Meet Ingeborg Kolstad | Dancer & Choreographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ingeborg Kolstad and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ingeborg, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
I believe taking risks is essential if you want to unlock the next level of being a creator. Creating entails venturing into the unknown, and for me, that has meant both personal and artistic leaps. Moving from Norway to the United States to continue to pursue a career as a professional dancer and choreographer was a significant risk. It meant leaving behind the familiar, stepping into a new culture, and navigating an incredibly competitive environment. However, it was a risk I had to take to fully realize my potential.

That initial risk has shaped my entire career. It opened doors to experiences and collaborations that would have been impossible otherwise. It taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of trusting my instincts.

Taking creative risks has also been fundamental to my artistic growth. As a choreographer, I’m constantly striving to push the boundaries of what I think I can create. For me, this involves experimenting with new movement patterns and how I can challenge the musicality with those patterns. Some experiments may not succeed, but the willingness to take those risks is crucial for innovation and discovery.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a dancer and choreographer from Norway. I graduated from Marymount Manhattan College with a BA in Dance, and I’ve performed on stage and television. Currently, I’m dancing with Threads of Truth Inc. under the artistic direction of Fatima Logan-Alston, and I’ve also performed works by Angie Pittman, Thryn Saxon, Alberto Del Saz, and others.

As a choreographer, my works have been featured in many festivals and venues. I recently presented “Styggen på ryggen” at the KODA Festival at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, “BERGTATT (Spellbound)” at the Emelin Theater, and “EKKO” at the Tank Theater. Other venues I’ve shown my work in include the Jack Crystal Theater, the Estonian House, and the Norwegian Seamen’s Church. I’ve been fortunate to receive several stipends and awards for my work, most recently the Engebrėt Stipend from the Artist Association in Norway.

My choreographic mission with Ingeborg Dance Works is to facilitate cultural exchange by exploring the universality of human emotions. My artistic vision explodes with motion and emotion, drawing inspiration from the dramatic landscapes and folklore of my Nordic roots. By weaving together movement and stories from my heritage, I aim to reveal the raw essence of shared human experiences.

I am proud of moving across the world to merge with the US Arts Scene and I am proud that I have brought my heritage into the works I create. The most challening part of my career was to move across the world and missing my close ones and my culture, but it has also been an artisitc blessing as I have allowed myself to dive even deeper into my background, where I come from and who I truly am. I am drawn to combining the internal emotional struggles i have encountered moving to the US, with the climatic beauty and extremeties with Norway.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The perfect day for me and my friend from Norway, who let’s say is also a dancer would be to start the day with a dance class. I would bring them with me to take a class at the world-famous dance studios, The Millenium Dance Complex and Playground LA. Then I would go and see a Dodgers game. This is probably not the answer you’re looking for but I would end the night at In-N-Out so they can get a true American fast food experience.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to give a shoutout to my parents, who have profoundly shaped my artistic journey. Both accomplished artists themselves—actors, writers, directors, and producers—they instilled in me the invaluable principle of self-producing. They taught me the importance of not passively waiting for opportunities, but rather, taking the initiative to create my own work. That is what I saw them do growing up and it has made me believe that anyone can work as an aritst as long as they themselves think it is possible. They emphasized that it’s perfectly acceptable to take on survival jobs when necessary, and that ultimately, resilience and a strong work ethic are far more crucial for a long and fulfilling career than mere talent. Even now, in their 50s and still based in Norway, their unwavering dedication to their artistic pursuits continues to inspire me.

Website: https://www.ingeborgdanceworks.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ingeborgkolstad

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@IngeborgKolstad/videos

Image Credits
Vibecke Dahle Dellapolla, Mark Liflander, Leela Walbolt, Nisa Tatum, BT Stokke Foto