Our artistic work cultivates tools with somatics, dance, and choreography to support our collective evolution in this moment of planetary crisis. We engage with the vital materiality of bodies, minds and the more than human world to co-create live experiences that generate re-enchantment, relationship, and presence.

We, Otto Ramstad and Olive Bieringa, have been collaborating since 1998 to create performances, installations, films, workshops, talks, festivals and curatorial projects in urban, domestic, wild, and social landscapes rooted in experimental dance and somatic practice. 

We are supported and inspired by the work of our mentors Steve Paxton, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, and Lisa Nelson. We teach their work as a way of care-taking these lineages. In 2019 together with Kim Sargent-Wishart we established Somatic Education Australia which offers a 500 hour Body-Mind Centering® Somatic Movement Educator certification in Melbourne, Australia. We are the core faculty for this program and Olive is the Program Director. 

Our work is featured in many publications including the first two books about site dance internationally: Site Dance, the Lure of Alternative Spaces and Moving Sites: Investigating Site-Specific Dance Performance published by Routledge.

Upcoming highlights include our Resisting Extinction tour to Poland, Cyprus and Denmark in 2025 with the support of Perform Europe and our 2026 tour of Resisting Extinction to Governor’s Island, NYC.

Recent highlights include our 2024 pitch for Resisting Extinction as part of Norway Now 2024, presented by The Royal Norwegian Consulate General in New York & Performing Arts Hub Norway. Our 2023 performances of Resisting Extinction in New Zealand and Estonia. Our 2022 residency and performance of Resisting Extinction at SITE, Sweden. Our performances and residency for a collection of fluid spaces at the Norwegian Technical Museum, Oslo. Our 2020 performance of Lineage at the Oslo Teater Festival. In 2018 our work Follow was acquired by Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum of New Zealand, the first intangible dance acquisition for their permanent collection. Also in 2018 our works felt room, Lineage and action movie were presented at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

Our earlier works have been commissioned, presented and supported by Walker Art Center, Minneapolis International Film Festival, Minnesota Public Television, Minneapolis; American Realness, Dance Theater Workshop, Movement Research, Dance on Camera Festival, NYC; TBA/Portland Institute of Contemporary Arts; Anti-Festival, Finland; Stromereien Festival, Zurich, Lyon Opera Ballet, Lyon, South East Dance, Cheshire Dance, UK, NZ International Film Festival, New Zealand, Cinedans, Amsterdam, Polish Public Television, Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography, Tallahassee; Headlands Center for the Arts, Marin, K3, Hamburg, Les Subsistances, Lyon amongst others.

Recent Direction, Production, Performance

2024 weather walk, Kehä festival, Oulu, Finland, Circling the Line, Tanzhaus temporär, Kassel, ++, Black Box, Oktoberdans, BIT Teatergarasjen 2023 Resisting Extinction, Performance Arcade, Wellington, Tantsuruum, Tallinn, Estonia, Circling the Line, ++, Blackbox, Oslo 2022 Resisting Extinction, Bærum Kulturhus, Bygdøy, Oslo, SITE, Stockholm, a collection of fluid spaces, Teknisk Museum, Oslo 2021 closer in collaboration with Footnote Dance, Performance Arcade, Wellington, New Zealand 2020 Lineage, Oslo International Teater Festival,  2019 TOGETHERING, Kulturataten commission for Schous plass, Oslo,  Lineage, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, Follow, Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum of New Zealand 2018 action movie & Lineage, Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, felt room, Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Performance Arcade, New Zealand, Follow, Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum of New Zealand 2017 action movie, Art Shanty Projects & Performance Arcade, New Zealand, Black Box, Oslo, Lineage & felt room, Perlman Teaching Museum, Carleton College, Northfield, MN, Lineage, Art Shanty Projects 2016 closer, Performance Arcade, New Zealand, Art Shanty Project, Minnesota, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, action movie, Vital Matters Dance Festival, Lineage, Riff Talks, School for Contemporary Dance and Thought, Northampton, Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin, TILT, Fargernes, Praxis Festivalen, Dansenhuset, Oslo, Norway, Vital Matters Dance Festival, Southern Theater, Minneapolis, Dance for Syria benefit, Phoenix Theater, Minneapolis 2015 closer, Minnesota Museum of American Art, Intangibles collection/Walker Shop, Northern Spark, City Hall, Red Eye Theater and other locations across the Twin Cities, Super Nature, New Moves Festival, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pittsburgh, Dance Place, Washington DC,  Low, for Footnote Dance, Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland, New Zealand, Jump, SDSU and CSUSM, CA, Untitled (working title), SDSU and CSUSM, CA 2013 Untitled (working title), Choreographers Evening, Walker Art Center, Symptom, CounterPULSE, San Francisco, Super Nature, American Realness/COIL Festival, Abrons Art Center, Performance Space 122, NYC, Storefront Theater, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs 2012 Super Nature, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis 2011 Symptom, COIL Festival, Performance Space 122, NYC 2010 Symptom, Intermedia Arts and Performance Space 122. Mammal, Lyon Opera Ballet commission, Les Subsistances, Lyon Jump & Hello Nervous System, Philadelphia Dance Project. 

