Is it Poison is a dance theater performance that boldly explores the complex and often oppressive hierarchies and power structures that shape both public and private life. The performance utilizes a dynamic blend of dance, theater, and movement to delve deeply into the power dynamics that arise between individuals in various dependent positions.

With a balance of serious gravity and unguarded good humor, the creators of “Is it Poison” highlight their own personal experiences of being in powerless positions. They have been both vulnerable and active participants in hierarchical systems, where, for example, as dance students, they have faced the challenge of navigating an art form marked by traditional and often patriarchal structures.

By mixing humor with darkness and challenging the audience to confront these often invisible power structures, “Is it Poison” raises important questions about who truly holds power in different contexts, what it means to be dependent on another, and how we can break free from destructive patterns and relationships. This question of liberation is posed not only in personal terms but also in a larger societal and cultural context, where the individual’s struggle for autonomy often meets external forces trying to keep us trapped in outdated, oppressive systems.Premiere: Frilagret Göteborg, October 11–13, 2018. Also performed at Klossen in Umeå, December 8–10, 2018, and at Kulturskolan City Göteborg, March 7–8, 2019.

Choreography/Dancer/Actor: Mari Vittradotter, Unni Britta Kangas, Orm Anna Ruotimaa

Opera: Mari Vittradotter, Unni Britta Kangas, Orm Anna Ruotimaa

Scenography: Mari Vittradotter, Unni Britta Kangas