Pekka came home with chanterelles and fish. Won’t be hungry tomorrow.
Johanna
Laundry bliss
Do you know what it feels like to be able to wash clothes after not being able to do it when you need to for two and half months? It’s bliss. And this is not a survival story from a trip to the jungle, this is in the middle of the daily life, in a family of four.
The first load is drying, next one rolling in the machine. I’ve always enjoyed the rhythm of a washing machine. It’s a sound often connected to my yoga practice. It makes me feel safe and at home. It’s nice, in the nicest meaning.
Johanna
The beginning
Friday, at last
Tiring week behind me. Finished the first rehearsal period with mixed feelings; in many ways I’m very happy with the work we did but at the same time today I felt a kind of hesitation in the rehearsal which made me feel strange. Well, it’s all familiar but still left me thinking about it.
I was setting up my office and went through some papers in my archive. I found a piece of paper with John Cage’s rules and hints and Rule8 really suits my mood:
“Do not try to create and analyze at the same time. They are different processes.â€
When I got home I felt really tired. Our plumber was working with Pekka setting up the washing machine and for a moment I felt really happy that things are actually moving on. They didn’t finish the job as some parts were missing (as usual) but I have hope that tomorrow I’ll be able to wash clothes and sheets. A kind of handy possibility in a family of two children…
The new website is up now, thanks to Mladen! At the moment the site is available only in English but we are working on the Finnish version as well. Some information of my works is not up yet but I’m working on it. But if you have any questions in the mean time, don’t hesitate to ask me or Maija, my producer.
And let me know what you think about it!
Johanna
This week
I’ve been working with Anniina, Mirva and Sanna on my group piece since I came back from Norway. It’s so exciting. Today we watched Naisenkaari, a documentary film by Kiti Luostarinen, which still, after ten years, felt so relevant and accurate that I was amazed. I was also very touched and moved by it. I have a lot of possibilities in my head where to lead the piece but I’m not yet certain which is the right one. So I prefer to keep it all very open and fluid. The dancers might find it a bit frustrating but I just feel I need the open ends to see what the work starts to require.
I’m thinking a lot about the soundscape, the clothes, the shoes, the microphones, the audience interaction… I’ll see if I manage to take some photos tomorrow. I need to video record a run through anyway tomorrow.
I’ve been working with Mladen on the website layout and hopefully the new design will be up shortly. So bear with me.
Johanna
In Stavanger, Norway
Just had the first presentation of our project TW1 in Stavanger, got very excited about it again. Ours is one in a series of four projects and it’s just been very interesting to meet the other curators and hear them thinking about their project.
Been walking up and down the Pedersgata, days filled by meetings and work. Geir our producer is of great support, other curators and Anne-Marte and Kenneth of great inspiration. The open call for our project will open next week.
In general, feelings of pressure with the approaching ANTI-festival, my group work’s rehearsals starting next week and next year’s funding. The usual stuff.
Missing my daughter cuddling up to me. Worried about my son’s finger he broke. Working on the web site, still. Hoping I could help Pekka with the work at the house somehow.
Hope you are well, Johanna
A day in Helsinki
Shoes by Vagabond, Gunilla Pontén skirt, H&M top, underwear by Marks&Spencer.
Me Naiset with my yoga teacher’s ex interviewed. Some sleep in between.
Make up in the toilet of the InterCity train.
Went straight to the press conference.
Checked out some Larsen + Cole & Son wallpaper and Minna Parikka and Vivienne Westwood shoes.
Bought a pair of El Naturalista shoes. Love them.
Spotted Michael Monroe and Lilli Earl.
Kootut askeleet -dokumenttisarja esittelee suomalaista tanssia
YLE Teemalla alkaa elokuun lopussa uunituore 15-osainen ohjelmasarja Kootut askeleet, joka esittelee suomalaisia eturivin nykytanssikoreografeja – ja kertoo tarinoita ihmisistä, jotka ovat valinneet ammatikseen tanssin. Sarjan kussakin jaksossa tutustutaan yhteen koreografiin sekä hänen ajatuksiinsa tanssista ja taiteesta työnä.
Koreografit valottavat teostensa taiteellisia lähtökohtia, valmistusprosessia sekä työskentelyä tanssijoiden ja muiden yhteistyökumppaneiden kanssa. He avaavat katsojille myös sitä, mistä tanssiteosten ideat syntyvät ja miten teoksen liikekieli rakentuu. Sarjassa nähdään myös otteita esitystaltioinneista.
Kootut askeleet näyttää taiteilijamuotokuvien kautta myös suomalaisen nykytanssin monimuotoisuuden. Sarjassa osansa saavat niin 70-luvulla uransa aloittaneet kuin vasta muutaman vuoden koreografeina työskennelleet taiteilijat.
Sarjan on ohjannut Raimo Uunila ja sen ovat yhteistyössä tuottaneet YLE Teema ja Grape Productions Oy. Tuotanto on suunniteltu yhteistyössä Tanssin Tiedotuskeskuksen kanssa.
