EHRSTRAND DANCE COLLECTIVE
ABOUT
EHRSTRAND DANCE COLLECTIVE
Ehrstrand Dance Collective (EDC) is an international, intercontinental collective of dance artists, created by internationally-renowned choreographer and teacher, Julia Ehrstrand (Sweden).
The artists of EDC meet twice each year at international residencies in Taiwan and Sweden to research, collaborate, create, and share artistic discourse with local communities and each other.
We do not have one home base, but rather many throughout the world, as our artists are spread from the northern Swedish forest to New York City, from a southern Taiwanese village to the Faroe Islands, with many dots in between.
Our network is fast-growing as we build relationships with more and more artists around the world through our shared love of dance as an art form and as a platform for communicating across borders, languages, and other obstacles.
In Ehrstrand Dance Collective, we respect and value the different experiences, training, backgrounds, and perspectives that each artist brings to the studio. Our collaborators reach not only around the globe, but also into all corners of the dance spectrum, including contemporary dance, experimental, installation work, post-modern dance, Broadway, tap, traditional folk dances, somatics, yoga, sound and music practices, and more.
Our central values are those of true collaboration, education, and intimate exchange with the local communities we visit.
Ehrstrand Dance Collective currently includes member artists living in or from the following countries: Sweden, Spain, Faroe Islands, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Greece, USA, Israel, Mexico, Japan, Switzerland, the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, and Finland.
UPCOMING EVENTS
MISSIONS
GLOBAL COMMUNITY
EDC works to cultivate an international community comprised of the members of the collective itself and the larger communities we partner with throughout the world.
Our common language is dance, which allows us to communicate in a way that transcends perceived barriers like language. Each artist is able to come sharing their own culture (both dance and otherwise), while immersing themselves and learning from others at the same time. We then take the experience of these exchanges and bring them back to our respective homes. In the exchange of cultures and sharing of both professional and personal experiences, we find meaningful connection that goes far beyond dance. We have found a family in our group of dancers, and homes within the countries and communities we have visited.
This global community creates a strong network of support, which is essential for artists navigating careers that are often unpredictable, challenging, and competitive. The international network we have woven means that each artist can reach out to our tight-knit group for support and inspiration, no matter where in the world they may be. While our initial relationships were forged through our residencies, our connections deepen and our community continues to thrive even when we are not physically together.
ARTISTIC EXPLORATION
The collective is comprised of high-level knowledge and talent: world-renowned dancers, choreographers, and teachers of varied backgrounds, allowing a wide range of artistic voices to be expressed.
The collective provides a safe and supportive environment to share on both professional and personal levels. Together we explore artistic ideas, take risks, and facilitate inspiration and growth. We prize collaboration and hold dear the artistic input of each and every person: we believe that the combination of our contributions amount to something greater than we could ever achieve on our own. This safe space allows for a sense of exploration and inquiry where all ideas are respected and upheld and each artist is willing to fully open themselves up to the vulnerabilities of the artistic process.
We believe this is how the most potent artistic moments come about: when we have the support and opportunity to bare our hearts and let our imaginations run wild, our combined potential is limitless.
EDUCATION
Rich in our variety of backgrounds, education, and experiences, the artists of EDC are a goldmine of valuable and extensive knowledge.
We make it a point to share with communities and young artists we meet along the way.
In addition to our choreographic and performance merits, many of our artists have degrees and certifications in movement education. Passionate about teaching, we work with each other to continue developing our pedagogical practices in order to offer a high level of classes and workshops spanning a variety of disciplines. We enjoy giving students the opportunity to get a taste of many different movement languages, embody new vocabulary, and absorb a wealth of information.
We teach from the heart and find our classes are a powerful way to connect with the communities we're welcomed into.
GET IN TOUCH WITH US !
Feel free to contact us if you would like to collaborate or know more about us.