Photo: herStay performance

herStay receives the Silver Prize August 7th
"Norwegian herStay, director Monica Emilie Herstad, is offered the Silver Prize at the international art festival Pohang Bada in South Korea August 7th 2011
The festival gives this year´s prizes to the best performances, hence to Norwegian Monica Emilie Herstad with her herStay performance Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, beside the Korean Studio 365 with their performance Alice, who takes first prize.
herStay consists of 6 members, who are all greatful and happy to be invited to perform 4 evenings at the prestigious festival´s mainstage this festival week.
The International Theater Festival Pohang Bada offers 7 stages, with 32 different performances, within a diversity of genres, from all over the world.
The festival is initiated by the South Korean Cultural Ministry, herStay work is with gratitude co-financed by Royal Norwegian Ministry of Forreign Affairs, Norwegian Art Council, FFUK, International Ibsen Awards Stipend, the International Theater Festival Pohang Bada main sponsor is Posco.
Silver Prize Winner herStay
herStay winning Silver Prize 2011
herSta y i n South Korea

herStay in South Korea, Fringe Space,
International Theater Festival Pohnan Bada 2011, August 1 - 7
Fringe Space, South Korea, International Theater Festival Pohnan Bada

herStay Schedule:

herStay in Buenos Aires, March 2102, tba

herStay in LA, April 2012, tba

herStay in Sydney, Australia, 2012, tba

herStay in South Korea, August 1 - 7 2011

herStay in St.Petersburg, May 2011
BodyWord Festival May 15 - 22 2011 BodyWord Festival 2011 - for unusual forms of dance in relation to literature
15th of May, herStay performance MSTCEN at Osobnyak Theatre, at the opening of the festival
17th of May, Monica Emilie Herstad at Vaganova State Ballet Academy, presents her lecture on Body vs literature, 13.30 - 15.30
17th of May, Monica Emilie Herstad Master Class on Body vs literature, workshop at Kannon Dance Centre 16.00 - 18.00

herStay at Costa Rica, March 5 - 10, 2011, Centennial International Womens Day Festival Actua Mujer:
Teatro Melico 7th of March,
Teatro Compania Nacional Aduana 8th of March,
Teatro Munincipal, Alajueda Museum 9th of March
Festival to celebrate the centennial international womens day
Monica Emilie Herstad Master Class at Nacional Universidad Costa Rica
for dancers, MA and professionals at Escuela de Danza the 9th, and at Escuela de Escenico for actors BA, MA and professionals the 10th, where she also introduce her lecture on Body vs literature
March 5th, Monica Emilie Herstad teaches her workshop Body vs context, at Caribean Women Festival, Playa Chiquita, Gaia Cultural Centre, Limon.
March 6th, herStay performance at at Caribean Women Festival, Playa Chiquita, Tree House, Limon.
March 7th, herStay performance at the presidents dinner, Banco Popular, InterContinental, Costa Rica

herStay, review from Stefanie Plappert, in Scenekunst, October 7th, 2010:
"A few weeks ago I saw this dance performance at RFD. It seduced with its seemingly simple movements, a very precise use of space and light, selected well-placed external climaxes, music's driving force, its intensity, minimalistic stage design and beautiful costumes. After, as I went out in the Oslo-night, a kind of positively troubled mind and slowly a clearer picture of a fragmented Ibsen interpretation emerged. The performance is called Movers and Shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, of the company herStay."

herStay acclaimed performances like Monica Emilie Herstad´s herStay performance Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, and the still touring success performance Past is simulation - The ladies of the sea vs Nora, and other stories of the society (2006), NoNameDance (2007), Forever/ [shào ài]/ EWIG/ Toujours (2008), and now Blesses to the masses, from 2011, are touring worldwide, to places such as New Delhi, New York, Berlin, Oslo, Asker, St. Petersburg, and further. herStay is performing at StillScape Festival, Stillhetsfestivalen, in Norway, in June 2011

herStay as a title, suggests a niche demographic, a time span, her time, space, and place, where from the universe, as different societies, is being observed.

"And yet it is this performance that opens for real hope for the future: a young woman (danced by different women with multifarious characters and stage presence) manages here to develop a separate will, which opposes itself to Rosmer/ man and story. Without words, under the surface, with all the power the body can generate."
--Stefanie Plappert, theater scientist Frankfurt, Scenekunst September 16th, 2010

Further, on selected Ibsen performances during and inter-relating to the Ibsen Festival in Oslo August 2010:
"The few scenes as described enclosed, and my – rather short – acknowledges adverts to not only an obvious will to interprete Ibsen in an updated manner in the European contributions to this years Ibsen-festival. They investigates at the same time diverse relations between body, text, and scene, tests the opportunities the text offers, let the audience `feel` (see/smell) bodily efforts, and surpasses the stage room in some examples.
(...)

