H y l d r a C o l l e c t i v e
is a contemporary circus and dance company. It was founded in spring 2018. Since then we have spent a big part of our lives hanging from ropes together. In various extended residencies we created the two short pieces ‘When we started wanting’ (2019) and ‘Fandado’ (2020).
The technical research is focused on alternative ways of using the circus medium of vertical rope. By combining it with flying low, contact dance and partner acrobatic moves, the rope acts as a third partner rather than a tool. With the centrifugal forces creating tension between the web setter and the spinner/flyer like in the traditional circus discipline Spanish web, the ‘vertical’ rope becomes diagonal, horizontal or round and offers a new surface to move on.
The rope therefore becomes an image for the connection between the performers as it transmits movement between them, but also visualises tension and mutual dependency.
Naomi Bratthammer
Naomi Bratthammer is from Norway and graduated from Codarts University of Arts in 2017 with a BA in Circus Arts, specialised in vertical rope and dance. She received the title Cum Laude and the Friends of Codarts Price for her study results and her graduation act ‘HER’. Along with working in companies, she is creating and performing her own work and collaborating with other artists. Exemplary productions are ‘Ting!’ from Scapino Ballet in 2015/16 and in 2018, her solo show ‘With My Own Shadow’, produced by Barnas Musikkteater, with which she toured Norway in 2017 and the circus-theatre show ‘Amber’ by director Sverre Waage. In 2019 she Co-founded the female-only circus company FRØYA. She is also co-founder of Circanario, which focuses on site-specific performances, bringing contemporary circus to rural places in the canary islands and beyond.
Emma Laule
Was born and raised in Berlin and graduated with dynamic vertical rope from Acapa, Tilburg in 2016. In the same year she was awarded the silver medal and the special price of the Tigerpalast at the International Youth Circus Festival. Since then she has performed throughout Germany and around the world in theatres, festivals and varieties. Examples of her performances are „Lunatique“ by Cirque Bouffon, Taylor Mac’s 24-Decades of Popular Music at Berliner Festspiele, the Teddy Award 2020 at Volksbühne Berlin and the durational performance ’Living with the rope’ at Mahalla Berlin. She also is a co-founder of the contemporary circus company ‘Kameloso’ and since 2019 collaborating with the swedish-norwegian company ‘The ENTmanagement’. Since spring 2021 she is working on her solo show ‘Wolfskind’.
Hyldra Collective 