Productions PRESS RELEASE 21.2.2006 Sanna Kekäläinen – The “l’enfant terrible” of Finnish dance invests in emotions In 2006 the dance theatre Kekäläinen & Company celebrates its ten years in the Finnish and international dance scene. The first two performances in K&C history were Requiem – a dance performance in the spirit of Mozart and The Afternoon of a Faun. Kekäläinen & Company has made a significant contribution in the development of Finnish dance. The ten-year celebration started in January with the works CREATURE and Unidentified dancer. The coming spring performances celebrate dance history in the spirit of Vaslav Nijinsky. The Afternoon of a Faun and La Petrushka will have their premiere in K&C Tila. The Afternoon of a Faun The Afternoon of a Faun was originally commissioned from Kekäläinen & Company in 1996 by Kuopio Dance Festival. Mika Backlund, one of the founding members of Kekäläinen & Company, danced as the faun and the choreography was by Sanna Kekäläinen. The work was performed internationally for many years and it got good reviews. Now ten years after the first performance Sanna Kekäläinen choreographs a version for herself. The Afternoon of a Faun (1912) was ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky’s debut as a choreographer. The choreography was based on Stéphane Mallarmé’s poem and on Claude Debussy’s composition. In her work Sanna Kekäläinen uses the composition of Debussy, but the theme and some of Nijinsky’s motifs are interpreted from a contemporary perspective. La Petrushka La Petrushka is Sanna Kekäläinen’s new interpretation for three female dancers of the classical ballet of Petrushka. In the choreography Petrushka’s story is approached from a contemporary view. In her work Kekäläinen has studied the concept of envy. She tries to outline this complex emotion in the relations between women and their life in our world. Today the story of Petrushka, this unhappy and immortal hero, is known throughout the world. The story has its roots in Russian folklore. It was first made into a ballet in 1911 by the famous Russian ballet company, Ballets Russes. The music was composed by Igor Stravinsky and the role of Petrushka was danced by Vaslav Nijinsky. The story is about a puppet theatre and its three puppets Petrushka, the Moor and the Ballerina. In the story the puppets come to life, they feel and experience strong human emotions such as love, anger and envy. The story culminates in the death of Petrushka. However Petrushka’s spirit is immortal and he appears above the scenery to grimace to the world. The Afternoon of a Faun Choreography, concept and dance: Sanna Kekäläinen, Music: Claude Debussy, Text: Kari Hukkila La Petrushka Choreography and concept: Sanna Kekäläinen, Music: Igor Stravinsky, Dance: Lilja Lehmuskallio, Tiia Vainonen, Agnese Vanaga Work group Lights: Jarkko Lievonen, Visualisation: Taina Relander, Graphic design: Ilkka Tikkanen, Photography: Jussi Pakkala, Production: Kekäläinen & Company / Elina Pekkala Premiere: 22.4. at 19, K&C Tila, Cable Factory Tallberginkatu 1 C , 4th floor. Performances: 26/27/28.4. and 3/5/6/8/9/11/12/13.5 at 19 and also 24.4 and 2.5. at 14. Further information: Kekäläinen & Company, (09) 694 1201, kc@kekalainencompany.net, http://www.kekalainencompany.net |