Halla Ólafsdóttir is a dancer and choreographer with an MA in choreography from Stockholm University of the Arts (formerly DOCH). She works collectively in various constellations, looking for ways to expand the notion of choreography. A big part of her work revolves around recognisable material from art and pop culture, which she uses to explore what happens when set in another context. She often makes use of convention and cliché, trying to find working methods that break and erase. For Halla, the meeting between the artist and audience beyond the stage is very important, and through her artistic work she has focused on building structures to provide feedback, both among artists, but also between the audience and practitioners.
Halla has been touring with Amanda Apetrea with the pieces DEAD (2017) and Beauty and the Beast, which won the Prix Jardin d’Europe Awards at ImpulsTanz in 2013. Sälkvinnorna (Seals) (2023) is the duo's latest work. Halla is part of the collective Samlingen, a choreographic project where a common interest in choreography and feminism is intertwined with the history of dance, together with other practitioners and the audience. Samlingen changes from place to place and has so far worked at Cullberg, the Postdance conference, the Works at work festival in Copenhagen and at Riksteatern (The Swedish National Touring Theatre).
Halla experiments with various forms and expressions, and finds inspiration in different art forms. She played the lead role in the feature film Under Influence by Sidney Leoni and will play in the upcoming FLY by Leoni, as well as in a new film directed by Ester Martin Bergsmark, A Sweetness From Nowhere. Halla and choreographer Eliisa Erävalo have developed the workshop BITCHCRAFT which was held with Cullberg and with Iceland Art Academy. Together, they have created the works Bitch (2021) and Granddaughters (2022). With Erna Ómarsdóttir Halla is currently working with their piece Romeo <3 Juliet (nominated for “DER FAUST Awards” 2019) with Iceland Dance Company, and with a new work called The Juliet Duet (2022).