Arctic Ensemble Karkelot

Communality isn’t dead – it lives on in circus!

Karkelot (Revelry) is the Arctic Ensemble circus collective’s new, big, and visually stunning contemporary circus production, featuring acrobatics alongside traditional partner and group dances. The audience is treated to a cornucopia of acrobats, dancers, musicians, and masters of physical comedy.

The work draws inspiration from Finnish folk tradition, dance, and music, which whimsically intertwine with circus acrobatics, physical comedy, and a focus on being present in the moment. It revives historically familiar forms of coming together to celebrate. The ensuing revelry is elevated to yet another level by accordion artist Johanna Juhola, who plays her own compositions.

Karkelot makes use of playful competitiveness inherent in both acrobatics and folk dance alike and demonstrates rare showmanship by wordlessly communicating through physical movement. Refreshingly, the performance dismantles the often gendered and strictly enacted roles of each discipline.

In the work, celebrations and rituals that accompany life and death – from birth to adulthood to marriage – all form a part of the revelry. The performance strives for authentic physical connection and invites the audience to join in the creation of new rituals for coming together.