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, variations in genres, 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 the skepticism shown 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 plays. The literary ambitions nurtured in his youth developed and eventually turned into constant work as a playwright (he himself is writing the play for the performance at the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre). Although these three directions are identified as his main activities, Jo also creates set design and lighting design. 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; such a way of creating shows an innate interest in the comprehensive revelation of a story.

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

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.

Sponsor of the performance: Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania