Small Stick Big Bird

Henriette Pedersen’s production Small Stick Big Bird is described as a farcical dance performance. Three dancers and one female jazz singer invites the audience into a strange world, where everybody tries to (and fails in) hiding his/her odd personality traits for each other and the audience.

Information

(Objekt ID 739)
Object type Production
Premiere October 16, 2004
Produced by Nartmanstiftelsen
Coproducers BIT Teatergarasjen
Audience Youth, Adults (from 12)
Keywords Dance, Musical theatre, Theatre, Burlesque, Theatre of the absurd, Physical theatre
Running period October 16, 2004  —  2008
Website Henriette Pedersen

Requirements to venue

Minimum stage width 7m
Maximum stage width 10m
Minimum stage depth 10m
Maximum stage depth 12m
Minimum stage height 26m
Maximum stage height 27m
Blackout Yes
Rigging time 240 minutes
Downrigging time 120 minutes
More

Small Stick Big Bird by Henriette Pedersen is contemporary dance bordering theatre with slapstick elements and a strong connection to contemporary music through the sound image/music by Lars Petter Hagen. The singer Carin Granath sings in the performance.

After making use of the gallery context and other contexts as a frame for her work, Henriette Pedersen is lured back into the very conventional stage room. Another kind of contract between the choreographer and her audience is made. The illusion waits onstage in the shape of a for Pedersen typical, colourful and luscious world, to the sounds from a jazz singer.

In the production Small Stick Big Bird four women meet in a seemingly idyllic pastoral landscape. With an internal pecking order, in rococo inspired costumes and hairdos instead of feathers the four dancers are similar to birds as they move around each other onstage.

The choreographic universe of Henriette Pedersen’s has often been characterised as understated, absurd and fun. The women she deals with are no innocent skylarks. The inner dreams of the characters, their particularities and internal power conditions are in the centre of the action. An element repeating itself is the jazz singer who enters the stage to sing dream-like covers to the sound of a scratching radio. What kind of relationship does she have to the others? Is the one who eventually decide over the rest? What happens if she chooses to realise her dream?

Small Stick Big Bird was produced as a production for adults, but is also appropriate for teenagers.

Small Stick Big Bird by Henriette Pedersen was supported by Arts Council Norway, The Audio Visual Fund, The Fund for Performing Artists and The Norwegian Composers’ Fund.

Sources: Henriette Pedersen. 03.12.2010: http://henriettepedersen.no/small-stick-big-bird-2004/.

BIT Teatergarasjen, Oktoberdans 2004. 03.12.2010: http://www.bit-teatergarasjen.no -arkiv

Spring program 2006, Teaterhuset Avant Garden.

Contributors (12)
Name Role
Henriette Pedersen – Choreography
Lars Petter Hagen – Composer
Dagny Drage Kleiva – Stage design
Maria Bohlin – Costume
Inger Johanne Byhring – Lighting design
Moa Beskow – Dancer
Sissel Merete Bjørkli – Dancer
Snelle Hall – Dancer
Siri Jøntvedt – Dancer
Marianne Skjeldal – Dancer
Carin Granath – Singer
Sveinn Fannar Johannsson – Photo
Performance dates
2008Storstua, Lørenskog hus Show
February 12, 2006Teaterhuset Avant Garden Show
February 11, 2006Teaterhuset Avant Garden Show
January 16, 2005Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) Show
January 15, 2005Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) Show
January 14, 2005Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) Show
January 13, 2005Store scene Black Box Teater (Marstrandgata) Show
October 17, 2004 18:00 – Scene USF, USF Verftet Show
October 16, 2004 18:00 – Scene USF, USF Verftet Worldwide premiere
2004Big hall, Dom omladine Beograda Show
Festivals (1)
Oktoberdans October 16, 2004