Land of Harmony | Helsinki Butoh Fest

Saturday | Lauantai 28.10.

7 pm | klo 19

Land of Harmony

Dance | Tanssi: Josephine Grundy & Minja Mertanen

Music | Musiikki: Tatu Rönkkö

Soft wind

Natto, nato and other things most disgusting in the world

St. George,

and the dragons

All those dragons

The land of dragons is not the land of harmony.

In the storm

I stay

Is there any such thing as harmony? Is it a fleeting moment, a utopic vision which is mostly unatainable? History and mythology suggest that the dragon has to be slain over and over again, that balance is not ultimately sustainable. Perhaps this is the order of the universe.

Bio:

Josephine Grundy (UK/France) is a multidisciplinary artist and teacher based in Barcelona since 1996.

Her initial academic training was in Human Sciences (history and philosophy of science) at University College London. Then she went on to study the Lecoq physical theatre method in Barcelona, also taking workshops and performing with several physical theatre companies, including Susan Byrne, Teatro de los Sentidos, Théâtre du Mouvement y Cie Jeanne Simone.
She has extensive training in vocal technique (Estill Voice Craft, Loti Lewis) and lends her voice to a wide range of musical projects and professional recordings.
She began to study butoh dance in 2004, at first with Rosana Barra and then with other masters from Japan and other parts of the world, including Atsushi Takenouchi, Tebby Ramisake, Imre Thormann, Minako Seki, Gyohei Zaitsu, Yoshito Ohno, Yumiko Yoshioka, and Seisaku. She has continued to practice and study butoh ever since, developing her own work, collaborating with other artists and performers, and giving regular classes and workshops.
Since she was a child she has always been close to music and visual art, and in her butoh practice she explores different possible relationships between body, voice and sound, different materials, and physical matter in general.

More info: www.voxdansa.com

Minja Mertanen is a dance and live artist from Helsinki. She has a decree as dance teacher, a dance and movement therapist, yoga instructor and is currently studying somatic movement therapy. Mertanen has been teaching buto for almost 20 years to professionals, amateurs and special groups. In recent years, Mertanen has taught butoh at the Theater Academy as part of the "Art and Consciousness" workshop. Mertanen works actively with Finnish live art in the Other Spaces, Reality Research Center and Bluckhouse. She has been performing and teaching in various festivals in 20 countries. She has performed in choreographies of Vangeline, SU-EN, Seisaku, Yukio Waguri, Katsura Kan, Masaki Iwana, Mehdi Farajpour, Ismo-Pekka Heikinheimo, Ken Mai and collaborated with Rocio Wabiza and Josephine Grundy. Mertanen works as artistic director of Helsinki Butoh Festival alongside Ken Mai.

Tatu Rönkkö is a percussionist, sound artist and visual artist from Helsinki who uses everyday objects, drums and electronics as instruments. Rönkkö, who has been making object-oriented music for the last 15 years, is one of Finland's most original solo percussionists/performers in the field of experimental music. He has performed solo around the world in more than 45 countries and collaborated with numerous internationally significant artists.

Minja Mertanen on helsinkiläinen tanssi- ja esitystaiteilija. Hän on koulutukseltaan tanssinopettaja sekä tanssi- ja liiketerapeutti. Mertanen on opettanut butoa kohta 20 vuoden ajan niin ammattilaisille, harrastajille kuin erityisryhmillekin. Viimeisinä vuosina Mertanen on opettanut butoa mm. Teatterikorkeakoulussa osana ”Art and Consciousness” opetuskokonaisuutta. Mertanen on työskennellyt aktiivisesti suomalaisen esitystaiteen parissa Toisissa Tiloissa ryhmässä, Todellisuuden Tutkimuskeskuksella, sekä Höyhentämössä. Hän on esiintynyt ja opettanut lukuisilla festivaaleilla 20 maassa. Mertanen on esiintynyt koreografioissa joita ovat koreografioineet: Vangeline, SU-EN, Seisaku, Yukio Waguri, Katsura Kan, Masaki Iwana, Mehdi Farajpour, Ismo-Pekka Heikinheimo, Ken Mai and collaborated with Rocio Wabiza and Josephine Grundy. Mertanen on toinen Helsinki Butoh Festivaalin taiteellisista johtajista

Tatu Rönkkö on helsinkiläinen lyömäsoittaja, äänitaiteilija ja kuvataiteilja, joka käyttää soittimenaan arkisia esineitä, rumpuja ja elektroniikkaa. Viimeiset 15 vuotta esinelähtöistä musiikkia tehnyt Rönkkö on yksi Suomen omaperäisimmistä soololyömäsoittajista/esiintyjistä kokeellisen musiikin kentällä. Hän on esiintynyt soolona ympäri maailmaa yli 45 maassa sekä tehnyt yhteistyötä lukuisten kansainvälisesti merkittävien taiteilijoiden kanssa.