DARE! | Arcticdancenetwork

D A R E !

Dare! is a game-like choreographic domino. Three choreographers create a choreography for a day, rehearsaled in one day and presented to the public in the evening, three days a row. Next choreographer gets the inspiration from the performance and creates the next day's show.

This project operates in several languages (French, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and English) and all the participants are required to master English as a fluent working language. Original concept of Dare! - Osez! is from Karine Ledoyen, cie Danse K par K, Quebec, Canada, and she will travel to Hammerfest with her team of dancers initiating the concept in DanseFestival Barents this year.

Karine Ledoyen

The choreographer for the Canadian team

A choreographer and dancer trained in Quebec City, Karine Ledoyen began her career in France, where she laid the foundation for her future as a creator. Returning to Quebec’s capital in 2001 as a young artist-entrepreneur, she launched the concept Osez! - DARE!, which would become her signature both in Quebec and abroad, and founded the company Danse K par K in 2005. Her work explores the many facets of human fragility, as seen in productions such as Cibler, Air, La Nobody, Trois paysages, Danse de garçons, Danse de nuit, Danse de salon, and De la glorieuse fragilité. Over the years, her body of work has affirmed the strength of her artistic approach and the deep humanity that resonates through her creations.

Photo: Stéphane Bourgeois

Alongside her artistic career, Ledoyen has also reflected on her practice through a master’s degree at Université Laval. For her significant contributions to the development of the dance community in Quebec City, she received the François Samson Award for Cultural Development in both 2006 and 2020.

During the pandemic, she created Osez! en solo, a series of outdoor performances for a single spectator. This was followed by Solos prêts-à-porter, short dance films projected into the hands of passersby. In 2024, Karine returned to the roots of choreographic art with a new production. Overflowing with ideas, she remains active on all fronts—both artistic and social.

Liv Hanne haugen

The choreographer selected for the Norwegian team

Liv Hanne Haugen, is a dance-artist, choreographer and producer trained in London at Contemporary Dance School, Arts Educational Schools, and at School for new Dance Development in Amsterdam. She has worked for a.o. Wim Vandekeybus/Ultima vez (BE), Stellaris DansTeater and Nordting. She produces work in various collective projects and groups, as well as through Haugen Produksjoner, Haugen Produksjoners which she runs with her sister Anne Katrine Haugen.

Liv Hanne works interdisciplinary and her skills include singing, writing and teaching. She makes work both for stage and site specific, and tours nationally and internationally.

She has co-funded artist collectives such as RadArt (Tromsø) and Bains::Connective (Brussels). She has received the Government's work grant for a total of 10 years, and in 2022 she won the Rolf Gammleng price for an outstanding career. This year 2025 she won Heddaprisen for her work SoulÒ. From 2018 she has been employed in the Actors' and Dancers' Alliance.

Her artistic work stems from an interest in deepening the connection and to make the unseen visible. Vulnerability and risk-taking are lifelong companions and resources in her work.

Rebecka Laube-Pohto

The choreographer selected for the Finnish team

Rebecca Laube-Pohto is a Finnish dance artist, choreographer, and educator with a rich and diverse background that spans multiple cultures and dance forms. She has studied and immersed herself in dance around the world, exploring everything from contemporary dance to hip hop, classical ballet, improvisation and various dance forms across other cultures. Her practice is deeply influenced by her experiences traveling and connecting with people from different cultural backgrounds, which has shaped her approach to movement and performance

For 20 years, Laube-Pohto has shared her dance knowledge, teaching everything from amateur to professional workshops, and working with artists both in Finland and internationally. As the co-founder and artistic director of the Keskellä Collective, she fosters collaboration and innovation, creating a space for diverse artistic voices. Her recent work and intrests focuses on themes of body memory, the oceans, and full-body expressions—drawing connections between movement, space, and cultural exchange.

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Laube-Pohto’s choreography and performances have taken her to numerous countries, including Belgium, Portugal, Japan, and India. She continues to be inspired by the ever-evolving nature of movement and the potential for connection that dance offers across cultures.