The dead man wakes up, and the dance begins.

Jo Strømgren is among the most high-profile and diverse choreographers in Norway, with a career spanning over thirty years and more than 200 original performances. Since 2012, he has been house choreographer at the Norwegian National Ballet.

In The Basement, we follow four women through time and space in the twilight land between dreams and nightmares. Strømgren is known for his combination of dance and theater, and here narrative and movement merge into one immersive entity.

The result is both morbid and disturbing, but occasionally light streams in through the ceiling, as a reminder of the world outside. Like a lament and a tribute at the same time, full of eerie backdrops and captivating movements, The Basement is a stirring piece of narrative dance through and about unfortunate women's destinies.