Culture|Dance review
The dance artist explores the inevitable main role of humans in derailing the eco-catastrophe through skin and touch.
Kekäläinen & Company: Epidermis – The Earth’s Fragile Skin at Tanssi talon’s Pannuhalli 28.10. Script, direction, choreography and costumes Sanna Kekäläinen.
Effervescently flowing the movement begs for support, while on the other side of the stage, the dancer’s efforts are jerky, as if every cell is polluted with over-bursting stimuli. We only skim the surface, falling and being carried, like in a storm, over and over again.
It’s late. We are late. And now let’s talk about the state of the earth.
Dance artist Sanna Kekäläinen is known for his works that sharply comment on current topics and are strong in terms of content.
The themes of Kekäläinen’s works have waded through gender issues, shame, global inequality, the community’s attitude towards mental health problems and madness. In their latest works, Kekäläinen & Company has delved into exploring the alarming state of the earth and the inevitable main role of man in derailing the eco-catastrophe.
Dominating the stage tool is often the naked body of the dance artist, which explores, shakes and collides with power structures drilled into the gaze directed at the female body in particular.
Naturally immersing in the dialogue framed by the revelation Epidermis-the theme of the work begins to mature from the surface of the skin: the name refers to the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin of vertebrates, which acts as a protection against the outside world.
Consisting of four thematic parts, the stage work begins with a philosophical conversation that takes place in some kind of out-of-time and space, maturing from pronunciation into poetic language: “The skin around me is fragile and it’s too late.”
We talk about the passage of time and the traces it leaves on the thin surface of the face, but at the same time, the chain of thoughts that builds up in the space takes the focus to the surface layers of the earth, which is suffocating in suffocation; to touch, jump and squeeze the skin of the still fragile earth. Have we lost it all yet?
Jaakko Kulomaa the minimalistic sound world is rooted in the bubbling, age-old creak and gurgling at the core of the earth. The stalactite cave echoes coldly.
Can art influence the future of the earth? People tend to react to inequality, war, migration issues or the climate crisis only when the theme comes close enough.
Epidermis aims to bring the most intimate, own, private body and the unimaginably vast, collectively experienced earth to share history, present, common future.
The group of seven performers represents very different bodies and skins. Slightly charismatic, always believable Seela Sella85, does In the epidermis the first dance role of his life. Especially Kekäläinen and Janne Marja-ahon the common movement speaks again.
An hour and a half Epidermis is not entertaining and does not let the audience down easy. The presentation is weighty and heavy. It stays deeper in the skin.
Performers and collaboration Annette Arlander, Sanna Kekäläinen, Leila Kourkia, Janne Marja-aho, Lara Müller, Seela Sella, Eero Vesterinen, text by Kari Hukkila, sound design by Jaakko Kulomaa, lighting design by Lauri Sirén.
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