CV

Ami Skånberg, C.V.
Head of Master programme M.A.D.E Master Dance Education
Choreographer, performer, educator, film-maker, writer
MFA, MPhil, PhD
Associate Professor at Stockholm University of the Arts
Lecturer at Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg
Studio BuJi, Husviksv 11, 430 85 Brännö, Sweden
https://vimeo.com/studiobuji

Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt is a well-known profile in Sweden, with her many performances and films.  Ami often creates stage work (solo, and collaborative) on the basis of her embodied life story in a particular theme. Her 90 min solo performance A particular act of survival received a performing arts award at Scenkonstgalan in Sweden in 2015. Since then she has created two new solo performances in collaboration with the composer Palle Dahlstedt and the light designer Åsa Holtz; Atsumori/Hero (for the Noh theatre Festival in London) and The laugh of the Medusa. Her new piece Yamamba – walse for a wounded ancestor with music by Kajsa Magnarsson premiered in Dec 2018, and was very well received. She is also involved in building new platforms, such as a new network for Nordic-Baltic female performers, supported by Nordic Culture point.

She is involved in teaching artistic research, choreography and screendance at Stocholm University of the Arts as well as at Academy of Music and Drama, University of Gothenburg. She is a board member of the Nordic Forum for Dance Research(NOFOD), and of the Peer Review Board for Journal of Artistic Research (JAR). She has been invited to speak/perform in academic and artistic conferences and symposiums such as Arab Women Solidarity Association in Egypt, University of Wisconsin in U.S., Stockholm University of the Arts, Sweden, Nordic Summer University in Norway, Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland, Estonia and Iceland, University of Lincoln, UCL in U.K., Inkonst in Malmö, Latvian Academy of Culture in Riga, Université de Lorraine in Metz, Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Dance and Democracy (NOFOD) conference in Sweden, Tokyo Metropolitan University in Japan, World Philosophy Conference in Beijing, China, NTNU in Trondheim, Royal College of Art in London, University of Bologna, Open University of the Philippines, and the University of Arts in Helsinki, Finland. In 2020-2021 she is a participant of two research projects, One by Walking, funded by Riksbankens Jubileumfond and ‘Rituals, Arts and Resistance’ at Université du Lorraine.

For her PhD, Ami developed ways of incorporating traditional Japanese dance and theatre into her contemporary work. Her artistic investigations concern gender constructions in Japanese theatre and dance, and the gender codified practice, suriashi. Since 2014, Ami practices suriashi in different spaces while asking: How can suriashi, shaped in a Japanese context, be a method to approach a place, a city, a room? How can an exclusive Japanese dance technique become a democratic and feminist method in order to investigate a space, while examining how bodies and intangible/tangible monuments are positioned, and thereby change the view of work and economy in the city? Ami also explores the various accents her dancing contains, where nihon buyō has been an important source of knowledge the last nineteen years. She fwas awarded her PhD at the Dance Department, University of Roehampton in 2022.

She has received the Gothenburg City Cultural Award twice, for appreciated achievements for the city’s cultural life. She received an honorary mention for her debut film in Paris, 1995. In 1999 she was nominated the Gothenburg Film Festival price, the Golden Hat Award. In 2012, Ami received Västra Götaland Cultural Award.

Studio BuJi video channel:
https://vimeo.com/studiobuji

Education:
Gothenburg Ballet Academy, dance programme 1988-1991
Fine Arts and New Media, Valand School of Fine Art, Gothenburg University 1996-1997
Workshops on acting, video dance, dramaturgy of dance, film directing and dance composition at D. I. in Stockholm, Duke University, University of Wisconsin, Southeast Dance in Brighton 1994-2007 with teachers Douglas Rosenberg, Molissa Fenley, Paul Langland, Daniel Lepkoff, Liz Aggiss, Becky Edmunds, Miranda Pennell, Laura Dean, Åsa Johannisson, Barbro Smeds.
Studies in classical Japanese dance, Nihon buyo, with Senrei Nishikawa sensei, and Takabayashi Shinji, Kyoto, Japan, 8 journeys 2000-2015
Traditional Theatre Training, Kyoto Art Center, 2000, 2004, 2011
Japanese language at Gothenburg University 2005, 2012
Noh Theatre Workshop at Royal Holloway 2014
MFA of in-depth acting, Academy of Music and Drama, Gothenburg University 2012-2014
MPhil from Royal Holloway, University of London 2014-2015
PhD studies at Royal Holloway, Centre for Asian theatre and dance, University of London, 2014-2019
PhD studies 100 % at University of Roehampton 2019-2022

