Strong international profiles strengthen Bora Bora

From the left: Kylie Walters, Lotte Kofod Ludvigsen, Birgit Berndt.
Bora Bora's audience is growing and a new artistic council will ensure a continued strong profile as an international venue for dance and choreography.

Press release.
Photo: From the left: Kylie Walters, Lotte Kofod Ludvigsen, Birgit Berndt.

Bora Bora has redefined its artistic profile with the goal of dance making a difference in more people’s lives. With an ambitious audience strategy, the sharpened artistic profile has led to audience growth from an attendance rate of 55% in 2022 to 82% in 2024. The selection of performances in Bora Bora’s program is done in dialogue with an artistic council, which is rotated every two years. Right now, a new artistic council is established, and two prominent international dance profiles will strengthen Bora Bora’s selection in the coming years. They are Australian Kylie Walters and German Birgit Berndt.

Kylie Walters is the creative and executive director of Theatre Sévelin 36 – a theater and festival in Lausanne dedicated to the production and presentation of contemporary dance. Kylie Walters has an impressive resume as a dancer, choreographer and punk-rock musician, which includes dancing with DV8, running her own dance company in Geneva for 10 years and leading the choreographic studies program at CNSMD Lyon in France.

“I am excited to be part of Bora Bora’s artistic council and to share experiences, practices, hard questions, tough decisions and wild ideas. Bora Bora is an amazing place for dance and dance communities, so I know I will be inspired by artists and colleagues who are innovating dance,” says Kylie Walters.

Birgit Berndt is Festival Director and Artistic Director of CODA Oslo International Dance Festival in Norway, the largest dance festival in the Nordic region. As a curator, dramaturge and producer, Birgit Berndt brings over 25 years of experience in the performing arts field in Germany and Scandinavia with a special focus on indigenous peoples, queer art, hip hop and social dance. Birgit Berndt says:

“Bora Bora is an important meeting point for the performing arts in the Nordic countries. I have worked with Bora Bora’s amazing team several times and I admire their dedication and care for artists and audiences. I am excited to be part of the artistic council and look forward to coming closer to the Danish performing arts.”

Creative and executive director Lotte Kofod Ludvigsen says:
“Together with Kylie and Birgit, we will ensure a strong artistic profile with Danish and international works that both open dance to new audiences and speak to experienced dance fans. Our common goal is that Bora Bora will continue to present extraordinary performances in the coming years that enrich, challenge and inspire our audience.