In February, Cable Factory and Tanssin talo will be buzzing with renowned contemporary dance names as Zodiak brings the highly acclaimed Florentina Holzinger’s TANZ to Helsinki, as well as a new choreography by Silvia Gribaudi, who won the audience over at last year’s festival.
Zodiak – The Center for New Dance is organizing the Side Step festival from February 1st to 11th, 2024. The festival will bring six international guest performances and one premiere to Kaapelitehdas. Expect anarchy and the subconscious – with humor not forgotten.
“Partly coincidentally, many of the works use ballet as their reference, drawing inspiration and insight from the mythos of ballet, shedding critical light on the body’s relationship with discipline, among other things, and the aesthetic parameters of the dance canon,” says Jenni-Elina von Bagh, the festival’s and Zodiak’s artistic director, in a press release.
The main guest is the Austrian-born choreographer Florentina Holzinger, whose highly controversial and multi-award-winning work TANZ will be seen at the Erkko Hall of Tanssin talo. The piece provocatively tackles the body’s relationship with discipline and bodily techniques, examining the intertwining of romantic ballet fantasy and a pornographic gaze. Beatrice Schönherr, the main performer of the cast of fourteen dancers, was the first ballerina to dance John Neumayer’s legendary Sacre de Printemps naked in 1972. TANZ is recommended for ages 18 and older.
Alternative energy and leaping into the unknown
Last year, the audience was charmed by the captivating and humane performance of Italian choreographer Silvia Gribaudi. Now, Gribaudi brings to the Dance House her new group piece Grand Jeté which also takes its name from ballet.
The Swedish Cullberg company performs in Helsinki with their full ensemble, presenting the vision of Icelandic choreographer Halla Ólafsdóttir who draws inspiration from the sylphic creature, an eternally wandering being with the power to shape-shift, in her piece Sylph.
The festival also welcomes politically uncompromising and boldly experimental dance from Poland by Agata Siniarska. Her work null&void, centered around the ecology of war, premiered at the Tanz im August festival in Berlin last summer.
Brazilian-born Davi Pontes and Wallace Ferreira present their physical and ritualistic Repertório N.2, which considers dance as a form of self-defense against physical, imaginary, and systemic violence.
The program also includes a nighttime show: German choreographer and dancer July Weber‘s piece The Devil’s Hour is performed at midnight.
The festival also features a world premiere: Boundless Ominous Fields by Icelandic choreographer Margrét Sara Guðjónsdóttir, who is based in Berlin. It is the first part of a dance trilogy produced by Finnish performers Karolina Ginman and Marlon Moilanen.
The curatorial team for the 2024 Side Step festival includes Jenni-Elina von Bagh, as well as Swedish choreographer Peter Mills and Finnish choreographer Sonja Jokiniemi, who currently resides primarily in Switzerland.
Side step festival 1.-11.2.2024 performances
Margrét Sara Guðjónsdóttir: Boundless Ominous Fields, Zodiak Stage, Fri–Sun 1.–3.2.
Davi Pontes – Wallace Ferreira: Repertório N.2, foyer at Tanssin talo, Sat 3.2.
Silvia Gribaudi: GRAND JETÉ, Tanssin talo / Erkko Hall, Sat 3.2.
Agata Siniarska: null&void, Zodiak Stage, Tue–Wed 6.–7.2.
Florentina Holzinger: TANZ, Tanssin talo / Erkko Hall, Wed 7.2.
Cullberg / Halla Ólafsdóttir: Sylph, Tanssin talo / Pannu Hall, Thu–Fri 8.–9.2.
July Weber: The Devil’s Hour, Zodiak Stage, Fri–Sat 9.–10.2.