Choreographer/Director:
Wind in the Willows at Nationalteatern, Göteborg, 1990
Stone and Man in Aasivik, Greenland, project with Finnish artists Nina and Ville Hukkinen 1995
Bird, fish or woman? Solo performed in Reykjavik, Oslo, Göteborg, Kyoto, 1996-2000
Klockande Ballerina dance solo + video for the opening of the National Monument of the
Millennium Shift, in the presence of the Swedish king, Göteborg, 1999
When I became Japanese, solo performance + video projections, 2002-2003 Music: Palle Dahlstedt Light: Madeleine Strandberg
Wallflower, duet with choreographer/dancer Maria Mebius Schröder, invited to Bibliotecha Alexandrina in Egypt, 2002
I must dance! a solo dance piece performed on tour in Sweden, Egypt and Morocco 2004-2006 Design: Gerd Karlsson Light: Anna Wemmert Clausen
Ballerina, a piece for children, for 3 dancers, performed at Folkteatern, on tour in Scandinavia 2006-2007 Music: Palle Dahlstedt Light: Anton Sjöstrand Design: Gerd Karlsson Costumes: Anna Klevenås Kraft
Ballerina, solo performed in gardens and at schools in Sweden and Egypt 2008
Vargkaffe, an international dance project developed in a residency in Saxnäs, Sapmi with Gerd Sjöblom Ulander, Dianne Reid and Heidi S Durning Costumes: Kristin Johansson Lassbo Video clips here and here.
Butterfly Pilots, physical theater for children at Angereds Teater and Mexico Tour 2010-2011 Directed by Johan Friberg and Charlie Åström.
the Bloodsugar dance, choreography based on Kung Fu, ballet, Japanese dance and different experiences of bloodsugar values Music: Palle Dahlstedt, Sweden and Japan 2010-2011, performed by dancer and choreographer Aloun Marchal in 2011 and 2012 work-in-progress dance film shown in Dance and Science Festival 2013 in Canberra, Australia
Dust Falling, Rain Falling, performance about Shirabyoshi with Japanese Nohkan musician and live electronics in Gothenburg and Helsinki April – May 2012 Music: Palle Dahlstedt and Kumiko Nonaka Light: Åsa Holtz
20 x Lamentation, on different forms of suffering – cultural, sacral, human, profane – comparing the piece Kuro Kami with Martha Graham’ s Lamentation. Presenting Noh theatre, videoprojections, ancient and contemporary diaries of illness. Gothenburg, May 2013. Light: Åsa Holtz
Performance – パフォーマンス, Nov 2013, an improvisation of physical bodily constructions in Japanese traditional dance
Performance lecture on gender constructions in Japanese dance and theatre, Helsinki October 2013, Gothenburg 2014, Uppsala 2014, West Pride 2014
Hybrid Heart a performative promenade in Gothenburg Botanical Gardens with hybrids of Japanese dance, music and texts, Aug-Sep 2014, on tour 2015 in Hagakyrkan
A Particular Act of Survival premiere Atalante April 7^th 2015, received Scenkonstgalan’s performing arts award in Nov 2015. Music: Palle Dahlstedt Light: Åsa Holtz Costume: Anna Klevenås Kraft
Hero a 20 min piece built on the play Atsumori by Zeami for the Noh Theatre Festival at King’s Place in London in May 2016, at 3:e Våningen and Cinnober in Nov 2016
Female Immortal an artistic research piece performed in Orivesi, Finland and at 3:e Våningen, Gothenburg, 2016, translated into French and performed in Metz, France in Nov 2017
Suriashi Intervention as a performative act in public space, performed together with the audience during the Gallery A Venue Event ‘Kvinnliga Koreografers Konstnärsskap’ Kulturkalaset in August 2016
The laugh of the Medusa, new solo performance, premiere April 26^th 2017 at Atalante, Gothenburg
OtoKin a new piece made specially for the AHA Festival. It was shown as performance, and also as a participatory experience, Chalmers University 2017 A written paper about this project, co-written with Prof Palle Dahlstedt, Mapping for Soundspace Exploration through Dance Improvisation was published at NIME (The International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression) in June 2019
Yamamba-waltz for a wounded ancestor, Atalante Dec 2018
Nordic-Baltic Performance Network, Gothenburg, Aug 2019
Returning Now, site-specific performance at Margate Festival with choreographer Benedikte Esperi, at Gordon House, Nov 2019
OtoKin performance created with Prof Palle Dahlstedt, Vindöga Festival in Sandviken, Nov 2019
Nordic-Baltic Performance Network, Odense, Dec 2019
The Laugh of the Medusa, performance lecture at Vänermuseet, March 2020
Improfäst Gävle och Östervåla
Itinerant – den som vandrar, dans och vandring i samarbete med musikern Anna Svensdotter curated by Mikael Forsman, Lödöse Museum och Mauritsberg 2023

