1. CV Lára Stefánsdóttir
Dancer/Choreographer/Pilates instructor
Lára Stefánsdóttir graduated from the Icelandic National Ballet School and did further
dance training in Kuopio, Dresden, Cologne and Copenhagen. She worked as a dancer
with Iceland Dance Company (ÍD) for prox 20 years and danced many leading roles. In
1995, the well known Swedish choreographer, Per Jonsson ( passed away1999) made
a solo piece For Lára, which she later danced on many occasions f. ex. Dancing North in
Barcelona 1995. Among choreographers she has worked with are; Auður Bjarnadóttir,
Nanna Ólafsdóttir, Hlíf Svavarsdóttir, David Greenall, Jorma Uotinen, Jirí Kylián, Rui
Horta, Jochen Ulrich, Richard Wherlock, Eska Holm, Jo Strömgren and Ed Wubbe.
Lára was director of Iceland National Ballet School 2009 - 2012. 2012 – 2014 artistic
director of Iceland Dance Company. Today Lára is a freelance choreographer/
performer/ballet teacher/Pilates instructor who has a great interest in working on overall
well being for body, mind, spirit of human beings in general and for performers. Lára
offers also practical creative workshops with focus on HOW LESS CAN BE MORE in
choreography and performing.
She has choreographed for Iceland Dance Company , Pars Pro Toto dance-company,
Iceland National Ballet School of Iceland, different productions at The Icelandic National
Theatre, Reykjavik City Theatre, Icelandic National Television, Reykjavik Chamber
Orchestra,Television and many independent companies. In 2000 Reykjavik Culture
Capital commissioned two new pieces from Lara.
She has been awarded many grants and prices for her work. To mention some, in 1998
she got the first price at the choreographic competition, City Theatre in Reykjavik. Her
piece Elsa (2001) got the first price at the International Choreographic Competition in
Helsinki, Finland. March 2002 her piece Joi received 1st price at The 6th International
Solo-Dance-Theatre festival in Stuttgart, Germany. June 2004, her work Luna (2004)
received the Icelandic award called Griman. The works Sisters, Brothers were also
nominates years later.
Lára received a Masters degree in Arts-Choreography, from Middlesex University,
London 2006. 2003- certificated Pilates instructor from The Pilates Studio in The Hague,
Holland. Her dance-works called G.duo (2007) and Von (2005) were performed at The
Icelandic festival in Stuttgart, Germany in May, 2007. Svanurinn (2008) a duet made for
the ÍD got extremely good responses and has been performed world wide. And the work

2. “Sisters” (2008) made and danced by Stefánsdóttir, Ástrós Gunnarsdóttir was a big
success. Text in the piece is written by Hrafnhildur Hagalín. In 2010, three of them, Lára,
Ástrós and Hrafnhildur wrote and choreographed another work called “Brothers” which
was premiered at The Art Festival in Reykjavík. Lara’s choreography has been
performed worldwide in Europe, Asia, S-Africa,USA and Britain.
Pars Pro Toto dancecompany directed by Lára (PPT), is an independent physical
theatre, directed by Lara Stefansdottir, dancer/choreographer. Although dance is
the focus point in PPT works, the aim is to combine different art forms, dance,
music, visual arts, film, acting, writing etc. Besides performing in Iceland, PPT
has performed at art festivals world wide, i.e. Berlin, Stuttgart, Denmark, Faroe
Islands, Baltic countries, S-Africa, Avignon, Japan, Bulgaria etc.
Information about Pars Pro Toto physical theater and Lára as a choreographer,
ballet teacher, Pilates instructor please contact person Lára directly by E-mail:
larastef@simnet.is
Lára´s website is getting renewed and is closedat the moment.