“Behind seemingly simple moves, with tiny references to the tale of Prost Rosmer and Rebekka West, man and woman - a shawl in the female dancers hand, a purce being brought outside – glimpses another opportunity of ending, than Ibsen`s proposal of a united death, with own hand.

herStay`s dance performance "Movers and Shakers" is based on "Rosmerholm" - of Ibsen- pieces where children, striking enough, is present only as imagination and pressure medium. The story is stripped for everything, to only a subtle spreading, only a skeleton of the original action is left. And yet it is this performance that opens for real hope for the future: a young woman (danced by different women with multifarious characters and stage presence) manages here to develop a separate will, which opposes itself to Rosmer/ man and story. Without words, under the surface, with all the power the body can generate.
- Stefanie Plappert, theater scientist Frankfurt, Scenekunst September 16th, 2010
herStay excellent review

On herStay performance: Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, recently: "Great performance, [herStay: MSTCEN] the team is really good; focused, concentrated, and intence. The music is great. I really wish the performance a great run!"
- Astrid Sæther, Associate Professor, dramaturgic advisor to herStay, Centre for Ibsen Studies, UiO, August 27th, 2010

"In the Monica performance, I would like to live - like this is really good. She is purely a beautiful artist. Monica mind is how wonderful and excellent. Always nice to children, generally smile, sometimes there is a dream general sense, I think of the HP of Luna."
- Inside-review on herStay in Shanghai, June 20th 2009, author: Xue Junyuan, MA in Literature, guest performing in the w.i.p. presentation with herStay Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature cast in Shanghai

Presentation syclus 2011 for herStay performance Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature:

August 2011, 4 - 7: Bessie Schönberg Theater, NY

August 2011, South Korea

June 2011, Stillhetsfestivalen StillScape 2011 (a sequence)

May 2011, 15 - 22, St. Petersburg, BodyWord Festival - for unusual dance relating to literature

March 2011, 1 - 14: Costa Rica, San Jose, Actua Mujer Festival, 4 performances

March 2011, Caribbean Women Festival (a sequence)

February, April, June, August 2010, Oslo (different modules and sequences, and premiere in August)

June 2009, Shanghai, (a sequence)

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The performance MSTCEN is inspired by both fragments in Ibsen´s Rosmersholm meeting The Masterbuilder

The performance is referring to Ibsen, discussing fragments of his dramas Rosmersholm and The Masterbuilder: herStay vs Ibsen

Introduction: "Like through a kaleidoscope, different approaches and topics in the drama are investigated. Encounters between people, various personalities, in synthesis with the protagonists and the situations in the play."

(kaleidoscope:
• noun 1 a toy consisting of a tube containing mirrors and pieces of coloured glass or paper, whose reflections produce changing patterns when the tube is rotated. 2 a constantly changing pattern or sequence.
— DERIVATIVES kaleidoscopic adjective.
— ORIGIN from Greek kalos ‘beautiful’ + eidos ‘form’ + -SCOPE.)

Ref.: askoxford.com

“Som gjennom et kaleideoskop analyseres dramaets ulike innfallsvinkler og tema, møter mellom mennesker, forskjellige personligheter i syntese med protagonister og situasjoner i stykket.”

On the film in the play:
It relates to the time 1:1; the music and the dancers movement, while the camera movement is working towards this in pace, which leads to an interesting distortion of the experience of the room.

herStay records: Mastered by Audun Strype, herStay music from composer Hicham Bouddén, is now available through herStay recrecords, for further questions: e-mail recrecords@herStay.net

herStay recent media features and audience reactions:
Monica Emilie Herstad interview in Le Monde Diplomatique September Issue p 34 and 35, 2010:
Monica Emilie Herstad, Le Monde

Monica Emilie Herstad, interview in Norway, Success with the Strange, in Musikk- og Kultur, Mfo Magazine:
Monica Emilie Herstad Interview

herStay features international:
(...) "director Monica Emilie Herstad’s inter-textual play in the National School of Drama’s Satellite Festival in India; Mumbai and New Delhi.

