About Cullberg

Cullbergbaletten, today known as Cullberg, is one of Sweden’s most influential dance companies and has, for more than fifty years, been a driving force in modern and contemporary dance — both in Sweden and internationally.

Birgit Cullberg – The Founder (1967–1981)

The company was founded in 1967 by the choreographer Birgit Cullberg, a pioneer of modern dance in Sweden and internationally. Born in 1908, she first studied literature and theatre but eventually found her artistic home in dance. In the 1930s she studied modern dance with, among others, Kurt Jooss in Germany — a choreographer known for combining dance with strong narratives and social engagement. This would shape Birgit Cullberg’s entire career.

She debuted as a choreographer in the 1940s and achieved her major breakthrough with Miss Julie (1950), a dance‑drama interpretation of August Strindberg’s play. The work garnered international attention and was included in Sweden’s new cultural canon in 2025. It became stylistically defining, with its strong focus on psychology, class, gender, and power — themes that would reappear throughout her later works. She worked with both classically trained dancers and modern movement vocabularies, making her style both accessible and artistically innovative. Many also encountered her works through television adaptations produced and broadcast by SVT.

During her leadership, Birgit Cullberg invited choreographers such as Merce Cunningham, Flemming Flindt, Eske Holm, Mats Isaksson, Alvin Ailey, and Talley Beatty.

When Cullbergbaletten was founded as part of Riksteatern in 1967, it created a framework for Birgit Cullberg to develop her artistic language together with an ensemble capable of touring throughout Sweden and internationally. Under her direction, the company became known for its dramatic and often politically charged works, where dance served as a mirror of society and the human psyche.

Birgit Cullberg challenged traditional gender roles and narrative structures within dance. Her works were defined by strong symbolism and humanism. Even after formally stepping down as artistic director in the 1980s, she continued to be active as a choreographer and mentor.

Mats Ek – Psychological Drama and International Breakthrough (1981–1993)

In 1981, Birgit Cullberg’s son, Mats Ek, took over as artistic director. With a background in both theatre and dance, he created profoundly original works such as Giselle, Swan Lake, and Carmen, reinterpreting classical ballets through contemporary social perspectives. His choreography was charged with emotional intensity and a physical language capable of expressing everything from inner chaos to everyday absurdity. In Giselle, for instance, princes could become medical staff, heroines could be portrayed as mentally ill, and the royal court transformed into a care facility — breaking with traditional ideals and bringing ballet closer to lived reality.

Under Mats Ek’s leadership, Cullbergbaletten became one of the most respected contemporary dance companies in the world. His works were not only technically innovative but deeply emotional and often political. He merged drama, dance, and the complexities of human experience in ways that made his pieces accessible to broad audiences without compromising artistic depth. This was also a period during which Ek solidified his choreographic voice.

During his tenure, the company also performed works by choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Christopher Bruce, and Ohad Naharin. Cullbergbaletten collaborated with Per Jonsson, Nacho Duato, Jean Perre Perrault, and Philip Taylor as well. The guiding idea of this era was to bring international choreography to Sweden — and Swedish choreography to the world.

Carolyn Carlson – Poetic and Experimental Direction (1993–1995)

Mats Ek was succeeded by Carolyn Carlson, born in the United States to Finnish parents. Deeply rooted in the European avant‑garde scene, Carlson led Cullbergbaletten from 1993 to 1995. Her tenure was marked by a more poetic and spiritual aesthetic. Carlson introduced improvisation as a working method within the company and created the visually and choreographically ambitious work Sub Rosa. Her leadership expanded the company’s choreographic scope.

Lena Wennergren Juras & Margareta Lidström – Preservation and Renewal (1995–2003)

After Carlson’s departure, Lena Wennergren Juras and Margareta Lidström jointly took over artistic leadership until 2003. Their period was defined by a balance between tradition and renewal. They worked to maintain the company’s high artistic standards while inviting new choreographers and broadening the repertoire.

During this time, the company continued to tour Mats Ek’s works. Other choreographers who collaborated with Cullbergbaletten during this era include Jens Östberg, Kenneth Kvarnström, Stijn Celis, Johan Inger, Örjan Andersson, Philippe Blanchard, Lars Bethke, and Didi Veldman.

