Semi finalist in Harstad Orbit Battle

Last weekend, I traveled to the very north of Norway – to Harstad – to participate in Orbit Battle. I flew up on Friday, met many kind and inspiring dancers from the very first moment, and was lucky enough to receive free accommodation from the organizers. Such a warm northern welcome!

Orbit is an open style battle, which means that all dance styles are welcome and the DJ plays all types of music. This makes the event both unusual and exciting. You might hear classical music, experimental soundscapes, or commercial pop – anything can happen. You truly have to stay present in the moment.

For me, it was especially exciting to represent waacking across so many different musical genres. Interpreting experimental or classical music through a style often associated with disco and club culture was both challenging and inspiring.

One of the highlights was seeing artists from the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet step into the cypher on pointe shoes and battle alongside international b-boys. For those unfamiliar with the term, a cypher is a dance circle formed by dancers and the audience, where participants enter the center to dance.

The event was created to strengthen and grow the dance community in Harstad, located far north in Norway, and it truly felt like a success. Bringing together artists from diverse backgrounds and styles in such a geographically remote place is both bold and important for the development of Norway’s dance scene.

Even though I didn’t get to see the Northern Lights on this trip, I returned home deeply grateful for new connections, new experiences, and a beautifully organized event.

And reaching the semifinals in such a versatile, unpredictable, and high-level battle felt incredibly rewarding.

I enjoyed every single moment.