Category Archives: Dance

I guess the Mid Summer passed

Reading the Finnish newspapers after the Mid Summer national holiday is always depressing. Many people have drowned, died in a car crash or choked in their own vomit. My concentration has been totally in my work and the so called spare time I’ve spent 100 % on building the Blue House that I haven’t been able to participate in any kind of activities like celebrating the Mid Summer or attending festivals or performances. The whole family is pretty exhausted at the moment and occationally I get panicked about moving next week and so many, and I mean MANY, things still needing to be done and fixed. It seems it’s impossible to do what we are supposed to do before next Monday. Especially now, that my partner got ill and is asleep in high fever! I have no idea how we are going to get through all this…

Performances last week during the Kuopio Dance Festival went really well and they were completely sold out. It was great to perform the piece again and there were some of my old friends and very important people in the audience which made me very happy. I’ve been talking with my producer Maija a lot about organising the producing and marketing side of my work better and today we had a good session with a consult about what it is that we really want to and how best achieve that. It was really good and inspiring. So thank you Jari and Maija. Maija also helped us yesterday at the house which was so nice.

I still haven’t decided about the performers for my new work. I didn’t quite imagine it being this hard. I have now three in mind that I could imagine to do the piece with but I have to make we can make all the schedules meet. I’ll have a film shooting session  next week for the solo piece with Maija Hirvanen. It’s interesting how the focus shifts from previous or current works into the new processes and they really start to have a life of their own. Let’s see what comes up with this one.

Hope all of you are well.

Johanna

Performances in the Gallery Carree

I don’t have anything to wear

I’m having two performances tomorrow as part of the Kuopio Dance Festival and Paikallisliike 07. I know they are pretty fully booked but you might be able to get in from the door but I can’t promise that.
We had a good rehearsal today with Jaana and Jaap and I’m looking forward to doing the show again. The gallery makes the performance very intimate which I really enjoy.
I also had a meeting with Maija and Pirjetta today. It was good to introduce Maija to Pirjetta and talk about managing my work and international networking etc. I’m very happy about the arrangement now but we definitely have to work hard to get it all working the way we plan.
Hope to see you all tomorrow.

Johanna

Extremes

Sorry. I know I haven’t been here for ages.
It has all been more than hectic with work and the personal life, i.e. the house. I don’t know where to begin actually as so many things have been going on and happened.
We had a great period of performances in Helsinki in the end of May with Jaana and Jaap and they all went very well. I had imagined that I would have time to do all kinds of things while I stayed in Helsinki but it turned out that the performances pretty much took all my energy.
Next week we’ll have two more performances in Kuopio in the Gallery Carree as part of the Kuopio Dance Festival. For booking go to www.paikallisliike.net or email aluekeskus@elisanet.fi. The gallery is quite small so I strongly advice you to make a reservation if you intend to see the work.
I held the audition and it was really good to see people working, i.e. moving and talking and doing little presentations. I haven’t decided yet who are the three people I want to work with but I really need to make up my mind soon.
In between everything, I also have visited Stavanger, Norway, again. Had two great days of meetings and spent time with Anne-Marte. Besides the inspiring workdays, I fell in love with the Rhododendrons of Stavanger. Amazing! Wonderful colours, everything blooming – just beautiful and inspiring.
With ANTI-Festival there are pretty busy times going on as well, as we are working on the catalogue. I’m so happy that Maija started working for us in June so that eases the workload for me. Gregg has also been just fantastic, so involved, so active, so supportive. We definitely have a great crew now.
The Blue House would require my work as much as possible at the moment as well. We will be moving in the end of the month so I tell you, there’s more work to do than anyone can imagine. I have kind of known this, but at the moment it’s just extreme… beyond the capacity of imagination. The hours we are working, what needs to be done before we are able to move in, it’s just crazy but the only thing that keeps me going is the thought of being able to move in three weeks.
Now the whole downstairs is cleared and cleaned out for the linoleum flooring to be installed. That starts tomorrow and it was so rewarding to clear out all the mess and tools etc. and to be able to just look at the space. It will be great, once we get to move in. Quality family cleaners Brisbane offer the best professional cleaning cervices, guess, I will decide on them.
Exhausted now.
Johanna

I’m looking for three women to perform in my new work

I will hold an audition on Thursday 31st of May at 3 pm at Hermannin salit in Kuopio, Finland. I will choose three performers for my new work. The working period will be between August and November,  premiere in November-December 2007 and they will be organized in Kuopio,  Finland.

The audition is held for professional performers who work in the contexts of contemporary dance, live art and/or performance art.
Mandatory registration at johanna(at)tuukkanen.net or +358 40 742 9091 by Monday 28th of May.

