Combining folk traditions with the authentic movement practices of Western dance, this work draws on what lies beneath the surface and behind closed eyelids: the inner landscapes that dance and music bring to life.
Syntyä / syvyydestä is a multidisciplinary collaboration between dance artist Outi Markkula, professional folk musician Emilia Lajunen, and set designer Jaana Kurttila. The work delves deep into personal and national archives and draws upon the hidden inner landscapes that dance and music bring to the surface.
Outi Markkula is a dance artist from Siilinjärvi who works as a performer, choreographer, and teacher, and also writes about the arts. Markkula’s artistic journey has been shaped by Finnish folk dance, Western contemporary dance techniques, various psychophysical practices, and her studies in music. Markkula is inspired by multidisciplinary collaborations in which the coexistence of different modes of expression and working methods gives rise to new forms of language and thought. In particular, the intersection of dance and music, as well as questions concerning bodily memory and the history of movement, are central themes in her current work. Markkula is currently expanding her expertise in the field of dance and movement therapy.
Emilia Lajunen is a professional folk musician known for her deep knowledge of tradition, her distinctive arranging style, and her intense stage presence. She earned her Doctor of Music degree from the Sibelius Academy at the University of the Arts in 2023. In her artistic doctoral dissertation, Lajunen sought to expand the scope of contemporary folk music, particularly in the directions of dance, movement, and performance art, as well as through the study of archival recordings. In addition to the five-string violin, Lajunen plays the keyed fiddle, the contrabass harp, and sings. Her repertoire combines Finnish and Nordic folk music traditions, archaic kantele and jouhikko melodies, as well as archival songs and ballads.
Jaana Kurttila has been designing costumes and sets for theaters and dance and performing arts groups throughout Finland for 30 years, with a total of over 150 productions to her credit. She also creates set designs and small-scale lighting designs. Kurttila’s work has an edge: she blends various surprising elements into compelling wholes, never forgetting to have fun and never shying away from ugliness. Kurttila creates offbeat costumes with straight seams.
Emilia Lajunen is a professional folk musician known for her deep knowledge of tradition, her distinctive arranging style, and her intense stage presence. She earned her Doctor of Music degree from the Sibelius Academy at the University of the Arts in 2023. In her artistic doctoral dissertation, Lajunen sought to expand the scope of contemporary folk music, particularly in the directions of dance, movement, and performance art, as well as through the study of archival recordings. In addition to the five-string violin, Lajunen plays the keyed fiddle, the contrabass harp, and sings. Her repertoire combines Finnish and Nordic folk music traditions, archaic kantele and jouhikko melodies, as well as archival songs and ballads.
Jaana Kurttila has been designing costumes and sets for theaters and dance and performing arts groups throughout Finland for 30 years, with a total of over 150 productions to her credit. She also creates set designs and small-scale lighting designs. Kurttila’s work has an edge: she blends various surprising elements into compelling wholes, never forgetting to have fun and never shying away from ugliness. Kurttila creates offbeat costumes with straight seams.
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