Festival Memories

Camilla Wiik. Foto: Ting AS

In2IT is the festival that has perhaps given me the most goosebump moments.

By Camilla Wiik

In 2015, I was completely new to my job, and it was both exciting and inspiring to meet such a dedicated artist as Tendai. The IN2IT dance festival, as I see it, was born from a deep desire to bring dance to everyone and to strengthen dance as an art form in Møre og Romsdal.

When the festival started in Sunndal, it might not have been easy to imagine how this could succeed. Would dance companies come from all over the world? Would there be an audience? I thought it was a little crazy—but not impossible. It was actually wonderfully liberating that someone had the courage to think: of course we can create an international dance festival in Sunndal/Kristiansund.

Tendai’s determination, and his ability to find strong supporters and collaborators, is part of the reason why the festival has succeeded and can now celebrate its 10th anniversary. In addition, the festival has consistently made bold choices when it comes to programming and has stayed true to its vision of building cultural bridges. I also believe the festival has succeeded because it involves children and young people, while at the same time contributing to the development of dance artists in the region.

IN2IT has continuously evolved, and it is exciting to see this year’s program, which includes dance performances, workshops, and other important events—such as seminars on understanding diversity, art criticism, lectures, and dialogues surrounding dance. In this way, IN2IT is not only a festival that presents many excellent dance productions, but also an important platform for conversations and reflections within the arts—on topics such as diversity and identity.

In2IT has given me many powerful artistic experiences, and I will never forget Four Seasons by James Wilton Dance, or Á Vástáduseana – The Answer is Land by Elle Sofe Sara, or My Song by Tendai. I am truly looking forward to this year’s festival.

I want to congratulate IN2IT on its 10th anniversary and wish you all the best for the future.