THE SECRET GARDEN is created by dancers Pirjo Yli-Maunula, Milla Virtanen and Maria Littow, acrobats Ilona Jäntti and Milla Järvinen, sound designer Anssi Laiho, assistant Nikke Launonen, light designer Jukka Huitila and wardrobe designer Heidi Kesti. Set design by the team in co-operation with students and teacher, master florist Pasi Kivilompolo from the OSAO Kempele-Liminka Unit. Photography, texts by Janne-Pekka Manninen.
THE SECRET GARDEN is something you should experience, not explain. "First it is the insects that disappear. Then birds run out of things to eat. THE SECRET GARDEN is the depiction of a future we are making for ourselves right now." More about the performance and tickets! www.flowprod.fi/en/ohjelmistossa/the-secret-garden/ I met Pekka Kuusisto in Tavastia club Helsinki for the first time. I think it might had been around 2004. I was collaborating visuals with Vesa Ellilä for Rinneradio. Pekka came as a guest for the show and he had a place for strong atmospheric violin solo in the middle of the concert. I had first generation camera phone in my pocket and when he arrived, last minute off course, I took a photo of his face. Vesa had designed white sphere light set up that covered the stage from left to right. I used Photoshop and created masks for the balls and when the solo came I made Pekka´s face travelling around those balls. It was fun, weird but fun. We are creating series of three concerts in Wigmore Hall London now. We had a work in progress concert opening day of the Our Festival in Järvenpää. First concert is titled Syöpä (cancer) and the premiere will be in London 13.9. Pekka is playing and Suvi Savola speaking briefly about cancer studies along the concert. Maija Tammi´s stunning videos and Perttu Haapanen as a composer for the concert finale In Vitro. My role travels between curator, director and lighting designer. Mute travels in time and space. Extremely hot performance since the venue temperature in Pyhäjärvi Full Moon was + 30. Titta Court was performing the 40 min piece wearing a fur coat, imagine that. This piece will be in Helsinki spring 2019. Don't miss it! Licking things (2016) is a ride through emotions. This performance is about licking life, you taste something. The piece keeps going, unstoppable. Such a reward working with Sari, Katri, Tumppi, Mikko and Karoliina. Next show in Kittilä maybe or maybe not ;) Definitely not buryed yet. Choreography Carl Knif
Dance Jonna Aaltonen, Terhi Vaimala, Eero Vesterinen, Riku Lehtopolku, Annika Hyvärinen, Satu Halttunen, Pekka Louhio, Tom Rejström & Misa Lommi Scenography Jukka Huitila Sound design Janne Hast Costume design Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila Production Ona Sandberg Co-production Carl Knif Company & Dance Theatre Raatikko Premiere 2018, Kuopio Dance Festival Press photos by Yoshi Omori It´s Eastern and we are performing last shows for Anna Karenina in Suvilahti, Helsinki.Great reviews in the media and on top lots of loving feedback from the audience. Five shows remaining and we´ve been fully booked so far. Magnificent company musicians lead by Roni Martin and flamenco stars Mariana Collado and Carlos Chamorro are putting their hearts in to this triangle drama. Kaari Martin and Atro Kahiluoto are butlers in the show like me but responsible of directing the brave vision of the performance. In the middle of the collapsing tables and melting ice decorations Jorma Uotinen is a vivid artists, twisting his role in Anna Karenina into a russian bear. Its a privilege to get to perform with him. Photo of Jorma by Minna Hatinen. Another bear I met this week was hanging on the wall of the Finnish National Theatre. I made a venue check for the upcoming project with a drama director Irene Aho. I will do the scenography for Jennifer Tremblay´s play The List. This will be my third collaboration with Irene. The play itself is a powerful monolog.. At Once, in Helsinki is the latest work by Carl Knif Company, and it will be premiered in Kuopio Dance Festival 14.6.2018. I look forward to this project since we have lots of great dancers on the stage. This will be a big production in the free field of the contemporary dance in Finland. Photo: Yoshi Omori WELCOME TO COUNT KARENIN’S BALL!
Why is all this done? We will all be put to our graves, and there will be nothing left of us. And it will be the same with me. Why? -ANNA KARENINA Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin is pleased to invite You to share a dinner at Count Karenin’s festive table! A doomsday orchestra plays the last waltz under the gleam of crystal chandeliers. Ice sculptures melt away on trays. A bear dances. Love will not be our saving grace. On stage: Mariana Collado, Carlos Chamorro, Jorma Uotinen, Erno Haukkala, Roni Martin, Sanna Salmenkallio, Eppu Helle, Miguel Kolliander, Jukka Huitila Choreography: Kaari Martin together whit dancers Music: Roni Martin Dramaturgy: Atro Kahiluoto Direction: Martin-Martin-Kahiluoto Light design and scenography: Jukka Huitila Costume design: Erika Turunen Make up and hair: Kaisu Hölttä Photography: Janne Mikkilä Livesound: Eppu Helle Stagemanager: Miguel Kolliander Costume production: Johanna Vehmas ja Ilkka Salakari, Atelje Hurma Production: Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin Tickets: Helsinki / Cirko, Suvilahti 22.3–2.4.2018. Tickets: 25-39 €, ticketmaster.fi Mirva Tarvainen: Sonic Journal Live
Concert at the Helsinki Music Centre December 15 2017 comp. & lyrics Mirva Tarvainen Mirva Tarvainen: vocals, double bass Meriheini Luoto: violin Maija Holopainen: violin Liisa Haapanen: cello Martin Åkesson: electronics Jukka Huitila: light design and video projections Olli Ovaskainen: sound tech Raekallio Corp: Oneiron
Photos: Stefan Bremer Scenography: Valtteri Raekallio, Aino Koski and Jukka Huitila Performers: Jonna Aaltonen, Krista-Julia Arppo, Annamari Keskinen, Mirva Mäkinen, Eero Vesterinen and Valtteri Raekallio It has been a nice collaboration with Valtteri Raekallio the director and Aino Koski the scenographer. We have created a space where dancers are disappearing to a mist just to being pulled back due to the bright light of life. Valtteri had an ambitious idea about a bright light from outside that´s travelling around the building. This idea is known from the ancient Greek theatre plays performed during the sunset. Instead of the sun we have a full control of the led fixtures travelling in a trolley... like a movie style. We actually had to build a custom trolley to make it move smoothly on an asphalt, slalom a containers, downhill, manpower and all. Aino painted the windows with sour milk, a good old smelly method as well. Then we just add some mist and voilà: we have a hazy ambient feeling. This is working perfectly with the glorious dancers. Oneiron is one to feel! We will have a premiere 18th of January 2018, really next Thursday. The premiere is sold out and the rest of the performances are selling fast!! Tickets from Holvi
We had a moody concert in Musiikkitalo, Sonore venue last Friday the 15th of December. I met Mirva once before the concert and we talked about the visual guidelines. I offered to work with a videoprojection on top of the live lights. Mirva had created a nice event photo from her journey to Melbourne. Songs and ambients were influenced by these surroundings and this landscape was an inspiration also for me to work within the information in the picture: city skyline, rocky beach and an ocean, to begin with. I used some extra hours to create backgrounds for every song and in some parts the video was the only light on the stage. This gave pretty nice rhythm to the theme sonic journal live was all about, travelling, breathing and listening. I created the content with photoshopping the image and then used Resolume Avenue to effect them a little. I projected the videos to a black acoustic wall and by adjusting the contrast and colors I balanced the scenography the way I wanted. After the first song Mirva introduced the band and that was enough of talking for the next 45 minutes. Then we just created an audiovisual journey for the audience. Mirva Tarvainen: Sonic Journal Live Mirva Tarvainen - vocals, double bass, violin Meriheini Luoto - violin, vocals Maija Holopainen - violin, vocals Liisa Haapanen - cello, vocals Martin Åkesson - live electronics, electric bass, vocals Sound: Olli Ovaskainen Lights and projections: Jukka Huitila Oneiron, a performance based on the book by Laura Lindstedt will premiere in Helsinki, January 2018… Stay tuned!