Kootut askeleet -sarja sisältää henkilökuvadokumentit seuraavista koreografeista (esitysaika koreografin nimen yhteydessä):
Eeva Muilu – Ke 29.8. klo 20.40, uusinta to 30.8. klo 16.40
Reijo Kela – Ke 5.9. klo 20.40, uusinta to 6.9. klo 16.40
Liisa Risu – Ke 12.9. klo 20.40, uusinta to 13.9. klo 16.40
Tommi Kitti – Ke 19.9. klo 20.40, uusinta to 20.9. klo 16.40
Jenni Kivelä – Ke 26.9. klo 20.40, uusinta to 27.9. klo 16.40
Martin Heslop ja Minna Tuovinen – Ke 3.10. klo 20.40, uusinta to 4.10. klo 16.40
Kirsi Monni – Ke 10.10. klo 20.40, uusinta to 11.10. klo 16.40
Leena Gustavson – Ke 17.10. klo 20.40, uusinta to 18.10. klo 16.40
Simo Kellokumpu – Ke 24.10. klo 20.40, uusinta to 25.10 klo 16.40
Sanna Kekäläinen – Ke 31.10. klo 20.40, uusinta to 1.11. klo 16.40
Johanna Tuukkanen – Ke 7.11. klo 20.40, uusinta to 8.11. klo 16.40
Hanna Brotherus – Ke 14.11. klo 20.40, uusinta to 15.11. klo 16.40
Liisa Pentti – Ke 21.11. klo 20.40, uusinta to 22.11. klo 16.40
Vera Nevanlinna – Ke 28.11. klo 20.40, uusinta to 29.11. klo 16.40
Ari Tenhula – Ke 5.12. klo 20.40, uusinta to 6.12. klo 16.40
Lisätietoa Kootut askeleet –sarjasta löytyy osoitteesta
www.yle.fi/teema/dokumentit/kootut_askeleet/
Lisätietoa kaikista koreografeista löytyy Tanssin Tiedotuskeskuksen Tanka-tietokannasta osoitteesta http://www.danceinfo.fi/tanka, sekä seuraavien taiteilijoiden omilta sivuilta:
Martin Heslop ja Minna Tuovinen, http://www.as2wrists.fi/
Sanna Kekäläinen, http://www.kekalainencompany.net/
Simo Kellokumpu, http://www.simokellokumpu.com/
Tommi Kitti, http://www.tommikitti.com/
Jenni Kivelä, http://www.jennikivela.com/
Vera Nevanlinna, http://www.veranevanlinna.com/info.html
Liisa Pentti, http://www.liisapentti.com/
Ari Tenhula, http://koti.welho.com/atenhula/
Johanna Tuukkanen, http://tuukkanen.net/
I love pink and hate intriguers
The first pink flower on our backyard.
My daughter noticed this one the other morning and dashed to see what it was like! Just a beauty, a miracle in the midst of the chaos.
…ordered some mineral make-up that arrived today…
kind of therapeutic in the middle of all the difficulties, questions, tasks, pain, work…
Had a conversation about the regional dance centre here and one person who thinks maybe a bit too highly of herself in relation to the dance centre. Who censors conversation, looks at art and dance with a quite narrow mind, who so strongly believes in her own view that cannot accept, acknowledge, respect, value or even listen to other views. Who thinks she’s always right. Who thinks she knows everything. I don’t really care about other people’s castles in the air but when they’re built in the costs of a larger community who this person thinks she has a right speak for without understanding, acknowledging, accepting or valuing the rest of the community, the differing opinions, then I just think it’s ignorant and quite stupid.
Johanna
Restrictions
It’s funny to observe one’s behaviour and thoughts when something is restricted. At the moment I’m not allowed to sit and it’s been interesting to realize when, how and in which situations my mind wants me to sit and how this simple restriction actually changes my patterns of thought and action. And how much it has eased my back pain! Well, of course I’ve also been resting as ordered by my doctor and taking some medicines but still. I actually find it much better to work by my laptop standing rather than sitting in a bad posture by the desk. The kitchen worktop is on a perfect height for me (90cm) when standing. And as my ‘office’ is not yet finished anyway, this suits me very well.
I got a pile of magazines from Maija yesterday and it’s been such a luxury to lie in bed and read. I love magazines. I have to be really careful not become such a magazine junkie again as this addiction is showing it’s nature again… Yes, I still order a couple (only a few!) design magazines but last spring I quit ordering most of them. I’m very proud of this and in general I prefer recycling them so anyone who wants to recycle their magazines with me is most welcome! I talked on the phone with my son the other day and I told him I was lying in bed recovering from my back injury. He then said: “Let me guess, you have a pile of magazines next to the bed!â€
In the process of facing the truth of our financial situation, I made an Excel of all our living costs from January 2007 onwards. In this bigger picture, my magazine addiction is not that worrying, really. And the daily newspaper Helsingin Sanomat is included in the Excel! But the statistics might look a little better as I quit most of the magazine orders last spring but still, it never was that bad. It’s just my partner who doesn’t have this addiction and who therefore cannot understand the bliss of it either.
Now that we’ve moved out of the centre, I have to face the costs of travelling to work and school. Well, of course this was known beforehand but still, it’s over all quite expensive here in Kuopio. As far as I know, Kuopion Liikenne, which runs the busses of the city, is the most expensive in the whole country. Public transport is definitely not cheap here but more so I hate that on our street most families have more than two cars. For me it’s either my bike or the bus.
The last couple of days have been really hot and since we still don’t have curtains, it’s been unbearably hot in the house, upstairs especially. Impossible to do any hard work in the house! Fortunately, we now have a shower, which helps the life in general, a lot. But there’s a lot of work remaining undone.
I have been working on my next productions a lot and worrying about the future of the ANTI-Festival. Some serious actions need to be done.
Johanna