Tungrodd
Rahčamuš
Raataminen
Photo: Marvin Pope
A story from a small village in the north
With the icy, wool-warm Tungrodd, Simone Grøtte creates her first work for the Norwegian National Ballet – rooted in her Sámi and Kven heritage.
An old kitchen in Finnmark
We find ourselves under a table together with a seven-year-old girl, who is listening to stories being told. The kitchen clock is ticking, there’s a fire in the oven and the adults are chatting over a cup of coffee. They’re speaking Norwegian, Sami and Kven.
With this world premiere, choreographer Simone Grøtte tells a personal story rooted in her northern heritage. Tungrodd is a tale of different generations encountering resistance – brought to life on stage by dancers from the Norwegian National Ballet and the independent dance scene.
Read the article
Grøtte on the performance:
“When I was little, one of my favourite things to do was to sit under the kitchen table and listen to the grown-ups. They would talk about nature, traditions, people and encounters with the unexplainable.
Sometimes, they switched to Sami. At the time, I thought it was annoying because I could no longer understand what they were talking about. As an adult, I've wondered why they did that.
In Tungrodd , we explore what was said in hushed tones in a different language – or perhaps what was not said at all.”
New music – and audio recording from a lived life
The audience is invited into the kitchen for an intimate experience conveyed through dance and authentic sound recordings from life in the north.
The award-winning composer Herman Rundberg has created a new musical work for the production, drawing on his own Sea Sami and Kven heritage. The music is recorded with, among others, one of the world’s most renowned Indigenous voices, Mari Boine, Hardanger fiddle virtuoso Ragnhild Hemsing, a Sami children’s choir, and the chamber orchestra Arktisk Filharmoni. Together, they shape a rich and diverse soundscape rooted in Arctic traditions.
Our gaze on “the Other”
This season, the Norwegian National Ballet explores our gaze on “the Other” through several productions. In Tungrodd – Rahčamuš – Raataminen, we turn our attention to those who have often been left on the margins – and, at the same time, to ourselves. For the way in which we look at others also reveals something about who we are, which stories we choose to foreground, and which we have allowed to remain unseen.
Read Ballet Artistic Director Ingrid Lorentzen’s greeting here.
Simone Grøtte’s method
For over 15 years, Simone Grøtte has immersed herself in historical material as the foundation for new choreographic works. The oral storytelling tradition has always held a strong position in the North, and Grøtte seeks to carry this forward through her artistic practice.
Her working method includes extensive interviews with witnesses of the past from Northern Norway and Sápmi. Close dialogue and conversations with historians, folklore collectors, and professional institutions such as the Sami Language Centre and the Kven Institute are also an important part of her process.
Artistic team and cast
Publikumsrolleliste
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Concept, choreography and directionSimone Grøtte
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Music and sound designHerman Rundberg
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MusiciansArktisk Filharmoni, Ragnhild Hemsing, Kristian Svalestad Olstad, Herman Rundberg
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VocalistsMari Boine, Inger Márjá Eira, Romssa Sámi Mánáidkoarra / Tromsø Samiske Barnekor
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Set designMari Lotherington
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Costume designTonje Plur, Simone Grøtte
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Lighting designTor Ditlevsen
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Dramaturg, script consultantLinn-Jeanethe Kyed
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Historical consultantArvid Petterson
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Dansere
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Henriette Hamli Grønningen
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Hanne Svenning
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Runa Sætervoll
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Ida Metzsch Juel
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Jakub Medrzycki
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Stian Bergdølmo
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Biografier team
Konsept, regi og koreografi Simone Grøtte
Musikk og lyddesign Herman Rundberg
Scenografi Mari Lotherington
Kostymedesign Tonje Plur, Simone Grøtte
Lysdesign Tor Ditlevsen
translations of audio recordings
Audio recordings
In Tungrodd – Rahčamuš – Raataminen, authentic audio recordings are played where contemporary witnesses tell about life in the north. Here you will find the manuscript in several languages.
Press photo
Downloadable press photos
Photo: Erik Berg, The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet
