As a woman in her early forties, dancer and choreographer Lovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir has become fascinated by menopause and middle-aged women. In her new performance work “When the Bleeding Stops”, she addresses the excruciating silence and taboo that seems to engulf this topic in Western society.  

Working with a group of extraordinary middle-aged women from across Icelandic society, “When the Bleeding Stops” invites audiences into a world of vulnerability, shame, empathy and humour. Transporting us into the privacy of their homes, the work dives deep into the many layers of the female experience associated with menopause and invites us to laugh, cry and celebrate with these women. 
 

Participants: Arndís Guðmundsdóttir, Brynhildur Björnsdóttir, Ingibjörg Reynisdóttir, Kristjana Stefánsdóttir, Lovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir, Ólöf Ingólfsdóttir, Ósk Ebeneserdóttir, Sigrún Ólafsdóttir, Soffía Karlsdóttir, Sveinbjörg Þórhallsdóttir, Þórey Sigþórsdóttir and many more. 
 
Thanks: To my teachers, mentors and wonderful fellow students at LHÍ. To my family. To Brett Smith and Valdimar Jóhannsson for all their help and amazing skills. Last but not least I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to Sigrún Ólafsdóttir, Ólöf Ingólfsdóttir, Sveinbjörg Þórhallsdóttir, Kristjana Stefánsdóttir and all the amazing women who generously shared their stories with me and made this project happen.
 
Bio: Lovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir has danced her whole life. From doing daily dance performances in her living room at the age of four to a sixteen-year career as a member of the Iceland Dance Company, Lovísa has toured the world, continually creating, performing and working with a wide range of amazing artists. Two years ago, she suffered an injury that challenged her to rethink her relationship with dance and her body. Lovísa has since been actively finding new ways to connect with the body, its deeply embedded knowledge, history and experience.