DOKTORGRADSSTIPENDIAT I KJØNNSFORSKNING: KJØNN OG KROPP I BALLETT

Fra 2024 er jeg doktorgradsstipendiat ved Universitetet i Oslo, der jeg undersøker representasjon av kjønn og kropp i ballett, med Nasjonalballettens koreografisatsing Artemisia som en sentral case.

Creating (a) new movement using the tools of the past? A qualitative study of gender equality in ballet

By exploring body and gender representations created within The Norwegian National Ballet’s gender equality program Artemisia (2019–2026), this project investigates the transition from a past of male dominance to a future in which ballet may be created regardless of gender.

Created and performed by the body, ballet can be seen as an extreme body genre, demanding strength, endurance, technique, and lyrical qualities of its performers. Although ballet is a female-dominated activity, its choreography and steps are largely created by men. While this gender imbalance is seen as a democratic challenge, it is also believed to have aesthetic consequences — for what stories are told and what body and gender representations the audience gets to see. Accordingly, increased gender balance backstage is believed to lead to greater diversity on stage. Thus, when The Norwegian National Ballet in 2019 launched its choreography initiative Artemisia, the aim was to create equal opportunities for choreographers regardless of gender and include underrepresented groups. Whereas the original aim was to change the legacy of ballet, three years into project the NNB pinpointed a strategic aim to develop more works with a classical ballet vocabulary.

By combining the methodologies of qualitative interviews, field observation, document analysis and video, this PhD project aims to study the representations of body and gender that have surfaced within Artemisia and investigate how they have been shaped by the dynamic between choreographer, dancer and company. Challenging dichotomies such as classical vs. new and male vs. female, the project further asks how one may create something new — and regardless of gender — using the tools of a past influenced by gender imbalance.

Veilederne mine er Peter Edwards (professor ved Institutt for musikkvitenskap) og Sara Orning (førstelektor ved Senter for tverrfaglig kjønnsforskning, der jeg til daglig er ansatt).

MASTER I MEDIEVITENSKAP – TIL HØYESTE KARAKTER

Våren 2023 forsvarte jeg masteroppgaven min ved Institutt for medievitenskap, en analyse av kvinnerepresentasjon i norsk samtidsfilm. Oppgaven “Opprørere på randen av kunstnerisk gjennombrudd. Kvinnerepresentasjon i Ninjababy, Gritt og Verdens verste menneske” ble belønnet med en A og kalt «et fremragende arbeid», «usedvanlig velskrevet» og «et solid stykke (norsk) filmanalyse, -teori og -historie, et virkelig bidrag til forskningslitteraturen på feltet». Her kan du laste den ned!