Cancel Bertha

CANCEL BERTHA moves to its own rhythm – a playful mix of energy, curated chaos and unexpected creativity. The performance reflects choreographer Jan Martens’ artistic hallmark: reinterpreting dance as a space for individuality, connection and subtle humour. The scenes flow seamlessly from one moment to the next, blurring the boundaries between moments of ecstatic group energy and sequences of suspended intimacy.

In CANCEL BERTHA, the music is not always what you hear – it’s what you see and feel. Sounds generated by the dancers‘ movements blend seamlessly with Martens’ deconstruction of musical forms. Following Martens’ fascination with rhythms, structures and scores, the movements of the 14 dancers become their own soundscape. Inspired by polyrhythms, maths and experimental music, CANCEL BERTHA invites the audience to experience the interaction between sound, body and space in a new way.

The scenography – a painted floor inspired by musical scores – consists of pastel-coloured lines and dots that guide the dancers’ journey, making the floor both a work of art and a visual map. The title, CANCEL BERTHA (an anagram for ‘Carte Blanche’), captures the playful spirit of this innovative piece that rethinks how movement and sound meet on stage. Silence has as much weight as movement, and patterns emerge alongside geometry in marvellous ways.

Carte Blanche is the Norwegian national company for modern dance. The company is based in Bergen and tours all over the world.

The world premiere of CANCEL BERTHA took place in Bergen, Norway in May 2025.

PLEASE NOTE: Strobe lights are used in CANCEL BERTHA. It is a calm, pulsing strobe that lasts for approx. 3 mins. The strobe light effect is used approx. 50 mins into the performance.

Established in Bergen in 1989 and with its home base in Studio Bergen, which is the company’s production facility and home stage, Carte Blanche tours in Norway and internationally throughout the year.

The ensemble consists of 14 dancers from all over the world. Each season, two to three new performances are produced in collaboration with new talents, well-known, and relevant choreographers. These and previously produced performances make up the company’s repertoire.

Carte Blanche gives artists the opportunity to grow. The Norwegian National Company for Contemporary Dance creates an exciting and unique repertoire, which supports the company’s goal of being a forerunner for innovation, presentation and development of contemporary dance, both in Norway and abroad.

Carte Blanche is owned and funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture, Vestland County Council and the City of Bergen.

Jan Martens (1984, Belgium) studied in Tilburg and Antwerp, graduating in 2006. His choreography explores body communication and recontextualizes movement to redefine the performer-audience relationship. Notable works include THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER (2014), RULE OF THREE (2017, nominated for the Zwaan Award), any attempt will end in crushed bodies and shattered bones (Festival d’Avignon 2020), and his latest work VOICE NOISE (2024). Martens co-founded GRIP in 2014 and is an associate artist at DE SINGEL Antwerp and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. He received the Charlotte Köhler Prize in 2015.

Website: grip.house