During the course led by Anna Mustonen, we dance by listening closely to our bodies, others, and shared situations. Each participant dances from their own starting point, drawing inspiration from it and creating space for others.
The classes begin with a tuning-in exercise that opens up our bodies and listening. From there, we transition into a physical exercise that allows us to immerse ourselves in dance, surrender to its various sensations and sharpen our perception, and ultimately, open up to the surrounding environment. Rather than trying to choreograph simultaneous dances into cohesive wholes, we focus on questioning and listening to how they might align, intertwine, and resonate with each other.
The Dance as Immersion and Opening up course is connected to the upcoming collaborative work of Anna Mustonen and harpsichordist Marianna Henriksson, which explores the concept of composition as a reflection on connections and relationships within choreographic thinking, as well as the organisation of music in relation to composition.
* * * * *
Anna Mustonen works as a choreographer, dancer, and dance teacher. Her works have been performed on the stages of dance and performing arts since 2007. Anna enjoys working with long-term and interdisciplinary processes that allow for rethinking of collaboration and ways of performing. She often works through listening, sensing, precise observations, questioning assumptions, and embracing the unknown.
Anna’s courses emphasise creating a permissive and space-giving atmosphere where each participant can dance from their own starting point. She has extensive experience teaching courses in dance and choreography, e.g. at Tanssivintti Dance School and Uniarts Helsinki.
Anna's most recent works at Zodiak, created in collaboration with harpsichordist Marianne Henriksson, include the large-scale stage works Maria-vesper (Pannu Hall, Helsinki, 2018) and Eros (Erkko Hall of Dance House Helsinki, 2022) that combine early Baroque music and new dance. Anna is a member of the art association i dolci and art community rendezvous, and she is also one of the co-directors of Tanssivintti Dance School.
