Ola Stinnerbom: They call us Lappjävlar (Lappland devils)
They call us Lappjävlar is about the basic and equal value of all people. Ola dances and sings the Sami history and talks about the state's oppression and racist values taken directly from Swedish encyclopedias. How are you supposed to be yourself, when you are offended in the name of science or when the state sets up rules for who is Sami? When self-repression becomes so great that one forgets essential parts of one's culture and even completely denies others? Do you want to be Sami at all, when you are measured and studied or displayed at museums as an exotic element, as was done with Ola's ancestors?
In shoes made of reindeer skin, he glides across the stage. Every movement carries the memory of ancient knowledge moving on different surfaces. A poetic performance, which combines the strong expression of contemporary circus with dance in a way that grabs hold and leaves no one unmoved.
Ola Stinnerbom is a trained dancer at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm and a ballet teacher at DOCH Stockholm. A multi-faceted all-round dancer in Streetdance, Break, Acrobatics, Hip Hop, and Norwegian Halling (a traditional dance). Ola has worked as a dancer for over 40 years, produced over 100 of his own productions, and is currently a specialist in Saami Stunt Dance.
Ola Stinnerbom is also a Sami jojk artist, innovator and tradition-bearer who combines the ancient jojk with modern music. Ola chooses to go his own way. He doesn't shy away from hollering or rapping to an energetic beat that hits the dance floor. Ola has won the Sami Grand Prix vocal section in 2007.