Simo
Heiskanen
NECTAR
Glims & Gloms Dance Company's production from 2003, NECTAR, had its premiere in the Louhi Hall at the Cultural Centre of Espoo in September. The choreography is by Simo Heiskanen. His previous work was the choreography of the popular musical Kick at Helsinki Swedish Theatre.
"The choreography of Simo Heiskanen is, however, thoroughly splendid. The movement material is versatile and contributes for its part to the storytelling in a sovereign way by the means of dynamic modern dance as well as riverdance, ballroom dancing, or the step patterns of music videos, just to mention a few."
Outi Lahtinen, Turun Sanomat, March 3, 2003
"Simo Heiskanen's choreography in its fluent combination of tone and movement, created in itself the rhythm, kinetic nerve, which moved the storytelling forward, even in some scenically less inspiring moments."
Mats Liljeroos, Hufvudstadsbladet, March 1, 2003
Together
with Heiskanen, NECTAR is performed by the dancers Pia Keskinen, Tuomo Railo,
Hermanni Rask and Riikka Räsänen. The costumes are created by Sari
Suominen and the lighting design is by Pasi Pehkonen.
NECTAR tells a story of people surfing local-area networks. They are sunk
in an electrical trance and they keep fumbling for their dreams. Reality and
an imaginary world have changed places. The people's everyday activities are
mechanical and distorted so that they have become unrecognizable in their
lack of spirit. They play a common game, each with their own rules. Under
the surface, smothered instinctive passions rule, and they emerge from time
to time, primitive. Dreams are the people's real life, a lifeline which gives
breathing space. The movement arises from the keyboard of a typewriter. Minimal
repetition progresses into awkwardly communicating meetings between people,
from situation comedy to dance.
"The office ballet in grey
nuances is strict stuff. A carnival defeats a programmed life!"
Auli Räsänen, Helsingin Sanomat, September 12, 2003
"It is fascinating to see how many familiar business realities, like management by results, personal goals, competition, rewarding, hierarchy, financial statement, among others, can be produced by a correctly scaled stage activity, by situation comedy and certain passwords scattered here and there."
Jan-Peter Kaiku, Hufvudstadsbladet, September 5, 2003
Tuomo Railo
MACCHIATO
A SILENT FARCE ABOUT THE PASSION FOR ARGENTINIAN TANGO
Macchiato is a dance theatre performance directed at adults. It combines Argentinian tango and G&G's humour into bubbling, romantic and even comic situations.
The music of Macchiato is played by masters
of Argentinian tango, Cuarteto Perello!
A
small group of passionate tango enthusiasts is gathered on a cruise. It is
a beautiful summer evening, the boat is rocking on the waves of the The Gulf
of Finland. An Argentinian tango orchestra is playing in the boat's dance
restaurant. Tango accompanies three couples and as the night goes on, the
events gradually become comical with drunkenness, quarrelling and sentimentality.
Macchiato is the story of little people's right to big emotions.
The performance's female dancers are Virpi Juntti, Pia Keskinen and Riikka Räsänen, and the roles of the macho men are interpreted by Simo Heiskanen, Tuomo Railo and Hermanni Rask.
The
music is played by the Finnish top ensemble Cuarteto Perello, who are Henrik
Perello, violin, Petri Ikkelä, bandoneon, Tarja Nyberg,
double bass, and Kari Hänninen, piano. The music of the work includes
evergreens of the Argentinian tango and Tango Nuevo, e.g. Astor Piazzolla's
compositions as well as tangos by Finnish composers arranged by Petri Ikkelä.
The elegant set design, which has marine elements, was created by Metti Nordin and the costumes, which have impressions of Italian neo-realism from the 1940's, is by Sari Suominen.
"Compellingness
has become the trade mark of Glims & Gloms."
Jan-Peter Kaiku, Hufvudstadsbladet
"When Railo focuses his
creation on choreography, amusing dizzying tangos or ringing dispute tangos
are born. The dancers of the company know the steps of Argentinian tango very
well, including quick inter steps."
Auli Räsänen,
Helsingin Sanomat
"Macchiato
is a performace in which the clichés of both tango and macho culture
make a treacherously lively and light surface on a serious matter, the longing
for intimacy. Like a good farce, this work entertains and amuses, but also
has a serious tone."