Installations

2019 Lineage, Oslo National Academy of the Arts, felt room; on paper prototype, Oslo National Academy of the Arts 2018 felt room, Performance Arcade, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Weisman Art Museum, Lineage, SFMOMA,  2017 Lineage, video installation, 96 minutes, Perlman Teaching Museum, Carleton College, 2014 Super Nature, TBA, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art 2013 Super Nature, Chicago Rooms, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs 2012 Super Nature installation, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis and Karas Gallery, Kiev 2011, Mammology, Bell Museum of Natural History, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 

Audio works

2024 Dying and decomposing practice from Resisting Extinction, International Mushroom Festival, Jankovo Pomorskie, Poland 2021 Dying and decomposing practice from Resisting Extinction, Art Start, Rhinelander, USA 2020 Dying and decomposing practice from Resisting Extinction, Love in the time of Covid online publication, Embodiment Conference online, Body-Mind Centering Association Conference online.

Video Works 

2014 Undertide, 10’, commission for Touch Compass, New Zealand 2012 Something for Myself, 5’, commission for Young Dance, Minneapolis 2008 Entreterritorios 20’ film, commission for Marila Veloso, Brazil/Argentina 2007 Small Dance 1’, featuring Steve Paxton, Small Dance, 2007, 1’, featuring Lisa Nelson, plant, 10’ Holiday House, 14’, Nicollet Avenue, 15’ 2006 Dry Wash, 20’, commission for Lower Left Performance Collective and CSUSM Winona 2004 Seawall, 9’, 2004, 20’ 2003 Wharepapa, 30’, NZ, ROOM, 2002, 5’

Curatorial Projects

2018 (ongoing) PRAXIS Oslo 2015-2017 Future Interstates Performance Series Cowles Center 2016 Vital Matters Dance Festival, Southern Theatre, Minneapolis 2012-2014 Public Art St Paul’s City Art Collaboratory 2009 Choreographers Evening, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis 2008 – 2010 + 2016 SEEDS|Earthdance, arts and ecology festival, Earthdance, Massachusetts

Fellowships and Funders

Fond for Utøvende Kunstenere, Kulturrådet,  Oslo Kommune, Marin Headlands/Alumni New Works, American Composers Forum, Creative Exploration Fund, National Dance Project, American Composers Forum, National Performance Network Creation Fund and Forth Fund, CEC Artslink, McKnight Foundation, Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Minnesota State Arts Board, Metropolitan Regional Arts Council, Moore Family Foundation, St Paul Public Art, Multi Arts Production Fund/Rockefeller Foundation, Arts International, Bush Foundation, Jerome Foundation, Forecast Public Art Works, Lions Foundation, Wellington City Council, The Performing Arts Foundation of NZ, Creative New Zealand, San Francisco Arts Commission, Zellerbach Family Fund, CASH/ Hewlett Packard Foundation

Recent Awards

2024 Oslo Kommune Diverse Stipendium 2021-2025 Norwegian Arts Council artist stipend  2020 Oslo Kommune Diverse Stipendium  2020 Oslo Kommune Diverse Stipendium 2015 Foundation for Contemporary Art 2013 City Pages Dance Company of the Year 

Recent Residencies

2024 Dansenshus, Oslo, 2022 SITE, Stockholm  2020-2022 Norsk Teknisk Museum, Oslo 2018 Weisman Art Museum Collaborative Studio, Minneapolis 2017 Winona Sate University, Carleton College 2016 Marin Headlands, Steve Paxton and Lisa Nelson residency Bennington College, VT and Earthdance, MA 2014 Nash Gallery, University of Minnesota 2013 Soap Factory 2012 Walker Art Center, Minneapolis 2011 Bell Museum, Minneapolis, Impulstanz, Vienna, Studio 206, Minneapolis 2010 Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography, Florida, Les Subsistances, Lyon 

