Why Iceland Moves?

Iceland is small, but its dance scene has never thought small.

For decades, dancers and choreographers from Iceland have created, performed and collaborated far beyond the country’s borders. Artists emerging from this relatively small community have built international careers, toured widely and become part of artistic networks across Europe and beyond. Iceland has consistently punched above its weight.

The scale of the country has never determined the scale of its artistic ambition. Contemporary dance in Iceland has grown through movement: artists leaving and returning, practices developing across borders, international collaborations taking shape and ideas travelling back and forth.

Iceland Moves is also a response to a changing international landscape. Following the cancellation of ICE HOT in Stockholm, one of those important meeting points disappeared. We wanted to create a new opportunity here — not simply to send artists out into the world, but to invite the world in.

An Island in Motion

Iceland sits in the middle of the North Atlantic, on the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It is quite literally an island in motion.

The land is constantly being shaped and reshaped — by geological forces, volcanic activity, weather, water and time. Movement is part of the physical reality of this place.

It is also part of how Iceland relates to the world. We are geographically isolated, yet deeply connected. Artists travel, ideas cross borders, collaborations form across countries and practices are shaped by encounters elsewhere.

The name speaks to movement in many forms — movement of bodies, artists, ideas, relationships and work. From Iceland out into the world. And from the world back to Iceland.

What It Offers

For artists, Iceland Moves offers a chance to open a window onto their work, meet new colleagues and develop relationships that can lead to touring, co-production, residencies, commissions and future collaborations.

For visiting professionals, it is an invitation to encounter the work in Reykjavík, meet the artists behind it and experience a dance community that is small in scale but international in outlook and ambition.

Iceland Moves is not simply a programme of performances. It is a collective effort to create stronger visibility for the field, open new possibilities for artists and make Reykjavík a place where international relationships can begin.