2020–2021 P 2 FINNISH DANCE IN FOCUS 2020–2021 EDITORIAL CONTENTS FINNISH DANCE IN FOCUS 2020–2021 P 3 Dance artists travelled to the Arctic Ocean to shoot a film. © Lumikinos FINNISH DANCE IN FOCUS 2020–2021 \ VOLUME TWENTY-TWO DANCE AS A CREATIVE Production © Publisher: Dance Info Finland FORM OF ACTIVISM 12–15 Lennart Tallberginkatu 1 C/93, 00180 Helsinki Tel. +358 (0)9 6121 812 Laberenz [email protected] This year, we have found ourselves in a global situation so serious that artists cannot 30–33 www.danceinfo.fi simply sit back and ignore it. In this edition, dance artists tell us about how they are Editor-in-chief: Sanna Rekola drawing attention through their work to the environmental and human emergency [email protected] we are facing. Artists have a need to make their audiences think, to create a sense of Editor: Sanna Kangasluoma kinship, and to light sparks of hope. © [email protected] But what can dance do in the face of the world’s major problems? And is it even Petri Editorial board: Riitta Aittokallio, Sanna artists’ place to step in? \ Tuohimaa Kangasluoma, Anni Leino, Katarina Lindholm, Educating the audience might not seem like the most obvious way for art to get Fern Minna Luukko, Sanna Rekola the discussion going about important topics and raise awareness – so how can art Orchestra’s make a difference? Because we all want to have an impact and communicate to make plant jams Writers: Ida Henritius, Sanna Kangasluoma, the world a better place, including through dance. combine \ Eeva Kauppinen, Anni Leino, Teemu Mäki, Many artists are declaring that instead of performing, they are trying to use their Choreographer in Focus: Milla Koistinen Emma Vainio pieces to encourage audiences to put themselves in someone else’s shoes and show performance English translation: Claire Dickenson, Fleur compassion for other people, animals, plants, or even microscopic algae. Using dance art and dance. Jeremiah, Lola Rogers like this allows artists to bring the message home at a deeper, more experiential level. And this is something dance artists – professionals of bodily experience and Graphic design & layout: Inka Kosonen expression – are good at. But in 2020, with the coronavirus pandemic closing venues and knocking the cul- 21–23 Photographers: Saara Autere, Jubal Battisti, tural sector hard, artists have also had to consider how the message can be conveyed David Binderberger, Noora Geagea, Jefunne remotely. Can art still bring people together if the performers and the audience are Gimpel, Arno Illukka, Antti Jussila, Sanna not even in the same space, breathing the same air? Kaesmae, Jaana Kurttila, Lennart Laberenz, Thankfully, artists have seen how encounters on social media offer plenty in Leevi Lehtinen, Janne-Pekka Manninen, Pekka the way of a direct and personal touch, creating a sense of community online, too. EDITORIAL IDEAS Mäkinen, Yoshi Omori, Tom Sebus, Jonne Sip- Can dance art help us take those much-needed steps towards hope? 02 Dance as a creative form of activism / Sanna 16 How to dance against climate change / Teemu Mäki pola, Jonatan Sundström, Uupi Tirronen, Petri Kangasluoma 21 Fern Orchestra – A plant, microorganism and human band / Tuohimaa, Rita Vaali, Paul Valikoski, Hannu- Helsinki, August 2020 Sanna Kangasluoma Pekka Vitikainen Sanna Kangasluoma NEWS 24 The connection between the body and nature vibrates Editor 04 Target Helsinki – Social media as a playground for through Tero Saarinen’s new piece On the cover: dance artists 25 Sanna Kekäläinen: What do we do now? / Sanna Kangasluoma Target Helsinki: The Food Party’s Over 06 In an open space ‘maybe’ is a possible answer – Choreographer: Ehkä production IN THE SPOTLIGHT Elina Häyrynen & Natasha Lommi DANCE INFO FINLAND acts as a gateway to Finnish dance art 07 Mad House Helsinki brings performance art to the / Emma Vainio Cover photography: Noora Geagea through international networks and by providing spotlight 26 Vera Lapitskaya: Life itself inspires me information about dance in Finland. Our mission 08 Carl Knif – contradictions and affiliations within a 27 Hanna Pajala-Assefa: I understand the world through my Printed by: Suomen Uusiokuori Oy is to support the development of Finnish dance, performance body With gratitude: The Ministry of Education and and to open new horizons and create professional 09 It’s already 40 years! – Dance Info Finland 28 Michaela the Queen of Fucking Everything (Laura Culture in Finland opportunities and connections for Finnish dance artists. We are part- 10 What are the hot topics and what’s going on in Pietiläinen) ners in collaboration projects and exchange programmes, and work Finland? – Curators answer 29 Marika Peura: Companionship and synergy are sources of Finnish Dance in Focus is closely with the Nordic dance sector and platforms. 