I’ve graduated from the Dance Department of the Theatre Academy of Finland in 2000 (Masters of Art in Dance), later I did a master in Physical Education in the University of Jyväskylä. After this studies I have worked widely in Finland as a dancer, a dance teacher and a choreographer. My true passion is in movement. 2010 I was chosen to do doctoral studies (PHD) in Theatre Academy in Helsinki, Finland. My research is about “Somaesthetics of Contact Improvisation”. From 2000 onwards I have worked as dance teacher at the Kallio Upper Secondary School of Performing Arts in Finland. I have taught at different international dance and Contact Improvisation festivals. As a dancer I have worked in different dance companies, at the moment in Karttunen Kollektiv, Circo Aero and with Joona Halonen. During 2010-2011 I was in USA (University of Nevada, University of Colorado and Earthdance) as a Fulbright scholar.

In dance I am interested in the feeling of flow and soft movement. I love to investigate movement, its rhythm and different ways of inhabiting the body. A feeling of dancing is created by being able to switch the body from total relaxation to extreme intensity and tension. I call this the body’s ability to breath and create movement. My ideal is total presence, which makes every moment true and meaningful.

Time to fly | Class, 18-19 may

What makes us fly? Human touch? Flow of movement? Flying in the air? I am looking the clouds flying in the sky and there is something that makes me smile. 

I am curious to find tools what helps to dance Contact Improvisation and to improvise. I love to find a way to keep my mind curious and playful. My interest is to create alive dancing dialogue by using touch, movement, weight and balance. What kind of details we can find from dance by listening to the live situation. What if I have every moment in many possibilities where I can guide or allow dance to go?

How well we recognize when we are leading or following the dance or when being just passive? What are my habits in trio dance and what are the directions in movement where I never want to go? So this will show us what kind of choices we make in dance and technical tools for Contact Improvisation.