When you find yourself in an Arctic whiteout – a natural phenomenon where snow swirls around, and everything turns white – you may experience a sensation similar to grief: any sense of direction disappears. "WHITEOUT" delves into the painful longing, unbearable thoughts, shame, and taboos surrounding suicide. On the other side of a whiteout, which demands introspection and reflection, you find yourself re-anchored in the world – we reconnect and create bonds across divides. The performance sheds an important light on a topic that we, as outsiders, must not shy away from. At the same time, it explores the life-affirming aspects that the bereaved often speak of: the ability to reflect on the value of relationships and communities, and, above all, the gratitude for having known someone.
In "WHITEOUT", grief and longing are embodied, but so are hope, strength, and faith in the power and meaning of life. "WHITEOUT" won the award for Dance Performance of the Year 2025 at Årets Reumert. The piece premiered at Dansehallerne (DK) in February 2025 and has since toured in Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
AVIAJA Dance is a contemporary dance company led by Sarah Aviaja Hammeken. Drawing inspiration from Sarah Aviaja’s unique background, a combination of Danish and Kalaallit (Greenlandic) roots, the company’s work is often inspired by her Inuit heritage. Through ongoing movement research, AVIAJA Dance strives to authentically embody emotional states, resulting in an artistic language that combines visual poetry with powerful physical expression.
CO-PRODUCTION
Dansehallerne, Nunatta Isiginnaartitsisarfia/Greenland’s National Theatre, and The Nordic House in the Faroe Islands
SUPPORTED BY
The Danish Arts Foundation’s Project Support Committee for Performing Arts, Knud Højgaard’s Foundation, NAPA, Wilhelm Hansen Foundation, Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen’s Foundation, Beckett Foundation, William Demant Foundation, Augustinus Foundation, Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen – Kulturpulje til projekter mellem Grønland og Danmark, Nordic Culture Fund
DURATION
60 min.
PREMIERE
February 2025 at Dansehallerne, Copenhagen, Denmark
CONTACT THE COMPANY
hello@aviajadance.com

SARAH AVAIAJA HAMMEKEN
(IDEA, CONCEPT & CHOREOGRAPHY)
AMANDA RUBIO SÁNCHEZ
(ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER & DANCER)
ELIAS KHANAMIDI
(DANCER)
EYDIS ROSE VILMUNDARDOTTIR
(DANCER)
MÁRTON DEBRECZENYI
(DANCER)
SIRI PAULSEN
(DRAMATURGICAL CONSULTANT)
GERTH LYBERT
(COMPOSER)
BRIAN CORD'HOMME
(LIGHT DESIGN)
PARNUUNA KRISTIANE THORNWOOD
(COSTUME DESIGN)
SEBASTIAN NERVIL
(PRODUCER)
JENS CHRISTIAN JENSEN
(ADMINISTRATION)
AMALIE IVALO HAMMEKEN
(PHOTOGRAPHER)
ENA KURTAGIC GRANULO
(PHOTOGRAPHER & VIDEOMAKER)
PAARISA & DRISP, DANISH RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION
(PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANTS)