Red Flags

There are 536 reasons for the show – that is the number of women killed in Denmark between 1992 and 2016. The performance includes three real stories describing one attempted murder and two murders of very different Danish women during that period. The stories are read by author, journalist and editor at Politiken Line Vaaben, and are based on her and forensic scientist Asser Hedegård Thomsen’s book ‘En forudsigelig forbrydelse – kvindedrab i Danmark’ (A predictable crime – the murder of women in Denmark).

On stage are nine dancers with seven three-metre-high banners in red and white silk. The banners are both fragile and threatening, and they are associated with women’s clothing as well as bloodstains, weapons and evidence. The choreography in Red Flags draws inspiration from rebellion and revolution, where the body becomes both a tool for resistance and an image of vulnerability. The dancers’ movements are powerful and precise, filling the space with an intense presence. Each movement reflects the reactions of the body, mind and emotions to violence and builds a strong connection between the dancers and the audience.