(...) beautifully-costumed, rigorously-trained bodies moving in a way that conveyed more emotional-sensual meaning than words ever could."

Monica Emilie Herstad feature in TimeOut Mumbai

Monica Emilie Herstad, interview and feature in TimeOut, Mumbai:
Monica Emilie Herstad interview in TimeOut

Dancing Queen, feature on Monica Emilie Herstad in NY:
Dancing Queen Monica Emilie Herstad

Monica Emilie Herstad Artist Presentation

Monica Emilie Herstad´s earlier MSTCEN presentations, with talks, presentations, Master Class, q&a, developing and discussing the process in Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature:

herStay in NY, August 4, 5, 6, 7
Adress: Bessie Schönberg Theater, 219, West 19th Street, NY,
Bessie Schönberg Theater herStay in NY at Bessie Scönberg Theater August 4, 5, 6, 7, further schedule tba

herStay in St.Petersburg, May 2011
BodyWord Festival May 15 - 22 2011 BodyWord Festival 2011 - for unusual forms of dance in relation to literature
15th of May, herStay performance MSTCEN at Osobnyak Theatre, at the opening of the festival
17th of May, Monica Emilie Herstad at Vaganova State Ballet Academy, presents her lecture on Body vs literature, 13.30 - 15.30
17th of May, Monica Emilie Herstad Master Class on Body vs literature, workshop at Kannon Dance Centre 16.00 - 18.00

herStay at Costa Rica, March 5 - 10, 2011, Centennial International Womens Day Festival Actua Mujer:
Teatro Melico 7th of March,
Teatro Compania Nacional Aduana 8th of March,
Teatro Munincipal, Alajueda Museum 9th of March
Festival to celebrate the centennial international womens day
Monica Emilie Herstad Master Class at Nacional Universidad Costa Rica
for dancers, MA and professionals at Escuela de Danza the 9th, and at Escuela de Escenico for actors BA, MA and professionals the 10th, where she also introduce her lecture on Body vs literature
March 5th, Monica Emilie Herstad teaches her workshop Body vs context, at Caribean Women Festival, Playa Chiquita, Gaia Cultural Centre, Limon.
March 6th, herStay performance at at Caribean Women Festival, Playa Chiquita, Tree House, Limon.
March 7th, herStay performance at the presidents dinner, Banco Popular, InterContinental, Costa Rica

August 26th, 27th, 28th, 2010, 4pm:
Performance, Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, Rom for dans, Oslo

June, 24, 26, 27 2010
Performance, Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, Rom for dans, Oslo

April 17, 18, 2010
Performance, Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, Rom for dans, Oslo

February 20, 2010
Performance, Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, Rom for dans, Oslo

October 2nd, 2009:
Monica Emilie Herstad is teaching MA students at Centre for Ibsen Studies at UiO, October 2nd, 10 am - 1pm, presenting the Master Class from Shanghai, on the herStay upcoming performance Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature (with the working title Twirl): I. Introduction, II. Work in progress selected scenes, III. Q&A, link to documentary pictures from Shanghai, XII International Ibsen Conference

Monica Emilie Herstad presenting paper at UNESCO Conference in Europe, Spain, International Dance Research, July 19th, 2009:
Monica Emilie Herstad, UNESCO

June 16, 2009
Performance scetches, Master Class presentation, Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, Shanghai, Xianhui Hall, XII International Ibsen Conference, Fudan University. Performance introduction, from Monica Emilie Herstad essay "Happiness for all, through all", with Q&A

For Press/ Guestlist: Contact herStay producer: stig@herStay.net / info@herStay.net,

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Movers and shakers – Tangible channeling the existence of nature, cast 2009 - 2011:

Monica Emilie Herstad: Direction, choreography, aesthetics, performance, dance, manuscript, costumes, stagedesign, light sources, producer

Dance: Monica Emilie Herstad, Nina Biong/ Beata Kretovicova Idén, Tine Erica Aspaas, Kristin Brathagen/ Andrea Csaszni Rygh, Sherwood Chen/ Daniel Andersson, Eline Hansen, et al.

