THE DOOR (dance performance), dir. Jo Strømgren (Norway)

Biography of Jo Strømgren

Born in Norway, Jo Strømgren (b. 1970) is one of the most famous Scandinavian choreographers. As written on the "Jo Strømgren Kompani" website, Jo's childhood was typically Norwegian – he grew up surrounded by wild nature, social democratic values, and frightening fairy tales about trolls. Born in Trondheim, in the central part of the country, the choreographer spent a considerable amount of time in the tropics, where his parents moved for work. This early enrichment of local identity with traveler experiences influenced his professional activity, both in terms of themes, genre variations, and interest in various languages.

After finishing school, Jo could not decide what to study: chemical engineering or Russian. However, almost by accident, an application submitted to the National Ballet School in Oslo was accepted, so Jo made an impulsive decision.

Due to his skepticism towards academic methods and very poor attendance, Jo Strømgren did not graduate from either classical ballet or choreography. Despite this, he began a very successful career as a dancer, which led him to both choreography and directing performances. The literary ambitions he nurtured in his youth developed and eventually turned into constant work as a playwright (he is also writing the play for the performance at the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre himself). Although these three directions are identified as his main activities, Jo also creates set and lighting designs. Mention should also be made of the artist's work in cinema – both in front of and behind the camera. Interdisciplinarity is one of the most striking features of this artist; his way of creating shows an innate interest in revealing a story in its entirety.

In 1998, he founded the dance troupe "Jo Strømgren Kompani", became its artistic director, and developed a distinct personal style that blends theater, dance, puppetry, cinema, live music, and absurd language.

As a choreographer, he is invited to various theaters to create both classical and contemporary performances. As a theater director, he mostly works in national and city theaters in Scandinavia, where he usually stages the works of Henrik Ibsen. As a playwright, he has written a number of plays for the theater and screenplays for cinema. He is a member of the Norwegian Writers' Guild.

Currently, Jo Strømgren is also an associate choreographer for the Norwegian National Ballet.

Performance sponsor: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania