Erica Dankmeyer
Photographer: Anne Helene Gjelstad
ABOUT 360º
In 2007, Martin Løfsnes founded 360º Dance Company, a New York-based company comprised primarily of former principal dancers from the Martha Graham Dance Company. The company's mission is to combine the great classics of modern dance with cutting-edge contemporary commissions in order to simultaneously preserve and develop the modern dance lineage. It seeks to challenge the traditional roots of modern dance and yet maintain their artistic vision and dramatic integrity. 360º presented it's premiere performances during a weeklong run at Baerum Cultural Center in Oslo, Norway. The season featured an opening night Gala to raise funds for the creation of the Inger-Lise Løfsnes Medical Center (ILLMC), a center dedicated to improving the quality of life for people in Zambia living with HIV/AIDS.
The Company has since then also performed at Purchase College/SUNY, The Ailey Citigroup Theater, 92nd Street Y, the South Street Seaport (as part of LMCC's SITELINES Festival) Monkey-Town, and presented lecture demonstrations in NYC schools and colleges.
» Read Our Mission Statement » Read Our Vision Statement
MARTIN LØFSNES, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Martin Løfsnes was born in East Germany and grew up in Norway. He studied at London Contemporary Dance School/The Place, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center and the Martha Graham School. In 1993, he joined the Martha Graham Dance Company, attaining the rank of Principal Dancer in 1996, performing and touring extensively until 2006. He was also in Matthew Bourne/AMP's Broadway production of Swan Lake, and performed with Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Pearl Lang Dance Theater, Donald Byrd/the Group, Dankmeyer Dance Company, Sasha Spielvogel/Labyrinth Dance Theater and Errol Grimes Dance Group. Mr. Løfsnes is on the faculty of the Ailey School and his teaching credits also include Martha Graham School, Purchase College SUNY, Marymount Manhattan College, State College of the Arts (Oslo, Norway).