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Un-be-known (2023)
Date
October 14–15, 2023
Location
CODA Oslo International Dance Festival, held at the Norwegian Opera & Ballet (Oslo Opera House)
Creative team
Choreographer: Marc Brew, an acclaimed figure in inclusive dance, known for his work with companies like AXIS Dance Company and Scottish Dance Theatre.
Assistant Choreographer: Georgie Rose.
Music: Joey McNamara.
Costume Designer: Johanna Sutinen.
Lighting Designer: Paul Vidar Sævarang.
Sound Designer: Joseph McNamara.
Role
In un-be-known, Khristan was a lead cast member, embodying the work's core ethos of revealing the "unknown" through vulnerable yet commanding solos and duets. His wheelchair became a choreographic partner—propelling explosive turns, partnering with able-bodied dancers in lifts, and symbolizing unapologetic agency. Reviewers highlighted his "raw intensity," noting how he disrupted linear movement patterns, creating "pulsating" group dynamics that challenged audience perceptions of disability as limitation.
Cast
Nine performers in an integrated ensemble—dancers with and without disabilities:
Kadar Khristan
Nanna Knutson
Julie Mjønes
Malene Becker Nielsen
Victor Olivares
Ella Skorgan
Live Haug Skullerud
Felicia Sparrström
Kiruna Stamell (an Australian dancer with dwarfism, known for her work with companies like Stopgap Dance Company).
Link
The piece critiques societal assumptions about disability, asking: What is "known" about a body before it moves? Brew describes it as a "celebration of the unseen," where dancers deconstruct and rebuild narratives of ability, fostering empathy through shared physical risk.
