Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén 2026

Physical, poetic, insistent

Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén is a choreographer known for creating works that are both urgent and deeply engaging. She has explored a wide range of themes such as working-class heritage, queer life stories, dance band culture, the inherent poetry of movement, and the difficulty of letting go. Her work consistently demonstrates a curious investigation into the endless possibilities of choreography.

Driv Hunger a choreographic work emerging from the body and the poetry of movement. A work that, both probing and insistent, creates a language beyond words.
Driv Hunger is an independent continuation of The time it takes from 2023. As with that work, Hellkvist Sellén once again lets the creative process begin with movement, to see where it leads. An intuitive practice where the floor becomes a site for physical and philosophical inquiry — a tribute to the choreographic and dancing craft.

The title Driv Hunger is borrowed from a work by graphic artist Lina Nordenström.

Driv Hunger will have its world premiere on 13 November 2026 at Norrlandsoperan in Umeå, and will also be performed on 14 November, followed by a tour with Dansnät Sverige.

This year marks 20 years since Hellkvist Sellén premiered Better people — her first co-production with Norrlandsoperan and Dansnät Sverige — adding an extra sense of anniversary celebration to this premiere. Better people became a groundbreaking work that has influenced many subsequent generations of dance artists.

Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén

Choreographer

Hagar Malin Hellkvist Sellén (b. 1978) is a choreographer and the artistic director of Västerbottens koreografiska, based in Umeå. She has worked with contemporary choreography for 25 years. Since her debut, she has been at the forefront of the development and positioning of contemporary choreography in Sweden. A tireless worker who has cultivated a courageous and curious artistic practice, attuned equally to the present moment as to history and the future. Always faithful to the artistic idea, and with trust in the choreographic creative process and her collaborators, Hellkvist Sellén has followed her own inner voice with integrity, allowing each work to find its own distinct form. She graduated from the choreography programme at the University of Dance and Circus in Stockholm.
Photo: Elin Berge

Pernille Holden

Dancer

Pernille Holden (b. 1979) is a performing and creating dancer working within the independent arts field, based in Oslo. Holden studied at Spin Off Forstudium i Dans and the School for Contemporary Dance. Since 2005, she has worked collaboratively with a focus on collectivity, musicality, and the body’s potential, including collaborations with Ingri Fiksdal, Helle Siljeholm, and Ingeleiv Berstad. She is employed by Skådespelar- och Dansalliansen (SKUDA). Holden has collaborated with Hellkvist Sellén for many years, most recently We move towards the end (2024).
Photo: Sofia Runarsdotter

Elin Hallqvist

Dancer

Elin Hallqvist (b. 1999) is a dancer, performer, and choreographer from Lund, Sweden. She holds a BA in Dance from ArtEZ University of the Arts and was an apprentice with Cullberg in Stockholm during the 2023/24 season. Hallqvist is 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 different disciplines and exploring the relationships between them in order to question what appears to be reality.
Photo: Ella My Blomdahl

Anna Levander

Composer

Anna Levander (b. 1992) is a musician and composer based in Umeå, active both in the band Dolce and under her own name. She has also experience producing and composing music for theatre, film, and advertising. Levander is inspired by contrasts and duality, often combining electronic and acoustic elements. In her work, she approaches each project as an exploration and enjoys working in the space between music and other art forms.
Photo: Magnus Petersson

Erik Westerlund

Light Designer

Erik Westerlund (b. 1967) is a lighting designer primarily interested in the spatial qualities of light and in creating expressions that enhance choreography. He graduated from the Dramatic Institute in Stockholm and created around sixty lighting designs for dance and theatre during the early 2000s. Hellkvist Sellén and Westerlund began collaborating in the late 1990s, and Driv Hunger marks the eleventh work they have created together.
Photo: Lis Kjær

Anne Koutonen

Producer

Anne Koutonen (b. 1977) works as a producer at Västerbottens koreografiska and has extensive experience in contemporary performing arts. She studied at institutions including Stockholm University of the Arts (SKH) and the Theatre Academy in Helsinki. Koutonen works across production, strategy, and artistic development, with a strong grounding in the independent cultural sector. She works closely with artistic processes where care, clarity, and curiosity are central driving forces, and has collaborated with a wide range of organisations and artists, both nationally and internationally.
Photo: Akseli Kaukoranta