Dive Into the Works of Acclaimed Dancer and Choreographer Ingeborg Kolstad
Norwegian-born, New York City-based dancer and choreographer Ingeborg Kolstad is a powerful talent in the dance world, and she's bringing her cultural heritage to the NYC stage, one move at a time.
The star is a Marymount Manhattan College graduate with a BA in dance. She's showcased her unique skills, not just as a dance artist, but also directing and sequencing dance performances, on various high-profile stages, as well as television. Ingeborg's resume includes performing works by acclaimed choreographers such as Angie Pittman, Thryn Saxon and Alberto Del Saz, as well as gracing the stage around the world, including at the Norwegian National Opera and Ballet.
Further, as a choreographer, her work has been showcased everywhere from The Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater to The Emelin Theater, The Jack Crystal Theater, The Tank Theater and 3 Dollar Bill. She's also currently working on choreographing a full-length performance at 54 Below in midtown Manhattan, working alongside Tony-nominated producer Vibecke Dahle Dellapolla. Discover even more about her acclaimed works below.
'Styggen På Ryggen'
Ingeborg's "Styggen på ryggen" is a unique work, inspired by the freezing cold, dark and quiet winter breaks Ingeborg spent with her family in a cabin in the very north of Norway. The name roughly translates to "ugliness on the ridge," both choreographed and performed by Ingeborg as a lead dancer, joined by seven other professional dancers on the stage as their movements contrast the beauty of the Northern Lights and the resilience of prancing reindeer against the harshness of the stark, cold landscape. Backed by joik music, a traditional form of song in Sámi culture, it creates a unique cultural tale through its movements.
"Styggen på ryggen" was also selected for the annual KoDa Festival in 2024 hosted by iKADA Contemporary Dance Company at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. It's received critical acclaim, including from dancer and choreographer Seán Curran of the Seán Curran Company, who said, "I love the stillness too, it gives us a chance to catch our breath and rest our eyes, it feels like an end of a chapter…"
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Dancing With Threads of Truth Inc.
Ingeborg is currently one of six dancers with dance company Threads of Truth Inc., led by artistic director Fatima Logan-Alston. Together, their aim to inspire and empower diverse communities through dance programs, putting on performances rich with historical and cultural significance. Ingeborg has shared that she feels grateful to play a part in telling these stories, celebrating African diasporic dance through both fusion and contemporary dance. She was part of an Ancestral Reinterment Ground ceremony at the African Burial Ground National Monument in the fall of 2024, and also performed at the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in December 2024.
'BERGTATT (Spellbound)'
"BERGTATT (Spellbound)" is another mesmerizing piece, both choreographed and performed by Ingeborg, that tells a one-of-a-kind story be incorporating cultural Norwegian elements. "BERGTATT" sees Ingeborg leading five additional professional dancers on the stage to tell a story about Huldra, a Nordic folkloric creature. She's known for enchanting people into the mountains with her beauty, and the dance illustrates that tale of manipulation by similarly spellbinding the audience with a sense of magic and hypnotizing, repetitive movements. Further, "BERGTATT" was selected to be performed at the Steffi Nossen Dance Foundation's Steffi Nossen Choreography Showcase at the Emelin Theater.
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Dancing for the Norwegian Seamen's Church
The Norwegian Seamen's Church in New York City has a rich history going back more than 160 years, and Ingeborg has been invested in adding to that cultural history, choreographing and performing numerous solo dance pieces. She's worked with composer, orchestrator and pianist Christian Stahr to develop a unique sound to further express herself through her choreography, with performances including two Christmas concerts, one Easter mass and a benefit for Mental Health Norway.
Also be sure to follow Ingeborg on on Instagram to watch her journey unfold.
For more on our favorite stars, click HERE to read our interview with Regina Song on her viral single, "cutest pair."