Johan Inger – Physical Expression and Humor (2003–2008)

In 2003, Johan Inger, former dancer at Nederlands Dans Theater, became artistic director. With an international career behind him, Inger brought a powerful and emotionally charged choreographic style to the company. His works combined technical virtuosity with strong emotional themes, psychological depth, and visually striking imagery. For Cullberg, he created Negro con Flores, Blanco, and Point of Eclipse, among others, and invited choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Alexander Ekman.

Inger modernized the company’s expression without abandoning its identity. His tenure brought new vitality and introduced a more improvisation‑based studio practice.

Anna Grip – Structural Transformation (2009–2013)

Anna Grip took over in 2009. Previously ballet master and artistic director of Östgötabaletten — as well as ensemble director at Cullbergbaletten — she possessed extensive insight into the company’s structure and traditions. Her leadership focused on strategic and structural developments rather than defining signature works. She redefined working methods, collaboration models, and artistic direction.

Grip envisioned Cullberg as a platform for contemporary choreography where multiple voices and methodologies could coexist. She invited both Swedish and international choreographers with diverse backgrounds — not necessarily well‑known names — broadening the repertoire. She also initiated closer collaborations with visual and performance art institutions, deepening the company’s engagement with contemporary themes and movement research.

Among the choreographers she invited were Benoît Lachambre, William Forsythe, Jefta van Dinther, Édouard Lock, Stina Nyberg, and Ina Christel Johannessen.

Gabriel Smeets – Curatorial Leadership and Artistic Openness (2014–2021)

In 2014, Gabriel Smeets — formerly director of SNDO, the School for New Dance Development at the University of the Arts Amsterdam — became artistic director of the company, which during his tenure adopted the name Cullberg. His leadership represented a shift toward a more curatorial model. He invited internationally influential choreographers such as Deborah Hay, Trajal Harrell, Margrét Sara Guðjónsdóttir, and Ian Kaler. Smeets emphasized long‑term collaborations and artistic depth rather than short guest projects and initiated a three‑year program with three resident choreographers: Alma Söderberg, Jefta van Dinther, and Deborah Hay.

Smeets viewed Cullberg as a laboratory for contemporary dance — a place where artistic research and boundary‑crossing exploration were central. His leadership placed Cullberg at the forefront of European contemporary dance and strengthened its identity as a dynamic, open, and concept‑driven institution.

Looking Forward

For more than five decades, Cullberg has evolved through distinct artistic eras — from Birgit Cullberg’s dance‑drama, through Mats Ek’s psychological reinterpretations, Carolyn Carlson’s poetic philosophy, and onward to a company shaped by emotional resonance and curiosity about the art form. Today, under the leadership of Kristine Slettevold, Cullberg continues to be a home for innovative choreography and artistic exploration.

Through Cullberg’s international internship programs and research collaborations, the company takes responsibility for bridging a dancer’s education, professional life, and the development of the art form. Close partnerships are established with SKH (Sweden), P.A.R.T.S. (Belgium), KHiO (Norway), SEAD (Austria), The Danish National School of Performing Arts (Denmark), University of the Arts Amsterdam (Netherlands), Fontys Academy of the Arts Tilburg (Netherlands), and Balettakademien (Sweden). Since 2021, Cullberg has also participated in Erasmus, the European exchange program for students.

In recent years, Cullberg’s works have been presented at, among others: Bærum Kulturhus (Norway), BIT Teatergarasjen (Norway), Dansens Hus (Norway), Festival Antigel (Switzerland), Inkonst (Sweden), Mercat de les Flors (Spain), Milanoltre Festival (Italy), Montpellier Danse (France), Next Festival (Belgium), Norrlandsoperan (Sweden), Side Step Festival (Finland), Stora Teatern (Sweden), STUK Arts Center vzw (Belgium), Tanzquartier (Austria), Teatro Central (Spain), Teatro Municipal do Porto (Portugal), Texas Performing Arts (USA), and The Joyce (USA).