Music: Composition, music producer: Hicham Bouddén

Dramaturgic consulting on Ibsen, Rosmersholm and The Masterbuilder: Astrid Sæther

Video artist: Rune Andreassen

Light-tech: Torben Jolma/ Kaja Glenne Lund

Photo flyer: Monica Emilie Herstad

Photo documentation production: Monica Emilie Herstad, Marit Anna Evanger, Esteban Chinchilla, Sajad Rahmani, Torun Herstad, Chrisander Brun, Stas Davidov

Styling, make-up: Monica Emilie Herstad

herStay producer: Monica Emilie Herstad

herStay production leader MSTCEN: Monica Emilie Herstad ::::::::

With gratitude to International Theater Festival Pohang Bada, International Ibsen Award Stipend, Norwegian Arts Council, Royal Norwegian Ministry of Forreign Affairs, NAPA, Royal Norwegian Council General in Shanghai, Royal Norwegian Council General in St. Petersburg, Royal Norwegian Council General in NY, City of Oslo, INAMU/ Instituto Nacional de las Mujeres, Costa Rica, America Central, Museo de las Mujeres, Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud Costa Rica, Year of Youth 2010 - 2011, UNIFEM, Actua Mujer, CPA/ Centro Para las Artes, BodyWord Festival St. Petersburg, Stillhetsfestivalen/ StillScape Festival 2011, Fund for performing artists, FFUK, and private contributions

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Award Winning Monica Emilie Herstad:
September 1st 2008: Monica Emilie Herstad, herStay, is receiving the International Ibsen Award Scholarship for her upcoming production Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature, inspired by Ibsen´s Rosmersholm, with working title Twirl, at the Banquet Prize Ceremony in September 2008, when the Ibsen Award Winner Peter Brook also receives his prize

Quoting the Award program text:
"The choreographer, dancer and performance artist Monica Emilie Herstad established the ensemble herStay in 1999. Her works has since been synonymous with border breaking and innovative art. Monica Emilie Herstad´s exploring of the space between contemporary dance, performance, classical ballet, Japanese butoh, and visual art has manifested itself, not in a fragmented hybrid perception of the art-forms as such, but in an ingenious and pure form of ‘visualization’ or simplification that transgresses borders also in post-conceptual visual art."
-Ole Slyngstadli, in his press release for International Ibsen Awards Grant 2008

Further on Monica Emilie Herstad´s new project, from the Award program text:
[Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature](based on the working title TWIRL), is an interesting experiment based on Ibsen’s Rosmersholm as grounds for a reinterpretation of the drama’s themes. Monica Emilie Herstad, founder and director of herStay, has several interesting approaches to Ibsen’s work, some sources of inspiration are earlier manuscripts, interpretations and discussions of Ibsen, such as Elfriede Jelinek’s book What Happened after Nora Left Her Husband or; Pillars of Society (1978), and the manuscript of The lady From the Sea that Susan Sontag adapted for visual performance and Robert Wilson (1993 - 2004).
Rosmersholm is one of Ibsen’s more provoking dramas, with series possible interpretations. Monica Emilie Herstad´s project includes several performers, the characters of Johannes Rosmer, several incarnations of Rebecca West and “a retrospective of Beate”, as well as Madam Helseth.

(...)
In her recent years work Monica Emilie Herstad was harvesting inspiration from Ibsen’s women, from Ibsen studies, from other artists interpretations, and discussions of the works, including Elfriede Jelinek’s What Happened after Nora Left Her Husband or; Pillars of Society (1978). She has extracted from Ibsen carachters such as Nora Helmer in A Dollshouse (1878), Ellida Wangel, in The Lady From The Sea (1888) and others.
Presently she - with her herStay, is working with the performance Movers and shakers - Tangible channeling the existence of nature (2009 - 2010), based on Rosmersholm, (1886), that will be staged in 2009. Rosmersholm, one of several of Ibsen’s plays exploring the female protagonist´s limited freedom of choice, here in Rebecca West’s relation to Mr.Rosmer.

(...) herStay´s still touring her 2006 performance Past is Simulation - The Ladies of the sea vs Nora, and other stories of the societythat debuted as integrated in the Ibsen Year 2006. In the subtitle of the work - The Ladies from the sea vs Nora and other stories of the society, Monica Emilie Herstad is referring to her sources of inspiration, A Dollshouse and The Lady From The Sea. In the preceding production Herstad spent 3 years research time in 2005- 2008 at The Centre for Ibsen Studies, University of Oslo"
- Ole Slyngstadli, International Ibsen Awards Grant, 2008

http://www2.scenekunst.no/pressemelding_4947.nml

herStay audition March 6th and 7th 2010 at Dansens Hus, Oslo, from 10am - 6pm, 98 professional dancers appearing.

herStay photo this page: Sajad Rahmani for herStay

herStay further tour TBA

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herStay