Further information: Johanna Tuukkanen


					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				Yoga bliss
			

								


				

			



	




Anne was in Kuopio for five days and gave a beautiful and such an inspiring ashtanga workshop. It was a pure miracle that I could practice the full primary series without any pain. After struggling so long with the practice, having so much pain and frustration in it, it was just bliss. I also have discovered that the early morning practice is not such a torture anymore which I could not have believed a few years ago.

I’m off to Helsinki on Wednesday as we are performing I don’t have anything to wear with Jaana as part of Z in Motion –festival in Zodiak. I’m really looking forward to the performances which will be somewhat different and new compared to the previous ones. We need to get some clothes to replace the stolen ones and I have to go through the performance wardrobe archive to see if I find something new and exciting. Jaana has luckily found a replacement for her lime coloured I love my body –scene, but in orange! I’m sure I’ll look just fabulous in that orange linen creation…

I’m thinking about going to the mysore classes in Helsinki but I’m not sure yet. The balance between practicing alone and in Anne’s assistance is very fine and I’m not sure if I want someone new interfering my practice.

In terms of my new performances, I’ve decided to hold the audition on the 31st of May. I’ve also asked a producer to work with me on the productions and general management of my work. I really hope this will solve a couple of crucial issues that I‘ve been struggling with for the past few years.


Need to get some sleep now.

Warm regards to you all.

Johanna

					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				It’s going just bloody great
			

								


				

			



	




I’ve spent a lot of time with budgets and schedules for my new works. On Thursday I was so fed up as I had spent almost the whole night figuring out the budget or my new group piece. I have some production support from the Arts Council of Finland and the Regional dance centre Kuopio, but as I once again learned, it’s nowhere near the level of a proper budget with proper fees etc. I had kind of decided I will hold an audition for the performers but it feels impossible to ask people to work for me for at least two months and say that I’m able to pay you 1 500 €. How can I expect a full time commitment and dedication from anyone? I didn’t get support from the regional foundation of SKR, which really upset me. So again, after having done this I don’t know with 15 works, I’m in a situation where I just have to count cents; who can be paid less, who can work for me for free, what can the work do without? Without any publicity? Without documentation? Without sound? Light? Any technical equipment? Space?

Sometimes it seems the most creativity is deeded in organizing the whole production.

I’ve asked Maija to work with me on the producing side of matters and I hope that will somehow be possible. I just need help.

So at the moment I’m not sure about the audition. Maybe you can see why.

I’ve tried to take a few days off all the work and I’ve spent some time at the Blue House straining my back. On Friday I ordered the staircase for the house from Helsinki as well as the front door and the door to where all the technical stuff of the house is situated. We’ll get them in 3-4 weeks. We couldn’t agree about the fireplace yet, so that’s still waiting. On Friday Jenny Alfthan from Sisustus Picaso visited the house as I have asked her advice on some materials, colours and furniture we need to get to the house. It was really nice. First time I went to Sisustus Picaso after Jenny and her husband had bought it, and I met Juho and Jenny, I felt they were the nicest people that I had ever met in Kuopio. I just wanted to invite them for a dinner straight away! Well, I didn’t, mainly because we live in this horrible rented apartment at the moment, but I sure will once we live in the Blue House.

Yesterday we started to treat the wooden panel that will cover the house. We use ‘rautavihtrilli’, I’m not sure what you call it in English (iron sulphate or something) which makes the wood turn grey in a couple of years. So the panel is not going to painted after this treatment. We have almost 7 kilometres of that panel on our front yard so I can see it’s a hell of a job to treat all of that with the rautavihtrilli. I’ve done it for two days now and maybe one tenth of that panel is ready…. Well, today the weather wasn’t very good and I had to stop as it was dribbling. But yes, there’s so much work to do at the house before we can move in that it’s just too scary to think about.

Day after tomorrow is the first of May, Vappu, the Labour Day. Have to get some sparkling wine tomorrow but most of the day we’ll spend at the Blue House, working.

Busy week coming after the Vappu. I’ll have a yoga course and I have to prepare myself for the performances in Helsinki by for example getting new clothes to replace the ones that were stolen. What a fucking pain… Not the performances or rehearsals, just the stolen clothes.

Hope you all well.

Johanna

					

		
		
	


	

	

				

			
						

				Lot’s of stuff and all the rest
			

								


				

			



	




It feels I haven’t been here for ages. There seems to be so much to do all the time and I sometimes feel I’m drowning into my work load as the work is not getting any less no matter how much I work. There’s always more to do, something to be done better, and better. And better. And if I don’t have any more work to do, there’s always more yoga to be practiced.