Filmmaker
Ami makes dance films and documentaries about dance. Her debut film won an honorary mention at VidéoDanseGrandPrix in Paris 1995. Her fiction film ‘The Dancer – a fairy-tale’ was nominated the Golden Hat Award at Gothenburg Film Festival the same year. A collection of her films are released by Njutafilms. http://www.njutafilms.com
Miss Tuvstarr, her beloved and the bald Quasimodo Short film 16mm, 13 min, 1995. Recieved an honorary mention at Vidéo-Danse Grand-Prix 1996 ”pour l´expression d´une univers personnel et la caractérisation des personnages.” Released on the DVD Danssyndrom.
Woman in Exile Dance video, 7 min, 1995. Shown in Sweden and Denmark
Bird, Fish or Woman? (1996) Dance video, 12 min. Selected for competition at FIPA festival, France,1999 and Dakino Film Festival, Romania, 1999. Shown at many other international festivals.
The Dancer – a Fairy-Tale (1999) Feature film 35 mm, 48 min, 1999. Nominated the Guldhatten Award 1999, shown in Swedish Television and at international festivals Released on the DVD Danssyndrom.
Wallflower, shortfilm (2005) shown in Europe, the U.S., Japan, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil
Other dance videos: Clocking Ballerina (Released on the DVD Danssyndrom), Dream to get warm, The Girl and the Truck, Would you like a ginger cookie?, Dance for Birches, Dance in Room, Dance in Arches, Anna Hedda Margit Judith – four women (1996), Vive Modernism! (1996)The Dance of the Sun, a documentary film about dance in Japan, created together with Folke Johansson, edited by Rasmus Ohlander, music by Palle Dahlstedt released on DVD Oct 9th 2013
Suriashi Intervention a series of continuous slow walks in various landscapes all over the world 2014-ongoing project, screened at Gallery A-Venue in the exhibition Durational Practices and Marathon Art
Spazzare la spiaggia, Ami’s shortest film so far, premiered at Stockholm Dansfilmfestival in Dec 2016 and was screened internationally during 2017
Ancestor, screen dance piece with dance film pioneer Douglas Rosenberg, 2022
Ami is working on a documentary about the life of her great grandmother as seen through the Noh drama Yamamba, funded by Region Halland.

Dancer/Actress:
Nasse Hittar En Stol Tour around Sweden 1992-94
Heatstroke short film by Liz Chae, N.Y. City with Viveca Lindfors 1994
Ärrwin, Ärrwin!! Theatre, tour in Sweden and England 1996
In Shades of God, Scintillae, Di-Edersekvensen with choreographer Gun Lund and E=mc2
Angels Bathing NOHO Theatre Company run by Jonah Salz at Oe Noh Theatre, Kyoto Choreography: Rosa Yuki 2001
As Much Heaven I can carry, actress and choreographer. Written by Mats Kjelbye, directed by Lars-Eric Brossner, performed at Folkteatern 2005
Butterfly Pilots, physical theater for children at Angereds Teater and Mexico Tour 2010-2011 Directed by Johan Friberg and Charlie Åström

