At black box teater Oslo, it was an unknown audience. Because of Covid restrictions, people could not dance. Therefore I put a long rope in a circle between the audiences members, me included, that we would move from side to side, as the song was going on. It gave the same feeling of doing something together as a group, because of the common movements.

Lam Linken is about a woman, who breaks into the vicarage at night stealing food and drinks, and even the clothes of the body of the sleeping pastor. She finds the bible and the psalm book, but doesn’t touch them. She sneaks back home to her boyfriend, and together they propose a toast for the priest, eat the food and drinks, and jump in bed together.

An interactive performance version of the Danish folk ballad from 1901. 

Performed with:

• BA students in acting at Norwegian Theatre academy nov. 2021
• MA in performance students at Norwegian Theatre academy january 2022
• Black Box Teater Oslo, for the Master Seminar Two “Expanding the Edge”  february 2022

For the workshop I did with the BA acting class, I introduced this song in its traditional form. After singing the song a couple of times, we kept the movements and the chorus, and came up with our own text, improvised on the spot, one person at the time. It was fun how we could tell a new story, continuing each other’s lyrics, verse after verse.

We also talked about what this kind of song did to the group – how it made us crazy or hobbit-like mood.

I am interested in the qualities and performativity of traditional music and dance material, and how it can serve us today. 

By studying the tradition and the elements that are characteristic for the dances and music, it is evident that it brings people closer, moving together. 

In these 3 versions, I have added improvisational and playful elements to the form, exploring how to expand the potential of the form.

“Lam Linken hun linkede sig vesten om”

Nå nåni nåni nåni nå nåni nå

“Uden at ha’ talt med sin kæreste derom”

Ni nåni nåni nåni nå.