Recent Commissions

2022 SITE, Stockholm 2019 SAMMENomGATA commission for Kulturetaten, Oslo Kommune 2018 Te Papa Tongarewa National Museum of New Zealand 2017 Winona State University, Carleton College, Minnesota 2016 Carleton College, Minnesota, Footnote Dance, New Zealand, Young Dance, Minneapolis 2014 Footnote Dance, Touch Compass, New Zealand 2012 Young Dance, Minneapolis 2010 Lyon Opera Ballet 

Collaborations

2018/19 Carle Lange’s LiveReMake, Oslo National Academy of the Arts 2016 Chloe Lum/Yannick Desranleau, St Cloud State 2015 Intangibles Project, Walker Art Center 2014 Though I Destroyed My Body Doing It, a short film with Works Progress 2013 Station to Station, Doug Aitken, Union Depot, St Paul 2013 Domestic Integrities, Fritz Haeg, Walker Art Center 2008 Entreterritorios, 20 min film + 16 screen installation, collaboration with Marila Veloso, Brazil/Argentina

Festivals/Screening highlights

Dansenshus, Oslo, Danspace, Melbourne, Commonwealth Film Festival, UK, Dance for the Camera, Chicago, British Dance Edition, London, London International Dance Film Festival, Dance for Camera Festival, Brighton. Kerry Film Festival, Ireland, Edit International Dance Film Festival, Budapest, Cinedans, Amsterdam, Polish Public Television, Video Dance Festival of Le Breuil, Burgundy, France,  Moving Image Festival, Uruguay, International Dance Film Festival, Yokohama, Dance on Camera Festival, NYC, Dance Camera West, LA, American Dance Festival,  Minneapolis International Film Festival, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota Public Television, Central Standard Film Festival, Minneapolis, NY Independent Film & Video Festival, NZ International Film Festival

Recent Publications

2023 Feeling our relations: Ecosomatic practices for living and performance making, Olive Bieringa, Tvergastein Journal, Issue #17, The feel of rimu needles in my hair, the taste of gorse flowers; the pull of gravity on a slope, Lyne Pringle, Theaterview, Feb 2023, Earth Matters: Ecosomatics in the Anthropocene Episode # 3 with Michael Jasmin and Olive Bieringa, On Resisting Extinction, Amit Noy. Blot. March 2024. From Anthropocene to Symbiocene: Feeling our relations: Ecosomatic practices for living and performance making. Olive Bieringa, Tvergastein Journal, Issue #17 ‘More Than Human’. Print. September 2023. Tingenes Metode – Museenes Kunnskapstopographi, Phil Loring 2023, Museumsforlaget, Print. A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Iirsi Viirpalu, “ SIRP, June 16 2023, “How not to go extinct. Resisting Extinction”, Hanna Laura Kaljo, EDASI. May 2023. What to do with the Mad you Feel? BodyCartography Project’s Resisting Extinction. Amit Noy, Pantograph Punch, May 2023, “Mouvements. Écopolitiques de la danse”,  Emma Bigé. La Découverte. 2023. Print, 2022 An ambivalent forest tour, Marte Reithaug Sterud, Shakespeare Tiddsskrift. Sep 2022., SITE podcast #7 BodyCartography Project – Olive Bieringa & Otto Ramstad, KONST-VÄRK / ART-ACHE  May 2022, This is the place where death delights to help the living. Ilse Ghekiere, Shakespeare Tiddsskrift, May 2022 2021  Good Choices – a Holistic Conversation About Dance, Art & Life | Episode 9 Sabine Parzer interviews Olive Bieringa. April 2021. Youtube, Resisting Extinction excerpt, Love in the Covid Chronicle website, Resisting Extinction excerpt, Love in the Covid Chronicle website 2020 Otto Ramstad’s Lineage, Vis Journal online 2019 Te Ao Live: Experimental Dance Aotearoa NZ in the Early 21st Century, 2019. Print. Under Seeing: An Approach to Feeling and Sensing Performance. Contact Quarterly, Vol. 44 no. 1 Winter/Spring 2019, Vis Journal  2018 “BodyCartography’s closer.” Kramer, Michael J. Theater Magazine. Space, body, and movement: An interview with BodyCartography Project’s Olive Bieringa, Te Papa website, BodyCartography Project – Still Crazy After all the years, Radio New Zealand 2016 Meandering Methodologies, Deviant Disciplines — Four Years of City Art Collaboratory. Ed. Shanai Matteson, Public Art Saint Paul, Saint Paul, Minnesota. 2016. Print. 2015 Moving Sites – Investigating Site-Specific Dance Performance, Routledge, 2011 Site Dance: Choreographers and the Lure of Alternate Spaces, University of Florida Press. Full bibliography available at https://bodycartography.org/category/press/