WEKC - Wilma-Emilia Kuosa Company Double Bill: JUJU & S H O E S 

Wilma-Emilia Kuosa Company: Double Bill: JUJU & S H O E S 

The JUJU performances will feature Wilma-Emilia Kuosa, who has been a student of Tarja Rinne for over 20 years. 

The second work of the evening is S H O E S, which is Kuosa’s fifth performance concept. Originally performed as a solo performance, the piece has grown into a show by three WEKC dancers, where no shoes are spared. Performances at KokoTeatter 14.-24.4.

JUJU

This spring, long-time dance artist and living legend of jazz dance, Tarja Rinne, will create a new dance piece for the Wilma-Emilia Kuosa Company’s repertoire. At the heart of the JUJU dance piece is the virtuoso expression of rhythm and the interpretation of the jazz dance movement repertoire. Rhythm embraces the soul, opening up the entire spectrum of movement dynamics. Jazz dancer Wilma-Emilia Kuosa has been Tarja Rinne’s student for over 20 years. This piece brings that journey to light.

Tarja Rinne is a pioneer and legend of Finnish theater jazz. She taught jazz dance at Teak (now the University of the Arts Helsinki) for 36 years, based on the Mattox technique. Tarja Rinne’s choreographies have been seen in the open field, in theaters and on television for decades. Tarja’s unfailing sense of rhythm shines in them as a tool for interpreting movement.

Dance artist Tarja Rinne has spent her life’s work safeguarding and promoting the existence of jazz dance in Finland throughout her remarkable career. This work reflects what she believes jazz dance to be today.

S H O E S

S H O E S is the fifth performance concept by choreographer Wilma-Emilia Kuosa, who specializes in jazz dance. Wilma-Emilia Kuosa Company is the only professional group in Finland that brings jazz dance to the stage. WEKC dancers embody the performance in a way that feels like it goes on your skin. S H O E S will be the latest premiere for three WEKC dancers, as Wilma-Emilia jumps off the stage into the choreographer’s boots.

The work is about how every shoe we put on affects us. From pointe shoes to roller skates, the shoes reveal the story of the dancer’s journey. The performances are visually captivating with beautiful choreographic images and graphically precise interpretations of movement. At the heart of the dance is Kuosa’s personal movement language. In all of her work, Kuosa cherishes the rich tradition of jazz dance, expressing rhythm.

WEKC’s jazz dance pulsates with the nuances of the different eras of the jazz dance culture — from musicals and cabaret to ritual and folk dances and the aesthetics of music videos. The recognizable and easily accessible movement language combines the virtuosity of ballet with the experimentation of contemporary dance. Jazz dance embodies rhythm through both finely honed technique and improvisation. It creates dynamic and narrative expression – embracing the stories that make the heart beat

Sensuality is at the core of jazz dance and it opens up a playground for performers to explore their own sensuality and its effects on the audience. The joy and pleasure of dancing come through both in the frenzy of virtuosity required by jazz dance and in the personal interpretation of each dancer’s own ideas. The strength of the WEKC group is based on the freedom of each dancer to maintain their individuality through a common rhythm.