I am dancer, dance-teacher, performance-artist and bodyworker made in Finland, currently based in Berlin, India, and nomadic temporary moments in time and space. I have studied in Finland, Helsinki - in Theatre Academy of Finland (TEAK) and Metropolia AMK. I graduated from TEAK 2008 as dance- and theatre-teacher (MA), and 1998 I got out of Metropolia as Theatre- and dance-pedagogue, specialised on devising theatre- and dance. Though - I guess my dearest high-school and university in dance and contact-improvisation has been finnish contact community, where I have learned so much, by sharing the dance and rolling point with the other spiralling beautiful finns since 20 years...

Since 15 years I have been teaching contact and dance all around the world, on many internationally acknowledged festivals and retreats, and especially recent years I have been more focused on organising my own workshops, events and festivals. I am one of the organisers of Goa Contact Festival since 10 years, and that has become big part of my life - to live my winters in India, and create platforms and possibilities for cultural exchange, dance and learning - throughout the whole winter-season in Arambol Beach, @ "Forgotten Land". It is our collaborative dance-center, offering different trainings, festivals and workshops around contact improvisation, somatic practices, yoga and dance.

Last years I have been teaching in many countries, offering workshops and contact intensives on their festivals. I have been collaborating with Thailand Contact Festival, Contact & Flow in Mexico, OsterImproFestival in Göttingen, Berlin Contact Festival, Portugal Contact Gathering, Freiburg, Israel, Ibiza, Grenoble, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kiev, Poland, Estonia, Marocco, Contact Meets Contemporary, BodyLove, SoulSurf, Greece and more...  

Contact Improvisation has been part of my almost 30 years, so - many kind of chapters I have gone through. More and more I look for lightness and grace in my dance - in the sense of organic, fluid and effortless movement. Breath plays as well big part in my dancing, brings me naturally into moments of momentum, falling, flying, suspension, swinging, accelerating and bouncing.

For me dance is combination of technique and intuition. Form and freedom. Being and doing. I try to find ways to explore and teach technique by understanding the underlying principles of movement, so that we can stay connected to our dance and expression, and learn in the spirit of exploration. Where our curiosity can stay alive, and we can always find new details on the way. 

I am also bodyworker / massage-therapist, as well as performance-artist. So I would say my work is moving in between of Teaching, Performing & Healing. Depending on the moment of my life and my current interest, I am focusing more on one of these aspects of dance & movement. And of course they all are in relation, complementing each others. 

Maestros significativos

Mirva Mäkinen, Iiris Raipala, Otto Akkanen, Juha Viitamäki, Ville Johansson, Ilona Kenova, Kirsi Monni...