Back in 2020 a group of pole dance students and instructors came together with a newly awakened thirst for performance. The resulting troupe performs pole arts and dance live on stage, using the pole, hoops (aka lyras), aerial silks, and even actual flames. Initially known as The Aerialists, they changed their name to something slightly more befitting their spellbinding performances: SEIÐR (an old Norse word for magic).
Lára, aka Aurora Vortex, is one of the co-founders of the group. When we meet, she and Kamilla, one of SEIÐR’s numerous performers, are sitting comfortably in their studio. The room is adorned with some of the intriguing apparatus used in their performances, and a display shelf contains a number of (very) high heels, all reflected in a wall-covering mirror.
SEIÐR began when various members of the group got a taste for performing at Pole Theatre Iceland, a contest organised by Iceland’s two biggest dance groups. “At that time, there were no events to perform at — only competitions,” says Lára. “Some of us got the taste for performing by taking part in that show. It was more based on performance, in addition to doing tricks.”
Strength through variety
Thus, SEIÐR was formed. Their first performance — entitled Origins, fittingly — was at the Reykjavík Fringe festival in 2020, and it brought some Icelandic cultural themes to the medium of pole arts. The group performs four or five times per year, and each show has a theme to it — a red thread the performers follow, whilst still being able to express themselves.
“We want to bring the drama and the comedy and the sexy and everything in between,” says Kamilla. “Like in our recent show Most Wanted. It was easy to bring out the comedy, but we also wanted more realistic and dramatic elements. I think we kept the balance quite well.”
Most Wanted was made with creative input from the whole ensemble, who delved into diverse inspirations from Icelandic crime documentary series Sönn íslensk sakamál to Chicago’s Cell Block Tango.
But there are personal notes in there too. “My act was about killing my abusive husband,” Kamilla says. “It was a bit darker than some of the other acts. The next act brought everybody back up again!” Lára was in the audience for that show. She adds: “Even with that sort of darker mood Kamilla still had those power moves. Strength moves on the pole. It was a dark piece — very emotional, and still powerful and strong.”
Kamilla replies: “I like my strong moves, my toughness, my ‘I can beat your ass’ attitude — but strong people get abused too. That was the point of it. I like that I can perform a piece like this, while still having more of an upbeat show.”
From the ground up
Organising SEIÐR’s shows takes a lot of preparation. When the group applied for the Fringe Festival, they already had a theme and rough outline in mind — then came organising the performers, props, programming, and costuming. All the performers also have day jobs, but each performer gets space to prepare their routine in their own time, which can take anything from weeks to months.
“We have a runthrough at least a week before a bigger show,” says Lára. “We meet at the studio, prepare the area, and dim the lights to get into the mood. We perform for each other and give tips, help to complete each other’s pieces, and maybe reorder them. I always feel more confident afterwards, and I think that shows in our performances.” The world seems to agree — SEIÐR collaborated with the National Theatre on choreography for the play Ást Fedru in 2023, garnering a nomination at Gríman — Iceland’s theatrical arts awards.
Something for everyone
When asked about what lies at the core of SEIÐR, Lára and Kamilla emphasise freedom of expression, creative exploration, and the sense of an empowering community that celebrates all backgrounds, ages, and body types.
“It’s also very diverse in style,” Kamilla says. “Some people are very sensual, others more acrobatic, with expressive parkour elements. I come from a dance background, but not everyone does.”
Some of the stigma surrounding pole arts has eroded in recent years, with giggles giving way to a shared understanding of pole arts as a form of exercise. Even so, Lára and Kamilla lament some of the gendered notions around pole sport and dance.
“In Iceland it still seems kind of taboo for boys, which is a shame,” says Kamilla. “We have one boy but we’d love to have more.” Lára is encouraging towards anyone who’s curious to give pole arts a try, saying: “Just give it a go! You don’t have to do the sexy thing if you don’t want to. You can focus a bit more on acrobatics, whatever you want — which is kind of the point of what we want to portray!”
In fact, the next show will be Halloween-themed, and may incorporate some interactive aspects for the audience. Who knows, maybe you’ll get the urge to perform yourself if you fall under the powerful spell of SEIÐR.
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