Writer
Doris dagar – röster från filmens värld anthology with Swedish female filmmakers’ texts, edited by Gunilla Burstedt 2001 ISBN 9789173748223
Älskade Vampyr – om livet med ett barn med diabetes typ 1/Beloved Vampire – on the life with a child with diabetes type 1 published Nov 2010, ISBN9172057475
Articles on dance in the Swedish Dancemagazine, Contemporary dance, the Gothenburg Post, the Nordic magazine etc
Bloggen om Dans an educative blog about different aspects of dance, commissioned by Gothenburg city https://bloggenomdans.com
Ami was selected by Kedja Writing Movement to write an article about dance film 2014, which was published in International Screendance Journal in December 2014
http://screendancejournal.org/article/view/4523/3777#.VtHd8ZzhDIU
Ami’s text on slow practice in public space was published in the anthology Being There: Exploring the local through artistic research, NSU Press 2018
Ami wrote a chronicle for Curie, the Swedish research Council’s web journal:
http://www.tidningencurie.se/kronikor/vreden-mot-den-konstnarliga-forskaren-pa-universitetet/
Ami’s article Body of accents was published in Nordic Journal of Dance, 2018
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/327920540_A_Body_of_Accents?isFromSharing=1
Ami co-edits an anthology on Artistic Research; Functions, fissures and failures – Strategies of Artistic Research in 2021
The paper Mapping for Soundspace: Exploration through Dance Improvisation, co-written with Prof Palle Dahlstedt,  was published at NIME (The International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression) in June 2019
Ami reviewed a chapter on dance meditation, published in 2019. More writings within the field of artistic and performative research:
2024 Co-editor of the book Dance Education in Contemporary Contexts, Stockholm University Press, bidrar även med två kapitel om dansutbildning på masternivå samt om dansfilm/screendance på masternivå
Skånberg Dahlstedt, Ami. ”Walking in Suriashi as a Radical and Critical Art of Inquiry.” In Walking as Critical Inquiry, pp. 151-173. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2023.

SKÅNBERG, Ami. ”Altering positions through an artistic inquiry of Japanese dance.” İstanbul Üniversitesi Kadın Araştırmaları Dergisi 26 (2023): 1-21.

Skånberg Dahlstedt, Ami. “Le suriashi, un rituel de résistance”, Art journal Proteus November 2022: http://www.revue-proteus.com/articles/Proteus19-7.pdf

Dahlstedt, Ami Skånberg. ”Suriashi as Experimental Pilgrimage in Urban and Other Spaces.” PhD diss., University of Roehampton, 2022.

Dahlstedt, Ami Skånberg. ”Suriashi as a ceremonial, subversive act: Walking Bodies Papers, Provocations, Actions from Walking’s New Movements, the Conference.” In Walking Bodies, p. 113. Triarchy Press, 2020.

Dahlstedt, Palle, and Ami Skånberg Dahlstedt. ”OtoKin: Mapping for Sound Space Exploration through Dance Improvisation.” In NIME, pp. 156-161. 2019.

Dahlstedt, Ami Skånberg. ”A Body of Accents.” Nordic Journal of Dance 9, no. 1 (2018): 44-51.

Dahlstedt, Ami Skanberg. ”Suriashi-a meditation on the local through artistic research.” In Artistic Research: Being There-explorations into the Local, pp. 29-41. NSU Press, 2018.

Dahlstedt, Ami Sk. ”Paradigms of Movement Composition.” The International Journal of Screendance 4 (2014). http://screendancejournal.org/article/view/4523/3777#.VtHd8ZzhDIU

Skånberg Dahlstedt, Ami. ”In search of Shirabyōshi.” (2014). Masteressay. https://gupea.ub.gu.se/handle/2077/36539

