Hallgrim Hansegård

Hallgrim Hansegård
Hallgrim Hansegård frå FRIKAR dance company performs in Peer Gynt ved Gålåvatnet 2006.
Born	(1980-01-28) January 28, 1980 (age 37) Fagernes, Valdres, Norway
Occupation	Dancer, Choreographer, film maker
Style	Contemporary dance, halling dance
Website	www.frikar.com

Hallgrim Hansegård (born 28 January 1980 in Valdres, Norway) is a Norwegian choreographer and dancer whose background is rooted in his traditional halling dance training and contemporary dance. He is also known for leading a trio of dancers who danced alongside Alexander Rybak onstage at The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 which his country won.

Described by National Geographic as “wildly inventive” Hallgrim Hansegård has by the age of 30 established his own company and expressive style which has performed in 27 countries. Though his works often are meeting points between different cultures, his research cares about what is pure nature in what we associate with cultural behavior. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporations dance critic describes Hansegård as a “New-thinking choreographer with a strong will to do his own thing and blessedly uninhibited as far as exceeding boundaries is concerned. It’s very exciting to see folk dance in dialogue with contemporary dance.”

Hallgrim Hansegård was born in 1980 in the mountains of Valdres into a family of miners and shephards. He began dancing and playing traditional violin at the age of seven, learning the art of up to 90 years old masters in his valley. Since the age of 10 he has been touring as a dancer, and his choreographic works have been performed in 27 countries all over the world.

With a background in Norwegian traditional dance he has been developing a new choreographical style for contemporary dance including Capoeira and break dance. He works in the formats of aerial dance, site specific ecosophical stage arts, indoor dance and interdiciplinary arts.

He was educated at the Academy of Digital Arts in Florence from 2000 to 2003 and Film Arts in Kabelvåg from 2003 to 2005. He is known as the founder and of the Frikar Dance Company.

Hansegård made his international breakthrough with an animation film at the Venice Biennale in 2003 (Tarantrance). In 2005 he won 3rd prize at Superdok. In 2007 he won the award as Folk Music Artist of the Year in Norway. In 2009 he won the award for best choreography at the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, among 43 countries in the most seen entertainment TV program in the world.