Ingrid Olterman Dans

Ingrid Olterman Dans was established in 1999 by choreographer and artistic leader Ingrid Olterman.

The company creates dance performances where the audience plays an integral role and with an interest in creating multi-sensory stage works. Significant for the artistic work is the fine balance between humor, warmth, musicality, and creativity. Each performance piece is developed with original music to inspire the audience.

The company is presented by organizations in Sweden and abroad. On average, they perform over 100 times a year. The works of Ingrid Olterman Dans have toured both nationally and internationally (since 2006) and have been translated into numerous different languages.

Ingrid Olterman Dans is funded by the Swedish Arts Council, Region Stockholm, the City of Stockholm, and the Swedish Arts Grants Committee.

AVAILABLE WORKS

BABBLELEAVES (BLUDDERBLAD)
“One small, one thin, one bare-headed, one with many legs, one hiding behind the tree.”

Babbleleaves is a playful performance exploring how we perceive the world around us through dance, music, and forest-inspired objects. Here you will encounter countless gnarled twigs — the Babbleleaves. A whimsical text by children’s author Eva Lindström sparks the imagination. Who are they, and where are they going? Branched wooden figures turn into mystical forest beings, adding to the magic.

Percussionist Magdalena creates music with stones, blending their sounds with acoustic instruments. Dancer Oskar keeps track of the Babbleleaves, inviting you to help him follow their movements, uncover discoveries, and step into the world of dance. A performance that invites creativity and wonder.

Premiere: 2021.
For children 3-7 years old and families-
International Tours:
2025: Bologna, Italy (March 12–13)

WE JUST DO
We Just Do invites children on a playful and inclusive dance journey filled with movement, craft, and acoustic music—a joyful exploration that sparks creativity. Join dancers Anna and Oskar on a thrilling adventure where we meet Whirls and imaginative instruments. Together, we create movements, music, and special moments. Some unfold through interaction. Christian crafts magical images with light. But tangled yarns aren’t so easy to unravel. We become a sculpture. We leave traces in secret.

“We don’t say it like this, like this, or like this. We do. We just do.”

Premiere: 2023.
For children 4 -8 years old, families and audiences with diverse abilities.

BRIDGES
Bridges
is about connection. They link places and people, opening up new paths to explore together. A playful space emerges, filled with opportunities for movement and challenge — balance, sway, or move through and across.

We meet and build bridges between music and dance. With the shimmering tones of Stina’s harp and the deep resonance of rhythmic gongs, we build bridges between music and dance, between you and me, between similarities and differences. Together, we experience the journey, yet each at their own pace.

Here, we see, hear, and feel our way forward. The audience is invited to explore, discover, and take part in the performance. Bridges is the second installation in the triptych choreographed by Ingrid Olterman.

Premiere: 2022.
For children 4-8 years old, adapted primary school and audiences with diverse abilities.

ISLANDS
Islands could be described as a sensory installation laboratory where sculpture, dance, and music intertwine. Spatial, scenographic islands interact in dialogue, inviting you in. As you step into this world, you become part of it—watching, listening, feeling, and moving together with the musicians and dancers. What will you discover?

After the performance, everyone is welcome to stay, explore, and experience the space in their own way. Islands is the first installation in the triptych choreographed by Ingrid Olterman.

Premiere: 2017.
For children 3-6 years old, adapted primary school and audiences with diverse abilities.
International tours:
2023: China
2019: Bologna, Italy
2019: Copenhagen, Denmark

SHELTER TREES

“We are building a cabin—a shelter of branches and leaves. Can you see me?”

Shelter Trees is a philosophical dance performance exploring the joy of sharing a moment with a friend—and the prickly feeling that sometimes comes with working and playing together to create something new.

The sighing is in the trees, in the leaves, on the ground, in the pine needles, in our woolly hats, in our hair, and tucked away in the pockets of our jackets.

Premiere: 2013.
For children 3-6 years old and families.
International tours:
2018: EJU MEKLET Riga, Latvia
2016: Semanas internacionales de teatro para niñas y niños Madrid, Spain
2015: Visioni di futuro, visioni di teatro Bologna, Italy