Dance without the borders

One of my dreams has always been doing more cross-border cooperation dance projects.

I feel that there is just so much more we can learn in dance and about ourselves when we would just do more cooperation between other countries. I feel that there is bigger chance to learn more when you jump into different surroundings, out from your comfort zone. I feel it is a gift to learn from other cultures. We all have been affected by the surrounding where we grew up and how that all has also affected on your movement....super interesting! So it is a gift to have people from different countries moving together and learning from each other.

I had a amazing opportunity to visit South Africa this February, learn from other culture, different lifestyle and visit dance companies. I had a pleasure to teach a group a kids in The National School of arts and Jozi youth dance company. These kids were all so inspiring!! I feel one of the biggest thing was their openness to all that I could offer to them. Also it was a big opportunity to visit Moving into Dance Mophatong, professional company. They are really doing amazing work of getting more dance education out there and creating performances which have that traditional feeling with contemporary twist. My kind of crazy, lovely dancers!! :) Huge thanks to all companies that had me!! <3 Hope to come back soon!

I also had a chance to meet locals and start working together, and made a short dance film from it all.

My inspiration That truly was my trip to South Africa! :)

Here is the film: https://youtu.be/ZlXSDCz4TEc

The whole trip taught me so much as a dancer, choreographer, teacher but mostly as a human being.

I have a feeling it has affected on me and my dance work a lot. Can´t really say how exactly yet but I feel something is different. :)

But even when I think back my own dance training (studying in Netherlands, trips out of Finland), I feel biggest chances for me has always happened after being abroad and meeting different artists in different countries and having chance to really get to know different cultures.

So having all these experience of learning from other cultures I have now also a pleasure to be part of dance project with Surraa Productons in Oulu, Finland. A dance project that aims to assist the individual's open theirs world view through an international pedagogical approach. We will first create a dance performance called SISU, which is about Finnish mentality. Then the 11 dancers and two choreographers will travel to other country, working there with local choreographer and local dancers to create a small scene for the performance about that countries mentality. And end of the week perform everything. So week full of exploring other culture in different ways.

All dancers had different background, some has been dancing long time, some has had a break, some are even working in field of art and dance.

Now the first place we will visit is Scotland and especially Edinburgh and Fringe festival 2018.

We are having our first two weeks in Finland on June. Creating the performance with great team and then heading on August to Scotland.

So much we have already done work for this project but unfortunately didn´t get any funding´s through for it and now the whole project is looking for your help to get in forward!

Your help will also get us moving forward for next years plans. We are really hoping to get this kind of cross-borders cooperation in dance, cultural learning project else where.

If you can donate, share this and help us forward we are truly grateful to all!!

Our crowdfunding page: https://mesenaatti.me/en/campaign/?id=902#single/view

Surraa Productions: https://surraaproductions.wordpress.com/

If you have any other inquiries please just contact me email or in Facebook.