Follow Ami on Google scholar

Presentations
Choreographer-Filmmaker Dialectic at Dance for the Camera Symposium, University of Wisconsin in Madison, Feb 10th, 2000:
http://www.news.wisc.edu/releases/3541
https://www.academia.edu/2129675/the_Director_Choreographer_Dialectic
Women, Creativity, and Dissidence at Arab Women Solidarity Association in Egypt, May 2005:
http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2005/745/cu5.htm
http://muse.jhu.edu.ezproxy.ub.gu.se/journals/meridians/v006/6.2sadawi.html
Shifting Dialogues: The Politics of Site, Locality & Context in Asian Performance and
Visual Arts, First International Symposium of the Asian Art and Performance Consortium (AAPC)
Theatre Academy in Helsinki, Finland May 18-19, 2012
http://hdl.handle.net/2077/31849
Close Encounters: Contemporary Dance Didactics: Explorations in Theory and Practice,
Nov 2012 at Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Arts, Sweden
Nordic Summer University (NSU) Artistic Research Summer Symposium 2013
in Ulsteinvik, Norway
Women in Asian Theatre Conference, Sep 2013, at University of Lincoln, U.K.
Shifting Dialogues II: Objects of Desire: Sexual Artifice in Asian Art and Performance,
October 17-19, 2013, University of the Arts Helsinki (performance lecture 60 min)
Nordic Summer University (NSU) Artistic Research Winter Symposium Feb 2014
in Vilnius, Lithuania
Nordic Summer University (NSU) Artistic Research Summer Symposium July 2014
in Sauðárkrókur
Nordic Summer University (NSU) Artistic Research Summer Symposium July 2015 in Druskininkai
Shifting Dialogues III: Documenting Asian Art and Performance: Embodied Knowledge, Virtuality & the Archive, University of the Arts, Dec 2014
Art, Archives, Activism at UCL London September 2015
Nordic Summer University (NSU) Artistic Research Winter Symposium in Riga Feb 2016
SIBCA: Freeze Conference at Det Kongelige Bibliotek in Copenhagen 2016
Nordic Summer University (NSU) Artistic Research Summer Symposium July 2016 in Orivesi, Finland
Nordic Summer University (NSU) Artistic Research Winter Symposium in Saxnäs, Sapmi Feb 2017
NOFOD Dance and Democracy Conference (artistic keynote) in Gothenburg, June 2017
Nordic Summer University (NSU) Artistic Research Summer Symposium in Saulkrasti, Latvia July 2017
Artist talks and performances in Metz, France Nov 2017
Swedish Research Council’s symposium on artistic research 2017 at Stockholm University of the Arts Nov 2017
Artistic Research Winter Symposium in Riga, March 2018
Artistic Research Summer Symposium in Fårö, July 2018
World Philosophy Congress in Beijing, August 2018
Dig in Japan, Östasiatiska Museet in Stockholm, Världskulturmuseerna, Nov 2018
https://youtu.be/Pl4iE4mfcgY
Invisibility as suriashi as heterotopia presented at Nordic Summer University’s ‘Artistic Research Performing Heterotopia Winter Symposium 2019 Departures, Deviations and Elsewheres’ March 2019, European Humanities University, Vilnius
Suriashi as a ceremonial, subversive act presented at Walking’s New Movement, University of Plymouth, Nov, 2019
Presentation at NSU’s distance symposium ‘Performing Heterotopia’ och konstnärlig forskning: C7 Lorenzburg, Lagerström, Dahlstedt, Karlsson: Let’s have a Kiki
Dec 11
Presentation at Université du Lorraine, ´Rituals, Art and Resistance’

Grants and scholarships
Adlerbert Grant 1999, 2012
Carina Ari Foundations 1991, 1996, 2014
Gnistan, Adlerbert Fund 2013
Dansstationen 1999
Danscentrum Väst 2004, 2006, 2012
Swedish Arts Grants Committee projectgrants, cultural exchange and scholarships 1996-2005, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
Gothenburg City Award 1997, 2012
Hanne o Teodor Mannheimer Fund 1998, 1999, 2008
Nordic Culture Point 2018, 2019
Swedish Arts Council projectgrants 2006, 2007, 2009, 2018
Gothenburg City Grants 2006, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Sasakawa Foundation 2015
Sweden-Japan Fund 2001, 2011, 2013
Swedish Institute 2001, 2005
Film i Väst 1995, 1998
Swedish Filminstitute 1998, 1999
Charlotte och Otto Mannheimer Fund 1999, 2008
Freemasonry grant for promising artists 2013
Kedja Writing Movement Grant 2014
Region Halland 2017
Sleipnir Travelgrant Greenland 1995, Iceland 2002
Västra Götalandregionen Award 2012
Västra Götalandregionen International exchange 2012
Västra Götalandregionen 2018

