Kvium’s figures: GRANHØJ DANS

“KVIUM’S FIGURES MOVE ME – BUT HOW DO THEY MOVE THEMSELVES?” Carl NIELSEN and original compositions by the performers Dalia DĖDINSKAITĖ, violin (Lithuania) Gleb PYŠNIAK, cello (Lithuania) The performance was created by Palle Granhøj in close collaboration with all the performers involved. “It is a dream come true…” – this is how Danish choreographer Palle Granhøj introduces his latest work. For several years, the choreographer had been accompanied by the idea of creating a performance based on the world of the famous Danish artist Michael Kvium’s works and the figures living within them. Kvium’s strange, disturbing, and sometimes grotesque figures have always attracted him and stirred his imagination. Standing before them in exhibitions, after the first moment of admiration, Palle Granhøj would always return to one question: what happens in the next second? How would this figure move? The opportunity to turn this idea into reality arose in 2025, when Michael Kvium, together with “Galleri Franz Pedersen,” invited the choreographer to bring some of his figures to life for the “Shadow Theatre” exhibition, opened at the Trapholt Museum in Kolding, Denmark. It was here that the idea for the future performance was born. “Kvium’s figures move me – but how do they move THEMSELVES? That is what this performance is about,” says Palle Granhøj. A large-format Kvium figure appears on stage. A dancer enters, initially appearing like an ordinary exhibition visitor, and observes the work. Gradually, he begins to change his appearance – dressing and undressing until he resembles the character seen in the painting, and finally freezes in the exact same pose. And then the figure begins to move. The two-dimensional character of the artwork seems to cross the boundaries of the canvas and enter the physical world. The performance consists of solo scenes in which Kvium’s figures are “born” one after another from the paintings. And what happens when these strange creatures finally meet each other? The choreographer himself wittily warns: “I don’t think sweet music will come of it…” Live music becomes an inseparable part of this world. Lithuanian musicians – violinist Dalia Dėdinskaitė and cellist Gleb Pyšniak – as well as “Granhøj Dans” vocalists Anne Eisensee and Thierry Boisdon, like the dancers, transform into Kvium’s characters on stage. Thus, the usual division into dancers, musicians, or singers disappears on stage – everyone becomes figures of the Kvium universe. “For those who do not yet know Kvium, it will be a great pleasure for me to introduce him to you,” says Palle Granhøj. PALLE GRANHØJ AND “GRANHØJ DANS” One of the most prominent Danish choreographers, Palle Granhøj, founded his dance theater “Granhøj Dans” in 1989. Over more than three decades of creative activity, the troupe has been invited to present its performances in 50 countries around the world, and its creative style is shaped by a constant dialogue between movement, theater, music, and visual art. At the center of Palle Granhøj’s work is the performer and their individuality. For the choreographer, it is not just the pre-created movement that is important, but also the process during which the performance is born in close collaboration with the artists on stage. This creative principle is complemented by his “Obstruction Technique” – a unique choreographic method based on restricting movement and creating obstacles, which opens up new possibilities for the performer’s physical expression. “Kvium’s figures move me – but how do they move THEMSELVES?” is no exception – the performance was created together with the entire international team of performers. Here, the figures from Kvium’s paintings turn from static, two-dimensional images into living stage characters, and their bodies, voices, movements, and live music merge into one scenic world. This team’s connection with “Granhøj Dans” is long-standing: combined, the stage experience of all the performers in the troupe’s projects amounts to more than 2,500 appearances on the “Granhøj Dans” stage. In the new performance, Palle Granhøj steps into Michael Kvium’s visual world and asks a seemingly simple, yet theatrically intriguing question: what happens to a figure in a painting when it actually begins to move?