Per Roar Thorsnes

Per Roar Thorsnes serves as Professor and Head of the Master's Programme in Choreography at the Academy of Dance, Oslo National Academy of the Arts. With a Doctorate in Arts (Dance) and interdisciplinary training spanning history, social sciences, and performance studies, he bridges artistic practice and academic research through choreographic fieldwork and somatic inquiry.

His educational trajectory includes:

• BA in Choreography from the Academy of Dance (KHIO)
• MA in Performance Studies from New York University
• Doctorate in Arts (Dance) from the University of the Arts Helsinki
• Background in History and Social Sciences (Cand. Mag) from the University of Oslo
• Graduate studies at Corvinus University (Budapest) and Oxford University

Thorsnes' research centers on performative memory work, investigating how dance can excavate traumatic histories and construct counter-narratives. His choreographic practice—exemplified by works like LIFE & DEATH (2006) and IF THIS IS MY BODY (2010-2013)—merges socio-political critique with somatic awareness, particularly examining queer temporality and marginalized voices. Recent projects focus on archival reactivation through collective initiatives like Seminarium (2012-2016) and the Skeiv Bevegelse magazine documenting Norwegian queer dance history.

Analysis of his 2023-2024 publications reveals a cohesive exploration of memory as active resistance: works consistently engage with trauma recovery, archival ethics, and queer historiography through embodied methodologies. The outputs span academic lectures, scientific articles, and critical reviews, demonstrating interdisciplinary engagement with memory studies while prioritizing marginalized perspectives—particularly through the lens of "skeiv" (queer) experience.

His recognition includes:

• US-Fulbright scholarship (1998-1999)
• Norwegian Government fellowship for artists (2000-2003)
• Norwegian Government’s Guarantee Income for Artists (2013-2029)

As programme head, Thorsnes supervises MA choreography students while leading curriculum development that integrates artistic research with social engagement. His collaborative projects—including BY CARTE BLANCHE (2016) and Danseinformasjonen initiatives—create platforms for experimental research-creation. Significant funding through national artist fellowships supports his decade-long investigation into traumatic grieving and memory politics.

Thorsnes maintains active international collaborations through collective artistic research teams, notably co-developing the Skeiv Bevegelse project that circulates queer dance histories via publications, performances, and community workshops at venues like Oslo's Black Box Theatre.