RIEHA is a bodily celebration of collective boisterousness. The performance rumbles, roars, and guides the group of performers towards a ecstatic state of embodiment.

Boisterousness (In Finnish ‘riehaantuminen’) is a wonderful phenomenon that is often supressed. RIEHA, by Mia Jaatinen and her working group, explores how boisterousness manifests itself – in the mind and body, as a choreographic composition, and as action through contemporary dance.

RIEHA is based on the idea of a common body, its pulsation and sensations, collective wisdom, and shared understanding. The performers surrender to the joy and collective bliss of dancing.

In the world of performance, we play with regularity and punctuality by deconstructing these arrangements with collectively agreed chaos, unruliness, and disorder. RIEHA bursts, sprawls, bubbles, chuckles, dances in formation and with intent, and surrenders.

The kinetic world of the performance is built upon different rhythms, repetitions, bounces, shakes, and shapeshifting – upon the fireworks of dance and talent that pulsate to the music played by a live DJ.

RIEHA’s performers share a long-term collaboration with the contemporary dance company Kinetic Orchestra. A strong relationship of trust has developed between the members of the group, which has enabled the formation of the common movement language, shared understanding, and sense of collective wisdom.

It feels as if we disappeared for a moment, endorphins rushing, our minds and bodies opening up, ready to metamorphose, to grow shared gills, to dive into the extremes of the imaginary world. The ecstatic, omnipotent jellyfish awakes and breathes.

We let different sensations fill us up and momentarily overwhelm us. Our pulsations excite, incite, and encourage us to enjoy where we are. Our inner selves meet and shapeshift into something new and shared. We are not identical, but similar. The body of the collective, fleshy tentacle creature jiggles and plays.

A school of small, silvery fish frolics, whizzes.
A parade of all creatures great and small rolls forward.

We roar, cheer and rave. We thirst for movement, dance, together passing out and lighting up, rejoicing and bursting, until the thirst fades, stops.

 

Choreography: Mia Jaatinen ja työryhmä
Performance: Sanni Giordani, Mia Jaatinen, Minna Karttunen, Anni Koskinen, Kalle Lähde and Oskari Turpeinen
Lighting design: Riikka Karjalainen
Sound design and dj: Josu Mämmi
Production: Mia Jaatinen
Co-production: Kinetic Orchestra, Zodiak - Center for New Dance

Supported by: Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland

PREMIERE