Last days have been mad as my computer crashed a week ago. So the Easter holidays I spent in panic and having nightmares about not surviving this busy week as all my ‘stuff’ is the computer. But not only the stuff, but all the emails, the appointments, my calendar… But luckily, Andrei from Humac was able to bring my MacBook back to alive which really saved me from further nightmare. Now my computer not only works but is also better with more RAM! Great.

Seppo from the Arts Council of Finland called me today saying that I cannot apply an artist grant directly from the Arts Council, which I had done. My work often falls into the category of ‘the rest’ and I thought I can apply from them like I do with project funding applications. Well, it doesn’t work that way. One has to apply from a certain council that are visual arts, film, music, literature, dance, design, theatre, architecture and photography. So which box to tick? That’s a question. Only the critics apply directly from the Arts Council of Finland. But what about us, the rest?

I have decided to keep an audition for my group piece in May. I’ve had difficulties with deciding whom to ask to be part of the project and Anniina has convinced me to keep an audition. I’m looking for three female performers who would be strong individuals willing to show their weaknesses, fears, bodies, minds…

Last week with Gregg we went to meet the director of cultural affairs of Kuopio, Pekka Vähäkangas, and he said we should also meet some of the politicians. Gregg is coming over again today and I’ve been arranging all these meetings for us. Well, tomorrow we first hold the TALKS & DEEDS event, we both teach workshops in the mornings and early afternoon and then later in the afternoon we’ll have the public event at the city library of Kuopio. On Saturday there are some press interviews and on Monday we’ll keep this presentation to group leaders of Kuopio’s political parties. Then on Tuesday we’ll meet the head of the Music and Dance Academy to discuss collaboration. And we should also have time to complete the programme of the ANTI Festival 2007 with budgets etc. So a lot to do over the next few days!

I postponed my tax paper’s return date two weeks ago which means that the new deadline is now on Monday. Shit! My tax papers are pretty complicated to do so again I’m facing long nights going through piles of receipts.

Is this ever going to get any better?

Johanna

					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				Inspiring days
			

								


				

			



	




Gregg was over for five days and we had really good discussions, lots of work with the applications for the ANTI –festival and some important meetings. It was really good to got through a lot of stuff with Gregg, introduce him to people and have the meetings. So again, I’m very excited about the festival and all the possible possibilities!

The gig with I don’t have anything to wear in Joensuu went really well; the show was just hilarious. It seems the audience there is very receptive and much more relaxed than here. It’s always such a pleasure to perform there. I have very warm memories of premiering Milk in Joensuu as well as performing Mutation. We also managed to have a little premiere party we failed to keep here because of the yoga course we were on.

Besides working with Gregg over the weekend, I also had to finish two major grant applications. I also was supposed return my tax papers today and I had to call the tax office last week to get more time to do it. My tax papers are quite complicated and it takes definitely more than two whole days to complete them. So that’s ahead of me…I also feel a bit guilty for working too much without any days off. My children miss me a lot and call me to work crying. So I’m really looking forward to having a few days off over the Easter although my son is planning to visit his grandparents. I also haven’t been over to the Blue House for ages, it seems…

I’m at the moment working on two new projects and thinking about the schedules and crew and all kinds of things. It’s exciting but at the same time it’s a bit crazy to just finish one big piece of work and immediately dash into the next one. Year after year. 


Take care, Johanna

					

		
		
	


	

				

			
						

				Performance in Joensuu on Wednesday
			

								


				

			



	




I’m off to Joensuu to perform Mulla ei oo mitään päälle pantavaa with Jaana and Jaap on Wednesday. We’ll perform in Taidekeskus Ahjo, Koksi-sali at 7 pm, in case you want to see the work.

mulla-ei-oo_kuopioperformance-001_pos.jpg

mulla-ei-oo_performancekuopio002_pos.jpg


Photographs by Pekka Mäkinen.


It seems I have a million things to do before that and somehow the work is not getting any less by working… And then there are yearly nightmares like the tax papers and grant applications for the arts council of Finland to be sent in by the end of the month. And just to make sure I’m very busy, right after I come back from Joensuu on Thursday afternoon, Gregg arrives in Kuopio at 6 pm. I’m really looking forward to this all, but I don’t understand why everything needs to always happen at the same time? The week is going to be extremely busy so you might not hear more of me this week.

I spent some time today at the Blue House meeting our electrician and plumber. I also ordered the outside wood panel for the house as well as some birch veneer plywood to the ceiling and one wall upstairs.

The weather has been incredibly sunny, warm and beautiful. The snow has melted away really fast and we are very optimistic to get to work on the outside panelling of the Blue House in April or May.


Hope to see you Joensuu on Wednesday. I’m  off to bed now.

Johanna