Elefant* (Elephant)

Elefant* (Elephant) by Steffi Lund was a performance for children aged 1 to 3-4 years, lasting for 25 minutes. After the performance the children were welcome to explore the installation.

Earlier Steffi Lund had made Dråpene (The drops) for children in the same age group.

In Elefant stage design and light design played with depth, horizon, size, distance and direction. In interaction with modern dance and experimental, acoustic tuba – of cautiously listening character – this worked as evocative, and the children were invited to take part in a poetic and peaceful journey through the land of elephants.

The themes in Elefant by Steffi Lund included contrasts between large and small, group and individual. The dancers and the musicians onstage attempted to give a sense of the elephant and what we usually associate it with, such as timelessness and original time, the heavy and slow, the compact and characteristic shape, while giving a clear image of the herd, the funny and flexible trunk and not least the moving image of a newborn elephant – a colossal baby.

The aim was the same as in the past production by Steffi Lund, Dråpen; to provide the children with a poetic, musical and sensuous experience of high quality, an experience in which communication between the performer and the individual spectator was central throughout the performance.

Elefant by Steffi Lund was supported by The Norwegian Composers’ Fund and was part of LilleBox, the Black Box Teater program for children and youth.

Source: Vallat, Marianne Dyrnes, Tom Klev and Kristian Selthun (2006). Black Box Teater Oslo. The autumn of 2006. Black Box Teater Oslo [Oslo], page 36.

*Not yet translated into English. The title within parentheses is the Norwegian title's literal meaning.