When the Bleeding Stops: Turning Menopause into a Celebration of Womanhood
When Icelandic dancer and choreographer Lovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir was forced to pause her career after an injury, she didn’t expect her personal experience to lead her into a collective awakening. What began as a reckoning with her changing body soon revealed something far more universal – the silence surrounding menopause.
As she began researching and speaking with women in her community, she realised she had touched on an overlooked angle that resonated deeply with many. Those early conversations with menopausal women in Iceland evolved into a global network of women dancing, sharing and reclaiming their stories.
Out of that collective energy came When the Bleeding Stops, a dance performance that transforms one of society’s quietest taboos into a celebration of womanhood.
We spoke with Lovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir about the making of the work and about the women who brought it to life.
© Tale Hendnes / Project: When the Bleeding Stops
– When the Bleeding Stops confronts a subject that is often overlooked. When did you first realise menopause was not just a personal experience but a cultural blind spot – and how did that realisation shape your approach to making this piece?
This project began from a personal place. As I approached the age of forty, I was suddenly confronted with the word menopause and realised how little I actually knew about it. I didn’t even have the terminology right – I had never heard of perimenopause. When I turned to the internet for answers, I only became more confused and ashamed.
Over time, I came to understand that this wasn’t just a personal lack of knowledge – it was part of a much larger cultural silence around a major life transition for women. That silence, and the shame I felt about something completely natural in every woman’s life, sparked a sense of injustice in me. It motivated me to explore the topic more deeply.
I enrolled in a master’s program, where my research project was titled Preparing for Menopause – A Self-Help Dance. Around the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. As part of my research, I reached out to a Facebook group called ‘Menopause and invited women to try my personal dance practice – to dance in their homes, record themselves on their phones, and share their videos. Their responses, combined with my own experience, became the seed for When the Bleeding Stops – a collective exploration of a shared yet too-often invisible experience.
© Tale Hendnes / Project: When the Bleeding Stops
– Each version of When the Bleeding Stops includes local women, many of whom don’t have dancing experience. What changes do you witness in them — from first rehearsal to stepping on stage, or perhaps immediately after the show?
It’s a powerful process to witness. These women begin by filming themselves dancing in the privacy of their living rooms – trusting me with something deeply personal – and then show up in person for the workshop, often unsure of what to expect. Seeing their videos projected on a big screen, rehearsing on stage and eventually performing live in front of an audience is a profound journey, especially for those without any stage experience.
They come from diverse backgrounds, and for many, this takes them far outside their comfort zones. During dress rehearsals, there’s often a sense of nervousness or shyness. But when the performance begins – and they feel the energy from the audience and the other women dancing on screen – something shifts. A kind of magic happens.
After the first performance, they already begin to feel a strong sense of ownership of the piece. By the second or third time, their confidence grows even more, and many want to perform again immediately. It becomes clear the work belongs to them just as much as it does to me.
– And how does the presence of these women shape the piece as a whole?
At its heart, When the Bleeding Stops is about how our identity evolves as we age – and the importance and joy of being seen and celebrated at every stage of life. The women’s courage, vulnerability and joy bring the piece to life. Their videos, unpolished and honest, create a shared space where vulnerability becomes strength.
– In your work, the focus isn’t on perfect technique and aesthetics; instead, dance is used as a tool for self-expression. How does letting go of ‘technique’ open new pathways to confidence and empowerment for the women involved?
I’ve often been very judgemental towards myself, and I think many of the women who take part in the project share that tendency. Coming from a background as a professional dancer, I was used to constant critique – pushing myself hard, always striving for perfection. But when I was injured and forced to let go of technique for a while, I started exploring movement in a different way. Alone, in the privacy of my living room, I allowed myself to be vulnerable. And in that vulnerability, I found a new, more honest connection to my body and to dance.
