Held every year in the beginning of July, the biggest multicultural music arrangement “Førde Festival” is currently running on July 5-8 in the Norwegian city of Førde. This year’s highlight is a group of kung fu monks from China to amaze the festival’s audience with their skills.
The monks travelled all away from the Wudang mountains in Hubei, China to perform at the festival together with the Norwegian dance company Frikar. Choreographer and dancer, Hallgrim Hansegård went with three of his best halling dancers to the Wudang where he met with the kung fu master and his disciples. As the kung fu monks did not speak English and the Frikar dancers didn’t speak Chinese the two parts made a choreography communicated solely through body language. At the festival Frikar and the kung fu monks will perform their work which is called 8.
Organized for the first time in 1990, Førde festival offers an extensive program with concert, courses, exhibitions and children’s activities. Norwegian folk music is of course a large and important part of the festival. Many of folk music traditions have been presented for the first time in Norway at the Førde festival. Ethnic music from the whole world is presented, contributing to the audience’s experience of the magnificent variety of music, culture and traditions found all over the world, forming a unique contrast to the wild West Norwegian nature surrounding the city and its festival. This year’s main theme is East European culture. Over 250 artists from over 20 countries participate in the festival this year.
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