GRAVITY (2021)
Gravity is a 50-minute long, high-paced, physically stunning performance danced by eight highly skilled dancers. The piece follows the continuum of choreographer Jarkko Mandelin's extremely physical and movement-focused dance works.
The dancers fly in the air, catch, lift and carry each other, seamlessly blending acrobatic partnering into the fabric of the piece in Kinetic Orchestra’s distinctive style. Forceful manipulation of pace and rhythm, twitching movement and stills and crashes that quickly bring accelerated movement sequences to a halt further create the sense and feeling of Gravity. This is echoed in the simple yet effective scenography by William Iles and Janne Hast’s relentless sound design.
Gravity creates an immersive atmosphere of something pulling us in and simultaneously looming over us. The dramaturgical structure follows an urgent loop of overlapping scenes, each less than two minutes long. While doing so, the work grasps something fundamental about the time we live in and its unrelenting pace.
The dance piece was produced in collaboration with Helsinki City Theatre's Dance Company HDC.
premiere: Helsinki City Theatre 11.11.2021 19:00
Helsinki City Theatre 11.11. - 15.12.2021
Dance House Helsinki opening ceremony 2.2.2002 (broadcast)
Helsinki City Theatre 5.-17.2. (Cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions)
Upcoming performances:
Fall 2023 Helsinki Finland
Fall 2023 Ballerup Denmark
Duration: 50 minutes
Choreography: Jarkko Mandelin & the working group
Dancers: Sanni Giordani, Jyrki Kasper, Anni Koskinen, Kalle Lähde, Heidi Naakka, Mikko Paloniemi, Justus Pienmunne, ja Oskari Turpeinen
Scenography: William Iles
Sound Design: Janne Hast
Costume Design: Elina Kolehmainen
Choreographer's assistant: Suvi Nieminen
Production: Helsinki Dance Company and Helsinki City Theatre
Tour production: Kinetic Orchestra
Reviews:
"Gravity is like the wind, and the sun, and fresh rain, for the soul starving for dance.", Merja Koskiniemi (HS 14.11.2021)021)
"I feel an urge to say that if one is going to see only one dance performance this fall, then this 50-min is a must." , Annikki Alku (Demokraatti, 12.11.2021)
“Jarkko Mandelin’s choreography is a combination of bubbling energy and skin-piercing sensitivity”, Matti Saarela (blog: Kielipuolen päiväkirja, 12.11.2021)