It was deeply healing and empowering – and that’s something I try to pass on to the women I work with. I encourage them to be gentle with themselves, to listen to their bodies, to move in ways that feel right for them in that moment, regardless of how they think it should look. It’s about tuning into how the body wants to move – accepting its daily condition, and finding freedom within that. I also give the women personal, supportive feedback to create a space where they feel seen and valued.
The videos are all different, but what they share is honesty. They become little windows into the women’s lives – short, personal stories told through movement. For me, this way of storytelling — through dance and vulnerability – is incredibly rich and powerful.
© Owen Fiene / Lovísa Ósk Gunnarsdóttir performing When the Bleeding Stops
– There is so much joy and humour in your performance. Why was that important to you, especially when talking about something so often hidden?
For me, joy and humour are essential parts of When the Bleeding Stops. When I began this process, I had to confront my own prejudices around menopause. I even caught myself feeling pity. But as I listened to real stories, I saw how wrong that was.
The women I’ve met through the project are vibrant, diverse and full of life, with many finally finding time and space for themselves — like ripened fruit ready for harvest. I wanted to focus on that. Yes, some face challenges, but I wanted to shift the narrative: to highlight the joy, shared strength and empowerment that comes from being visible.
There’s something radical about laughing together, being silly, having fun and stepping into the spotlight – literally. It’s a way of breaking the silence and challenging the negative narrative around this phase of life.
– Many women of different age ranges in the audience seem deeply moved. What kinds of things do they tell you afterwards?
We always receive strong reactions from the audience – and not just from women, but from all genders. Many audience members express deep gratitude for bringing this subject into the open. Some feel inspired to dance, to join the project or to share their own stories. Others leave with a deeper understanding of what women go through during menopause – a shift in awareness and empathy. For many, it offers a completely new perspective on something that has too often been hidden.
© Danny Danisch / Project: When the Bleeding Stops
– When the Bleeding Stops evolved from a dance performance into a living community empowering hundreds of women. What do you think caused that?
Wherever we go, there seems to be a real need to come together and talk about this. The women are often grateful to be offered a safe, supportive and creative space to do so. And then, we have fun! The adrenaline of stepping into the spotlight is real, and many women describe it as a life-changing experience.
Very quickly, a strong bond forms among the group. They don’t want it to end – so we always connect them through social media so they can keep in touch, organise meetups, and support each other after we leave. It’s wonderful to see how active some of the groups remain, long after the project has moved on.
We’re also manifesting a When the Bleeding Stops grand finale in Reykjavík after the tour, bringing together all the women and all the videos for a large-scale celebration of everything the project has become.
– Within the Perform Europe tour, you’ve now performed in countries such as Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, Hungary, Italy and Lithuania. What did it mean to bring When the Bleeding Stops to those audiences?
It was incredibly valuable to hear voices and perspectives from women in these countries. Before this tour, we had mostly performed in Northern Europe, where the conversations around menopause are already starting to open up. In parts of Central and Eastern Europe, I sensed an even stronger taboo – a deeper silence around the topic. And yet, the audiences were more than ready. Their responses were open, emotional and generous.
– If someone leaves your performance with a new perspective, what do you hope that might be?
I hope they leave seeing menopause – and aging – in a new light. This phase of life can mark a powerful shift: a new chapter where you’re wiser, more experienced and more aware of what you want and need and, therefore, more capable of enjoying life. It’s not an end – it’s a new beginning.
If people leave with more compassion, curiosity, and respect – not only for menopause but for all life stages – then I feel the work has done its job.
I often joke with the local women before the show that our goal is to make everyone in the audience want to be menopausal – just so they can join the party.
© Tale Hendnes / Project: When the Bleeding Stops
What started in Lovísa’s living room has now travelled across Europe. More than 1,200 people experienced When the Bleeding Stops in Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia as part of its Perform Europe tour. Women have joined Lovísa to dance their stories into the spotlight, empowering one another and transforming their private experiences into something powerful, communal and alive.
