BAKTRUPPEN
´DO & UNDO´

Baktruppen: Øyvind Berg,Trine Falch, Ingvild Holm, Jørgen Knudsen, Per Hanrik Svalastog, Bo
Krister Wallström, Worm Winther
Co-producers: Autunnalen (Bergen), Rui Horta o Espaco do Tempo / Centro Coreográfi co de Montemor-o-Novo (Portugal)
Suppotuers: The Norwegian Art Council, The Norw. Min. of Foreign Affairs, Foundation for Performing Artists (N)
Performance in Tallinn is supported by The Norw. Min. of Foreign Affairs.

The Making
It’s easy to dance, but it’s not always easy to be Baktruppen. When we started to do contemporary dance, it was late autumn in Bergen and the average age was well over 40. More than half a ton of human being was to be moved across the floor in creative ways. Fortunately we were seven to carry the burden, and kept tight together from end to end. By way of constants like entrance, turning point and exit we managed to find directions which lead to applause. From there Baktruppen went to Rui Horta’s dance convent in Portugal. It was tangerine spring, sheep in the fields and flowers all over. Baktruppen indulged in pure dance delight. By keeping our minds on what our bodies were doing, we learned Merce Cunningham’s «Deli Commedia» by heart. During this copy work a brand-new empty-headed state of being originated. Having reached this level of dance experience, the second part of DO&UNDO practically made itself.
The Music
Gustav Mahler’s «Adagietto», extended by Baktruppen. Improvisations on Agave harps.
The Harps
In the rural surroundings of the Montemoro convent, Baktruppen picked flower stems from Agave plants and put strings on them.

BAKTRUPPEN (The Rear Guard)
Baktruppen consider frank, straightforward and respectful dialogue the best means of communication. Our achievements are the results of a variety of skills, knowledge and personal capacities, as challenges are too complex for any one individual to overcome alone. Trust, loyalty and commitment matter to us, especially as Baktruppen is transitory by nature. These values are key to a sustainable impact of our work, since encounters between us and the audiences are often brief and temporary. Dialogue, interaction and collaboration are keywords for our productions, based on our own lives and ideas. We leave room for immediate response to ensure and expand the dynamic relevance of our work. Baktruppen constantly explore the communicative aspects of actions and direct performance as we recognize interplay with new audiences as essential factors in a world defined by media through mass culture, industrial adventures and a constant desire for superfluous sensations.

Baktruppen, December 9th. 2003