HIMINGLÆVA
a dance spectacle on a water stage
with live orchestra and choir
In August 2025, Himinglæva premiered at the Reitschule Bern, the culmination of two years of intensive collaboration. In Céline Fankhauser’s one-hour original composition, we descend into the depths of the oceans, entering the realm of the mighty sea goddess Rán and her nine daughters, who appear in the shapes of waves. Both the music and choreography are inspired by Norse mythology and the pollution of the oceans, bringing together 31 dancers, 20 singers, and 60 musicians on a water stage—blurring the boundaries between concert and dance performance, sound and movement, mythology and reality.
storyline
Guided by their mother, the sea goddess Rán, the nine wave sisters traverse the oceans, leading drowned souls into her realm. One by one they appear but the ninth sister remains unseen. Only when the wind calms does she emerge—Himinglæeva, through whom the sky can be glimpsed. Through her, Rán and her daughters watch over humans and the Earth. But Himinglæeva remains invisible and silent. Neither her sisters see her, nor does her mother hear her. Invisible and silent, Himinglæeva turns away from her sisters and mother, seeking the shallow waters far from their wild waves. There, she discovers humans and delights in their vibrant lives and the colorful traces they leave. But the colors cloud the clear waters, and Himinglæeva herself can no longer see. Still, she enjoys her new form and proudly returns to her family. Blinded by the murky water, her mother and sisters summon storms, dragging ships to the ocean floor, while drought spreads inland. Horrified, Himinglæeva struggles to free herself from her corrupted shadow. Alone, she is powerless. Fortunately, the humans intervene just in time.