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Monica Emilie Herstad´s performance SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. is made in collaboration with the National Theater, Torshovteatret, with premiere the 31th of April at the Unesco International Dance Day, and played until 5th of June spring 2004, also during the Soria Moria Festival 2004

The project concists of one ensemble variation, and one solo variation of the performance

In our time of choice pollution the individual epistemology becomes as important as ever, Monica Emilie Herstad answers, when asked about the idea of her performance

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SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.a.. is a post butoh dance performance on the novel Victoria by Hamsun from 1898, in the ensemble variation herStay 4 Victorias are dancing and 3 Johannes characters performing

Director and choreographer Monica Emilie Herstad fulfilled with the ensemble variation of the performance, her idea of establishing a cast of 7 to represent the 2 main characters in Hamsun´s novel, with success. She presents in SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. 4 Victoria, and 3 Johannes characters, a variation over the author Hamsuns novel Victoria, as a critical comment, questioning his presentation of women characters in his literature, establishing visual quintessentials of his writing

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Monica Emilie Herstad´s solo performance SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. is a post butoh dance performance on the novel Victoria by Hamsun from 1898

Director and choreographer Monica Emilie Herstad fulfilled with this performance her idea of establishing a solo variation over the author Hamsuns novel Victoria, as a critical comment, questioning his presentation of women characters in his literature, in an attempt to establish a visual quintessentials of his writing

********* SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. is a performance in a trilogy created by Monica Emilie Herstad; the trilogy consists of Invisible planet (2000), Comewhatmay; (2001) and now Monica Emilie Herstad and her SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. with success at Torshovteatret, Nationaltheateret in Oslo, spring 2004 SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. is choreographed and directed by Monica Emilie Herstad exclusively for video and stage and danced and performed by herself
DJ Hicham Bouddén
light by Johan Haugen, Nationaltheateret, Torshovteatret
guest dramaturgical adviser for the solo excerpts varation of the performance is Knut Ove Arntzen
Choreographer and director, video and stage : Artistic leader Monica Emilie Herstad

Aesthetical references to everything from the nature and time sphere of the Norwegian author Hamsun´s Victoria, and even the wellknown Ibsen´ish suffragette spirit, to couture and music of today, this performance enhance to suggest interlocal social codes of subtile played games of love and war, culturally, and between the sexes. In a landscape of mobile positioning, performed by the presence of herStay dance and DJ, and videoscreen as interactive scenographic elements . The athmosphere of the performance SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. represents a monothony, through repetitive focus on the ´presentation´ itself, wherein presenting a diverse perspective, dwelling over the essence of the seemingly impossible love as a main theme

The performance is so to say a report, describing a human condition documenting a common state of mind and body, in a random society, on human search for a defined identity and love

This production is co-financed between local sponsorships, The Norwegian Arts Council, The performing arts foundation, herStay fundational

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I en tid preget av mulighets forurensning, får livsanskuelsen, individets epistemologiske grunnholdning til sin eksistens og til sine omgivelser, fornyet verdi

herStay presenterer med SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. en post butoh performance, en kjærlighetshistorie om søken etter ´det umulige´, inspirert av, og en tilnærming til valører ved Victoria skikkelsen, samt videre tolkninger av tilstandsbilder i denne Hamsuns novelle fra 1898

Stemningen i stykket S LOWFLY/ V..i.c.t.o.r.i.a.. representerer en monotoni, gjennom repetativ fokusering på nettopp selve ´presentasjonen´, hvor diverse innfallsvinkler over den umulige kjærlighet som tema, er selve essensen

Ritualer utøvd i en sone av krig og kjærlighet mellom mann og kvinne, med subtile referanser til vårens TV presentasjon i Sør Asia av klassisk suomo bryting og fjorårets undertøy fashionshows, er sentrale bestanddeler

Forestillingen er således en tilstandsrapport, som dokumenterer menneskers fysiske tilstand, denne våren 2004, om mennesker i apatisk søken på identitet og kjærlighet

Video:
I videoarbeidet diskuteres maskuline og feminine stereotyper, formidlet gjennom en konsumorientert kontekst, et hotel TV-selskap, i Sør Asia, mars 2004. I et trendanalytisk perspektiv, sier denne TV-oppvisning i sex, maskulinitet og femininitet, noe om hvordan man er villig til å forkaste klærne mot å stimuleres av kroppen som ikon, som substitutt for nærhet. Videoarbeidet er redigert impulsivt, i en psykososial respons på omgivelsene der og da

Contributors:
Idé, manus, rom, koreografi/regi: scene, kunstvideo og musikalsk regi, styling, programtekst: Monica Emilie Herstad
Music; electronica: DJ Hicham Bouddén
Dans: herStay ensemble
Lysmester: Johan Haugen, Nationaltheateret
Inspisient: Hans Voigt, Nationaltheatret
Markedsføring, presse, produsent, teknisk: Nationaltheateret, Torshovteatret

Dramaturgisk rådgiver solovariasjoner over SLOWFLY/V.i.c.t.o.r.i.a..: Knut Ove Arntzen

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herStay in collaboration with The National Theater , Torshovteatret

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