Elizabeth Svarstad graduated from the Norwegian Ballet Academy in 2000. She holds a Nordic Master of Arts in dance studies from the University of Copenhagen, the University of Stockholm and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and a PhD in dance studies from NTNU, the Department of Music. In 2015 Svarstad had a six months’ research stay at the Sorbonne University supported by the Research Council of Norway.
Svarstad has studied baroque dance in France, England and the US and is Norway’s foremost specialist in baroque dance and early dance. She is a sought-after artist, and has performed in dance performances, concerts, opera productions and solo performances.
She is a lecturer in Baroque dance at The Norwegian Academy of Music and at Oslo National Academy of the Arts.
Svarstad has received grants from the Research Council of Norway, Arts Council Norway, Fund for Performing Artists in Norway, The City of Oslo, Norwegian Musicians Union, Government Grants for Artists, The Swedish Arts Grants Committee, and Sleipnir travel grant.
In 2019 Svarstad was awarded the Parelius prize for deserving artists for her work with dance in the performing arts field.