Scan Magazine, Issue 116, September 2018

Page 83

Scan Magazine  |  Special Theme  |  Danish and Finnish Culture Spotlight

Left: Tiina Lindfors, performing in the production Callas. Middle top: From the piece HITtoCaBBAret. Photo: Ulla Andersong. Middle below: From the production Sinfonia. Right: Lassi Sairela and Eeva Soini, in the production Irralliset. Bottom right: James McNamara. Photo: Vesa-Matti VääräKuvastaja Oy.

Influential performances Making ambitious dance combined with theatrical stories, dance theatre ERI has been creating powerful performances since 1989. After nearly 30 years, the multiawarded ensemble’s productions, often focused on human rights and even political issues, are still moving audiences in Finland and abroad. By Ndéla Faye  |  Photos: Matti Kivekäs

Founded in Turku, Finland, by highprofile Finnish dancer-choreographers Tiina Lindfors, Eeva Soini and Lassi Sairela, ERI quickly became known for its powerful and unique performances in Finland and abroad. “We’ll be celebrating our 30th year next year, which is no mean feat for an independent theatre group that started out from nothing,” says Lindfors. ERI is a play on the Finnish word for dance theatre, ‘tanssiteatteri’, and ‘eri’, which means different. “As our name suggests, we make theatre passed through the medium of dance. But we have always done things differently. We have held on to traditional dance techniques, and believe that high-quality skills are the key for deep interpretation in acting. We have a mutual understand-

ing of what dance theatre should be like: a balance between deeply emotional and thought-provoking performances,” Lindfors states. With 400 guest performances in over 30 countries under their belt, as well as a number of highlyesteemed awards on Finland’s art scene and abroad, ERI’s bold programme includes over 100 productions.

Maria Callas, written, directed and choreographed by Lindfors, and this autumn sees the return of ERI’s collaboration, Baila Afrika, with a music group from Benin. “We are constantly evolving. Each production is a standalone project, that develops throughout its journey; from the début performance all the way through to closing night,” she says. “In the words of Finnish ex-President, Mauno Koivisto: ‘An artist has to have something to say, and the ability to get the message heard’ – and we still have a lot more to say,” Lindfors concludes.

The themes are often human issues, and previous productions have covered stories surrounding minorities, topics such as ageism, and the importance of multiculturalism. “Art has a certain responsibility in society; it is our duty to speak out against injustice, and inspire our audiences,” Lindfors says. Recent productions include an impressionistic performance on opera singer

Web: www.eri.fi

Issue 116  |  September 2018  |  83


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