Göteborg Opera Dance Company

A two-act piece full of energetic and inclusive dance, with a clear contemporary profile.

'Hammer' (© GöteborgsOperans Danskompani)

Hammer is a performance created by Alexander Ekman and premiered during the 2022–2023 season by the Göteborg Opera Dance Company. This piece stems from Ekman's desire to create a joyful and entertaining work full of energy.

In Hammer, a harmonious community shares an altruistic lifestyle inspired by the hippie era. They run, play, sing, and enjoy life together. But gradually, the community transitions into the modern era, marked by omnipresent surveillance. The group’s behavior becomes increasingly selfish and individualistic.

When we return in the second act, we find ourselves in a different place. Now, we encounter a group of self-aware individuals in solitary bubbles. Over time, unable to cope with all the false pretenses, they are forced to abandon their image-conscious façades and return to an altruistic way of life.

Award-winning choreographer Alexander Ekman is bold, unpredictable, and innovative—just like the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani. His visually powerful work focuses on the self-image of contemporary society, often with a humorous twist. Ekman has created around 50 works, performed by numerous companies worldwide.

Hammer is a two-act piece full of energetic and inclusive dance, with a clear contemporary profile. The company’s precise and flawless technique merges with Ekman’s choreography in a powerful concept where dancers propel themselves forward in playful communion, like an explosion of color from everyday creations.

The audience, drawn into this immersive universe as the dancers leave the stage, also receives an invitation that unexpectedly turns into a dark mirror of cold detachment and self-absorption—a call to reflection.