11 Good news & Sad news strength published once a year. Founded in 1980, we are funded mainly by the Ministry of Culture and PHENOMENON CHOREOGRAPHER IN FOCUS ISSN-1795-9837 Education in Finland. Read more on www.danceinfo.fi. 12 Dance Art Explorers / Anni Leino 30 Milla Koistinen: A Crowd is a sensitive thing / Eeva Kauppinen 34–47 Directory of Finnish Dance P 4 FINNISH DANCE IN FOCUS 2020–2021 NEWS NEWS FINNISH DANCE IN FOCUS 2020–2021 P 5 WHILE GENERATING ideas for Target Helsinki, a need to explore ways of creating dance an online art project, no one, including from another angle. A project in which Videos are issued every dance artists Elina Häyrynen and Natasha videos are issued every week and social Lommi, could know what kind of excep- media constitute the stage creates a very week and social media tional spring was just round the corner in different framework for a production. You constitute the stage. 2020. When the corona crisis then started, must be prepared to alter the plans mid- Häyrynen and Lommi had already secured course, which compels you to be present funding for the project to experiment with and ready to react. Your relationship with taking dance online. In addition to videos, the audience is also affected.” live transmissions and images, they were interested in the impact of social media A SLICE OF DANCE HISTORY IN THE presence on the relationship between the SPRING OF THE CORONA VIRUS artist and the audience. Restrictions imposed by the virus forced the entire field of performing arts to experi- ment with the use of the online channels THE DANCER STEPS CLOSER TO THE as the stage. AUDIENCE Encountering the ”It’s pretty incredible how timely Target Target Helsinki published videos, images, audience through the proved, quite by chance. We were afraid stories and other content on Facebook, of the situation in Finland sliding into a Instagram, YouTube and Vimeo every week social media can be complete lockdown, which would have had from the beginning of March till the end a significant impact on the filming plans,” of May. meaningful and direct. according to Lommi. ”Target demonstrated that encounter- Corona did have some effect on the ing the audience through the social media Target videos. On the International Dance can be meaningful and even more direct Day, they issued a black and white video than the traditional discussion with the What moves us, in which twenty-one Finn- audience after a performance,” Häyrynen ish artists dance in their own homes. Do I says. need other people, shot in an empty theatre, Dancers in choreography-driven com- depicts the importance of touch in the panies can easily remain just names on the middle of a period when theatres are closed printed programme with no real contact TARGET HELSINKI: ”Originally, we thought of examining and social distancing is the norm. In the with the audience. Could the social media The Food Party is Over success and associated phenomena by video Generations, Lommi and Häyrynen provide dancers with a channel for contact- Noora Geagea artistic means,” Elina Häyrynen explains. dance duets with their mothers, also danc- ing the audience, and the other way round? TARGET HELSINKI – ”But pretty soon the corona crisis made ers. The video, which resonates beautifully The duo describes the project as a the topic seem uninteresting, though some with the time, reflects a deep-seated physi- playground and a platform for different traces of it are discernible in the Target cal longing for your mother. experiments and for learning from them. videos,” Natasha Lommi continues. For The stockpiling of toilet paper, one ”At first we were worried about how all SOCIAL MEDIA AS A example, in the videos Pose and Gold Rush of the phenomena of the corona spring, this would be received or whether anyone Häyrynen and Lommi strike poses and talk is depicted in the video The Food Party’s would be interested. Neither of us had about money at a funder’s gala. Over, which takes place in a white kitchen previously talked at any great length on Ins- Lommi and Häyrynen have danced resembling a research laboratory. tagram or systematically produced content PLAYGROUND FOR together since they were children at the Häyrynen and Lommi don’t believe that for different platforms. Now we’re certain ballet school of the Finnish National Opera. digitalization will ever be a full substitute that Target Helsinki will continue in some In the past ten years, the duo has danced for live performances, but they are inter- form in the future,” according Lommi. DANCE ARTISTS together at Susanna Leinonen Company’s ested in the value that the social media \ works, among other productions. may be able to add to the dance content, TEXT Anni Leino TRANSLATION Fleur Jeremiah ”We share a long history as company irrespective of corona. www.targethelsinki.com dancers, which results in a certain work In addition to contemporary dancers Elina pattern: a rehearsal period, performances Häyrynen and Natasha Lommi, the work- in Finland, and gigs abroad…and this pat- ing group of Target Helsinki includes visual tern is repeated over and over again,” artist Noora Geagea, sound designer Janne Häyrynen says.