Tungrodd
Rahčamuš
Raataminen

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. 

Tungrodd is a personal story based on choreographer Simone Grøtte’s northern roots. 

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.” 

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. On stage are dancers from the Norwegian National Ballet and the independent performing arts scene. 

In a nostalgic set design, Grøtte depicts everyday memories, the nuances of life, tastes, smells and childhood memories. 

“Tungrodd is synonymous with storms and snowfall in May. The smell of coffee brewed on a fire. It’s about aggressive mosquitoes and slippery ice. 

And the sun reappearing after a long, dark winter. 

It’s about having to leave. And about staying, losing, longing for the past, dreaming, making ends meet. 

About changing course. And continuing to row.”