DRIVE HUNGER

PART OF THE THEATER SUBSCRIPTION FALL 2026

by Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén

Physical, poetic, insistent

Drive Hunger is a choreographic piece that emerges from the body and the poetry of movement. A work that, as challenging as it is insistent, creates a linguistic expression beyond words. Drive Hunger is an independent continuation of The Time It Takes from 2023. Just like with that piece, Hellkvist Sellén allows this creative process to originate from movement to see where it leads. An intuitive work in which the floor becomes a space for physical and philosophical considerations - a tribute to the choreographic and dancing craft.

The title Drive Hunger is borrowed from a work by graphic artist Lina Nordenström. Drive Hunger has its world premiere on November 13, 2026, at Norrlandsoperan in Umeå and will also be performed on November 14, followed by a tour with Dansnät Sweden.

This year marks 20 years since Hellkvist Sellén premiered the piece Better People – her first co-production with Norrlandsoperan and Dansnät Sweden, adding a special celebratory touch to this premiere. Better People became a groundbreaking work that has influenced many succeeding generations of dance.

www.malinhellkvistsellen.se

Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén (b. 1978) works as a choreographer and artistic director for Västerbottens koreografiska based in Umeå. She has been working with contemporary choreography for 25 years. Since her debut, she has been at the forefront of the development and establishment of contemporary choreography. A diligent worker, she has cultivated a brave and curious artistic practice with an ear attuned to our present, as well as our history and future. Constantly true to the artistic idea and trusting the choreographic creative process and her fellow artists, Hellkvist Sellén has followed her own inner voice with integrity, resulting in works that have found their own unique forms. She is educated at the School of Dance's choreography program in Stockholm.

Pernille Holden (b. 1979) is a performing and creative dancer active in the independent field, based in Oslo. Holden is educated at Spin Off Förstudium in Dance and the School of Contemporary Dance. Since 2005, she has worked in collaborations focused on collectivity, musicality, and the body's potential, among others with Ingri Fiksdal, Helle Siljeholm, and Ingeleiv Berstad. She is employed by the Actors' and Dancers' Alliance SKUDA. Holden has collaborated with Hellkvist Sellén for many years and has participated in numerous works, most recently We Move Toward the End (2024).

Malin Hallqvist (b. 1999) is a dancer, performer, and choreographer from Lund. She holds a bachelor's degree in dance from ArtEZ in the Netherlands and interned at Cullberg during the 2023/24 season. Hallqvist is a co-founder of the interdisciplinary collective Wolfa Collective and also creates her own works, most recently the solo TARTINI’S DREAM GIRL. In her artistic practice, Hallqvist enjoys blending various disciplines and exploring their interrelations to question what appears to be reality.

Anna Levander (b. 1992) is a musician and composer based in Umeå, active in the band Dolce and under her own name. In addition to playing in bands, she has experience producing and composing music for theater, film, and commercials. Levander is inspired by contrasts and duality and enjoys mixing electronic with more acoustic elements. In her work, Levander approaches each project as an investigation and enjoys working in the space between music and other art forms.

Erik Westerlund (b. 1967) is a lighting designer who primarily focuses on creating spatial light and expressions that enhance choreography. He is educated at the Dramatic Institute and has made around 60 lighting designs for dance and theater in the early 2000s. Hellkvist Sellén and Westerlund began their collaboration in the late 90s, and Drive Hunger is the eleventh work they have collaborated on.

Anne Koutonen (b. 1977) works as a producer at Västerbottens koreografiska and has extensive experience in contemporary performing arts. She is educated at, among others, Stockholm University of the Arts and the Theatre Academy in Helsinki. Koutonen operates between production, strategy, and artistic development, with a strong grounding in the independent cultural life. She works closely with artistic processes where care, clarity, and curiosity are central driving forces and has collaborated with various actors, both nationally and internationally.

Idea, choreography: Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén
Dancers: Elin Hallqvist & Pernille Holden
Composer: Anna Levander
Lighting design: Erik Westerlund
Costume design: Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén
Sewing: Rebecka Nygren
Press image: Sofia Runarsdotter
Portrait image: Elin Berge
Producer: Nadja Nilsson and Anne Koutonen
Production: Västerbottens koreografiska/Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén
Co-production: Norrlandsoperan & Dansnät Sverige
Produced with the support of the Swedish Arts Council in collaboration with Hemvisten

Photo: Sofia Runarsdotter
Portrait photo: Elin Berge

On tour with Dansnät Sweden fall 2026