Raekallio Corp. Tickets Black humour, mansplaining, cold facts about the climate change, slapstick and tragedy are combined with virtuoso movement. Dancers: Mia Jaatinen, Mikko Makkonen, Iiro Näkki, Oskari Turpeinen and Jarkko Mandelin Choreography: Mandelin and the workgroup Sound design: Janne Hast Costumes: Kirsi Gum Background material for the projection: Joonas Merikanto Lighting design and projections: Jukka Huitila We had a super tight schedule to put up a premiere but thanks to the professional crew in Verkatehdas, Hämeenlinna, we were able to rehearse twice and perform the premiere as planned. I had a true challenge since I had no time to run the show by myself. Some of the cues were following specific sound effects and I can tell that it´s not an easy task after seeing two rehearsals and updating cues while learning what´s happening on the stage.. Olli Hietajärvi, the operator was the correct man for the job. He really nailed it and deserves an applause! The dancers were amazing of course and the things they have created with a plastic balls are a true jaw dropping experience.High recommendation! Helsinki performances in Stoa 8.-14.12. and a quick visit to Lahti 13.12. More pictures will follow during Helsinki period. Kinetic Orchestra in facebook My lighting design on this piece was really simple but an actual illusion arrises with the performers and the music. Precise light fades are supporting the dance and by doing so they give space for the music to create the drama. Music can rule the moment easily but on Nine Lives we managed to make the live performing, lights and music to breath into unison. By doing less I can still do a lot and with the strong performers I love to keep it simple. Choreography and concept: Marjaterttu Willman
Dancers: Jonna Aaltonen and Timo Korjus Composing: Kimmo Pohjonen, Samuli Kosminen Music performed by: Kimmo Pohjonen, Samuli Kosminen, Kronos Quartet (tape) Lighting design: Jukka Huitila Sound design: Petri Peltovako Costume design: Aapo Siikala Set design: Nora Helsinki and Marjaterttu Willman Photography: Mirka Kleemola, Imagenary Premiere Cable Factory, Helsinki 16.11.2017 The festival will present a world premiere of Nine lives by Willman Dance Company, and present visiting contemporary dance companies from Finland. More info of the program Tickets Venue in the Cable Factory, Helsinki I am managing the technical side for festival and will design the lights for the Nine Lives. Viirus Guest: Carl Knif Company THE EMOTIONAL LIFE OF A DOG / WHAT MY FATHER SAID The emotional life of a dog / what my father said is a physical study of emotions and their origins. The choreography is a duet for two male dancers. The piece deals with the process of becoming your own self and the concept of manhood. Choreography: Carl Knif Dance: Carl Knif, Eero Vesterinen Texts: Carl Knif, Kristofer Möller Light and projection design: Jukka Huitila Sound design: Janne Hast Costume design: Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila Production: Carl Knif Company & Zodiak - Centre for New Dance, 2016 We had three performances of this atmospheric piece and It was nice to come back to this work now. I broke my ankle badly right after the premiere last year. I had some deep thoughts over the Autumn while recovering from the surgery.. so, it took me some time to remember the ideas behind the scenography. I wanted to have a movie like background and some past time feeling on it. On the other hand I used fluorescent lights as a sidelights to bring it up to the present time. Nice combination, kind of a live movie or "a movie happening" in front of the screen. Then I used just front lights to light up the performers from the background. It´s actually very minimalistic setup. Something new for me and something to keep up exploring over the upcoming premier with Carl Knif Company 2018. A SURREALISTIC DANCE PIECE ABOUT THE UNSPOKEN
A piece for two dancers and two children, this work by Pirjo Yli-Maunula and Titta Court takes on the subject of silence, muteness. [mute] looks at how we avoid conflict by acting as if nothing’s wrong, but it’s a fragile equilibrium that comes at a cost. [mute] is also about shame, of losing face and of the threat of the unknown. To not speak is to hide one’s emotions. The silence of [mute] is akin to living under the shadow of an active volcano and behaving as if nothing will ever happen--deep inside you know the destruction is a matter of when, not if. The creators of [mute] handle their subject matter with characteristic dark humor, surrealism and absurdity. Choreography: Titta Court & Pirjo Yli-Maunula Dancer: Titta Court / Pirjo Yli-Maunula Child dancer: Pinja Palosaari / Marona Awdishou Light design: Jukka Huitila Composers: Aake Otsala ja George Bandoek Apostolakis Sound director: Aake Otsala Dress and set design: Heidi Kesti Promotion photos: Pekka Mäkinen Promotion text and making of -photos: Janne-Pekka Manninen Production: Flow Productions / Pirjo Yli-Maunula & Titta Court Support: Taike, Oulun city, Majaoja foundation, Taike Lapland ps. We had such a rewarding last week before the premiere. We put up the set, lights and sound in Kulttuuri Valve and started the run troughs on the set as soon as the day one. This gave us an opportunity to tune everything at the finest. We are so proud of this work and the big applause goes to child performers who stood up amazingly with the audience. JP Manninen captured some of the strong moods on these beautiful press photos. Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin’s KILL Carmen will be ripping through Finland this autumn with 28 performances. The internationally acclaimed show will be staged in Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Ylivieska and Kemi in October and November. The work will tour Finland as part of Art Testers, a project intended for school pupils and run by the Finnish Cultural Foundation and the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland. At the same time, it will be shown at theatres in the same towns, with evening performances open to the public.
I am operating the light for the Helsinki events. Come and check us out! Helsinki, Cirko – Center for New Circus Oct 28–29 - tickets Jyväskylä City Theatre Nov 1 Ylivieska, Cultural Centre Akustiikka Nov 5 Kemi City Theatre Nov 8 |
AuthorUpdates about projects, premieres and tours. |