Spiritus is a work engaging with ideas of ‘resonance’, where resonance is understood as an acoustic phenomenon as well as something describing a relationship. In the performance, Olivia Rivière and Lisen Pousette enter un-set performative situations with body and voice that oscillates, stay responsive and spin off of eachother.
Their practices of resonance originate from whatever voices; the small cries, wet, dry, high-pitched forms of “screams” and melodies. While exploring the specific timbre and force, the sounds invoke a variety of textures and gestalts. “Spiritus” is a play with this as the work taps into the word’s meanings and derivations: breathing, mood, geist as well as alcohol and intoxication.
In Spiritus, states of listening, observing and responding are practiced through their sensing selves. They therefore invite the audience to listen to the subtle nuances in their song, the small exchanges, those that we rarely notice, even though they are so crucial in the approach of a discernible change.
About the choreographic duo:
Olivia Rivière and Lisen Pousette form a choreographic duo based between Copenhagen and Stockholm. Both coming from a classically trained choir background, have been exploring the embodiment of extended vocal practices since the beginning of their collaboration in 2017. Their work has a somatic approach as its entry point and looks to skew and expand the gendered voice through its materiality, affective potentials and reach. Drawn to visceral expressions such as growling and screaming variations, they move through different modes and moods of intensity, creating situations that are affective and seek out for relation.
Together, they have created Ever Losing (2019), DUNKEL (2022), Spiritus (2024), a durational group version of Spiritus (2024), and site-specific work I Hear Bells (2025). Their works have been presented at venues such as ImpulsTanz (Austria), MDT (Sweden), Weld (Sweden), Dansehallerne (Denmark), Roskilde Festival (Denmark), Black Box Theatre (Norway), Norberg festival (Sweden), Les Urbaines (Switzerland), Uferstudios (Germany), Angewandte Interdisciplinary Lab (Austria), Centre Chorégraphique National (FR), Saruya (Japan) and Gallery Shower (South Korea).
Olivia is based in Copenhagen and collectively runs the space DANSEatelier, exploring new modes of exchange that can enhance our senses of collective thinking and interdependent living. She has an MA in Choreography from the Exerce program at Centre Chorégraphique National, Montpellier.
Lisen is based in Stockholm and holds an MA in Choreography from Stockholm University of the Arts. She was part of initiating P0$$E, a dance- and reading circle with a sister group in Copenhagen, and today hosts the performance evenings Kafé Mix at höjden, an artist-run space for autonomous production and exchange.