Some international festivals, museums and theatres where Amis films and performances have been shown:
Argentina: Festival Internacional de Video Danza in Buenos Aires 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2005, 2013
Australia: Art Play 2007, Melbourne
St Kilda Park Primary School 2007, Melbourne
DANscienCEfestival in Canberra 2013
Belgium: Centre Culturel Jacques Franck in Bruxelles 1997
Brazil: Danca em Foco in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro 2005
Bulgaria: Gabrovo Museum of Humour and Satire 2017
China: World Philosophy Congress in Beijing
Denmark: Dansfestival in Århus 1996
Egypt: Alexandria International Filmfestival 1999
Alexandria International Summerfestival 2002
Arab Women Solidarity Association in Kairo, led by Nawal El Saadawi 2005
Schools in Alexandria 2008
Bibliotecha Alexandrina 2002, 2008
Finland: Theatre Academy of Helsinki, University of the Arts Shifting Dialogues 2012, 2013, 2014
Nya Paviljongen, Grankulla 2012
Orivesi 2016
France: Vidéo Danse Grand Prix, Paris 1995
Festival International de Programmes Audiovisuels, Biarritz 1999
Gallerie 015 Essai de Dynamique, Metz 2017
The Récollets cloister, Metz 2017
Germany: Dance Screen in Frankfurt 1999
Greenland: Culturefestival outside Narsaq 1995
Kalaallit Nunaat Radioa, Christianiaradio 1995
collaboration with the rap group Nuuk Posse and Kalaallit Nunaat Radioa, Grönlands TV 1995
Iceland: UNM festival at Nordens Hus in Reykjavik 1997
The Summerfestival of the Arts at Ketilhus in Akureyri 2002
Nordic Summer University in Sauðárkrókur 2014
Indonesia: Bandung Dance Film Festival, West Java 2013, 2017
Japan: Kyoto International Community House 2001
Kyoto Connection, 2000
Kyu Ryu Kan Dance and Art Studio in Kyoto, 2000, 2001
Oe Noh Theatre i Kyoto 2001, 2004, 2011
Media Dance, International videofestival in Kyoto and Yokohama 2006, 2008, 2013, 2014
Iwakura Space, Kyoto 2010, 2013
Traditional Theatre Training at Kyoto Art Center 2000, 2004, 2011
Urban Guild 2015
Latvia: Nordic Summer University, 2016 and 2018 in Riga
Nordic Summer University, 2017 in Saulkrasti
Latvian Academy of Culture, Ma Telpa and Laukku 2018
Laboratory of Stage Arts, Riga 2019
Lithuania: Nordic Summer University, 2014, 2015
Mexico: International Dance and Theatre festival Festival Cervantino in Irapuato, Leon, Guanajuato and Celaya 2011
Morocco: International Dance and Theatre festival at Dar Taqqafa in Marrakesh 2006
Norway: Henie Onstad Kunstsenter in Oslo1998, Sandefjord 2006, NSU in Ulsteinsvik 2013
Portugal: Festival Internacional de Video Danza in Porto 2005, 2006
Rumania: DaKino Filmfestival in Bukarest 1999
Spain: Video dance festival in Barcelona 1995
Festival de Videodanza de Palma de Mallorca, 2014
Switzerland: Bern 2007
U.K.: the Place in London 1999
Dance Screen in Brighton 2005
Artistic Residency in Gordon House, Margate 2018, 2019
U.S.: Artists Television Access, San Francisco 1999
American Dance Festival at Duke University in North Carolina 1997, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2014
Dancefilm symposium and screening at University of Wisconsin 2000
Dance on Camera in New York 2000, 2005, 2015
Sans Souci Dance Festival in Boulder, Colorado 2005
Topanga Filmfestival 2017
Uruguay: Festival Internacional de Video Danza in Santiago 2005

Ami gives a dance class, inspired by buyo training: