Turbulent Flows
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Premiere: 23 April 2026 at Dansens Hus, Oslo
We live in turbulent times — marked by global crises, uncertainty, and constant change. To navigate this instability, choreographer Karolina Bieszczad-Stie turns to physics and the study of turbulent flows: phenomena whose dual nature — chaotic yet patterned, destructive yet generative, observable yet unpredictable — reflects both the intricacies of scientific research and the turmoil of human experience. In Turbulent Flows, these dynamic forces are channelled into movement, as the dancer’s body explores the tension between surrendering to disruption and finding control within it.
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Rather than treating turbulence as a problem to solve, Turbulent Flows approaches it as a condition to live with and within. By weaving together principles of fluid mechanics with the tangible, visceral presence of the human body, the work asks how we relate to instability and change—both inside ourselves and in the world around us. It invites the audience to experience turbulence not only as disturbance, but as a state of becoming: a necessary force for adaptation, transformation, and growth.
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In physics, turbulence denotes a disturbing and chaotic state. Despite its negative connotations, it is essential for life on Earth, shaping everything from the way we mix our morning coffee to the design of aircraft wings. However, turbulence remains one of the last unsolved problems in classical physics, as scientists do not have analytical solutions to calculate how turbulent flows behave. Most discoveries arise from direct, experimental observation and simulation. Turbulent Flows extends this spirit of experimentation to the stage.
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The performance unfolds as a live experiment in movement and perception. Laser sheets slice through haze, revealing swirling vortices of smoke that respond to the dancer’s gestures. Sensors translate shifts in the air into sound, creating a feedback system where body and environment influence one another in real time. The stage becomes a laboratory of light, sound, and motion—an evolving field where order collapses, new patterns emerge, and the human body becomes both observer and participant.
By bringing fluid mechanics and dance together, Turbulent Flows suggests that knowledge is not confined to what can be measured; it is also felt, intuited, and lived. Meaning emerges not from certainty, but from curiosity and the courage to engage with the unknown
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Choreographer: Karolina Bieszczad-Stie

Dancer: Marta Luiza Jankowska

Scientific Collaborator: prof. Ramis Örlü (OsloMet)
Music Composer: Simen Korsmo Robertsen

Costume Designer: Zofia Jakubiec

Lighting Designer & Laser Programmer: Stein Stie

Stage Designer: Katarina Caspersen
Seamstress: Anette Danielsen

Laser Consultant: Jan Martin Vågen
Photos: Tale Hendnes
Production: Butoh Encounters

Co-production: Dansens Hus
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Funded by:
Kulturrådet, FFUK, Fond for lyd og bilde, OsloMet
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