Partners
The Party
The Party is a non-governmental organisation unites professional contemporary dance artists and specialises in the creation and production of dance performances, events and workshops. They also organise annual International Contemporary Dance Festival “Laiks dejot” in Riga, Latvia (Time to Dance, www.laiksdejotfestivals.lv).
Olga Zitluhina – director, choreographer, teacher, dancer
Baiba Ozolina – producer
Fine5 Dance Theatre
Fine5 Dance Theatre is an Estonian non-profit independent contemporary dance artists organisation, created in 1992. It is most consistent and influential contemporary dance company in Estonia. In early 90s their work was influenced by more traditional modern dance techniques, but since the end of 90s the working methods have remarkably changed, combining various new approaches to human movement, somatic principles and different strategies, ideologies and practices. In 1994 Fine5 opened the first contemporary dance school in Estonia (active until 2012). Since 1997, the key figures of company are Renee Nõmmik and Tiina Ollesk. Company has won several contemporary choreography prizes at Vitebsk IFMC (1992-2010), their works have been nominated 9 times as best contemporary dance production in Estonia and in 2009 and in 2015 they became laureates of the Theatre Union Prize for the Best Dance Production. The company has performed in USA, Canada, France, Italy, Israel, Sweden, Belgium, South-Korea, Cyprus, Finland, Poland, Baltic States, Armenia, Russia and Belorussia.
Fine5 DT creates works for bigger and smaller stages, experiments with different site-specific and environmental ideas and collaborates nationally and internationally with scientists and multidisciplinary artists. As dance artist they navigate through research of individual movement approach and current understandings of choreography as art form, somatic body-statement and dig deep to investigate how movement research generally is valuable in current world. Theatre´s statement is sustainable art and positive creative activity – ecofriendly approach in arts, lifelong learning in dance, care and sharing in dance community.
Company is active participant in several international networks: "Lifelong Dance Practice", "Dance Across Borders", "Baltic Meets Barents". From 2020 to 2023 is Fine5 Dance Theatre is the main organizer/leader of Creative Europe project "BET – body, experience, time through 45+ dancers". This project is supported by European Union, Estonian Ministry of Culture.
Stellaris DansTeater
Stellaris DansTeater aims to:
◆ Produce new Norwegian dance for stage.
◆ Contribute to the development of dance as an art form, also in collaboration with other art forms.
◆ Have national and international orientation through touring and network building, with the northern areas prioritised.
Stellaris DansTeater is a professional dance company based in Hammerfest, Norway. Dance artist Solveig Leinan-Hermo is executive and artistic director of the company. The company works daily with production of performances and touring and
collaborates yearly with different professional institutions both nationally and internationally. The company mainly tours the Barents Region/ northern areas. Through this work Stellaris DansTeater has created a large network.
Stellaris DansTeater / Leinan-Hermo’s productions are funded by public cultural institutions, fees, ticket sales and by selling project concepts. It is (compared to other independent groups in the category) the oldest dance company in Norway, and most likely the northernmost of its kind. The company was founded in 1980 under the name Hammerfest Ballettverksted. The name was changed to Stellaris Dansteater in 1989 and to Stellaris DansTeater in 2003.
In addition to Stellaris DansTeater's own productions, Solveig Leinan-Hermo has been working to realise a regional dance stage since spring 1998. The establishment of the North-Norwegian regional Dance stage (NND) was a long and demanding process, and it has throughout this process been natural to have Stellaris DansTeater as a close collaborator. In 2005 an agreement was signed between NND and Stellaris DansTeater. Stellaris undertook through this arrangement responsibility to maintain an activity that would naturally link to Stellaris DansTeater's work, in accordance with the company’s statutes and aims. In 2009, the total business was organised into various units. NND changed its name to Dansearena nord in 2010, and is owned by the three northernmost counties and Hammerfest kommune.
Stellaris Stellaris DansTeater has since 2003 been responsible for DanceFestival Barents. The artistic and administrative activities of DanceFestival Barents have previously been connected to Stellaris’ daily operations, as the festival was a project within Stellaris. In late 2008 the festival became a daughter company of Stellaris DansTeater. The aim is for the festival to develop into an independent entity. Today, both Stellaris DansTeater and Dansearena nord are close collaborators.
The company takes part of a natural network in Barents DanceCouncil and interest organisation Forum for nordnorske Dansekunstnere (Forum for North-Norwegian Dance artists). In some contexts, where appropriate, Stellaris DansTeater takes on some responsibility in projects. It is a member of the organisation Norwegian Association for Performing Arts (NAPA), which is a state-subsidised network organisation for the performing arts sector in Norway. NAPA's main vision is “to promote the artistic expression of dance and theatre, and to stimulate access and increased interest for dance and theatre amongst all audiences“