Leena
Honkanen, Länsiväylä
| Choreography | Tuomo Railo |
| Music | Lasse Pihlajamaa, A.G. Villoldo, Astor Piazzolla, Enmundo Tulli, |
| Mariano Mores, Jukka Siikavire, Leri leskinen, O. & E. Donato | |
| Dancers | Virpi Juntti, Simo Heiskanen, Pia Keskinen, Tuomo Railo, |
| Hermanni Rask, Riikka Räsänen | |
| Musicians | Petri Ikkelä, bandoneon, Kari Hänninen, piano,. |
| Tarja Nyberg, double bass,, Henrik Perelló, violin | |
| Scenography | Metti Nordin |
| Costumes | Sari Suominen. |
| Lighting design | Pasi Pehkonen |
| Photographs | Ilpo Vainionpää |
| Duration | 1 hour |
| Premiere | The Cultural Centre of Espoo , Louhi Hall. |
| Production | G&G - Tuomo Railo, City Culture Department Centre - Tiina Kasvi |
Dance
Act of the Year -Award, Kuopio Dance Festival 2002
Espoo
Award for a Cultural Achievement 2001
Tuomo Railo
THE
PIG BALLET
The Pig Ballet is a dance performance for the whole family. It is based on Julia Vuori's comic strip Sika (Pig).The Pig Ballet shows the delightful, melancholy and rich picture… world as a three-dimensional stage interpretation…
"The world of The Pig Ballet is totally
free of cynicism, as is the comic strip. The most important things in the
world are birthdays and friends. That is why this performance works on us
adults too - we who are tired of perpetual sarcasm."
Jussi Tossavainen, Helsingin Sanomat
The
Pig Ballet is a story of Pig's birthday in the summer. In the morning, Pig
wakes up to the singing of a choir of red sparrows. Pig celebrates her birthday
together with her friends Badger, Cow and Penguin. The party is, however,
overshadowed by the fact that Pig's pot plant Ceriman suffers from burn-out.
In spite of vigorous attempts to resuscitate him, Pig does not succeed in
bringing life into Ceriman., and neither do Cow's or Badger's dance performances
stimulate the plant who seems to pine away. Luckily, the inventive Penguin
discovers a suitable form of therapy for Ceriman. Also Pig's childhood friend,
Sorrow the black pig, joins the birthday party. The joy of reunion is, however,
interrupted by two masked robbers, who are after the strongbox…
Julia
Vuori has written the manuscript together with Tuomo Railo, who made
the choreography. The music was composed by Simo Heiskanen. The world
of Vuori was visualized on stage by set designer Metti Nordin, costume
designer Marja Uusitalo and lighting designer Tarja Ervasti.
The work is performed by G&G's five dancers.
Pig's role is danced by Mammu Rankanen/Laura Frösen, Sorrow/Ceriman
is Riikka Räsänen, Penguin is Pia Keskinen/Anne Raudaskoski,
Heiskanen dances the role of Badger and Railo the role of Cow. The choir of
red sparrows is created with mechanical puppets.
The
basis of the visualisation of the story was to stay faithful to Vuori's images.
The characters were created to be as similar with the originals as possible.
In the set design the proportions of Vuori's illustrations have been maintained,
e.g. by making the scene change in a surprising way and by adding lots of
details into Pig's home. The set design was created by Heikki Mähönen
and the costumes by Maarit Ronkainen.
| Manuscript | Julia Vuori ja Tuomo Railo |
| Choreography | Tuomo Railo |
| Music | Simo Heiskanen |
| Dancers | Simo Heiskanen, Pia Keskinen/Anne Raudaskoski, Tuomo |
| Railo, Mammu Rankanen/Laura Frösen, Riikka Räsänen | |
| Scenography | Metti Nordin |
| Costumes | Marja Uuusitalo |
| Light Design | Tarja Ervasti. |
| Photographs | Ilpo Vainionpää. |
| Duration | 50 minutes |
| Premiere | The Cultural Centre of Espoo, Louhi Hall, August 30, 2001 |
| Production | G&G - Tuomo Railo, City Culture Department Centre - ......... Hannele Krohn, Riitta Jokela |
Simo Heiskanen
LOG
LOG is Simo Heiskanen's choreography for four dancers. Even the music and the visualization are created by Heiskanen.
"LOG
is a restless track of motion, bent by gravitation, for four dancers. In the
choreography, precise forms and chaotic situations alternate unexpectedly.
The mental images of the work are stumps of film that are edited out, a tavern
piano, a mechanical forest and free fall."
Simo Heiskanen, choreographer
"The
occasional minimalism of the piano music supports the piece, which reminds
one of an artist's strict white lines on black fabric. The passing moments
of dance turn into couples dancing. The most memorable part was the beautiful
duet of Pia Keskinen and Hermanni Rask."
Pirjo Raiskio, Turun Sanomat
| Choreography, music and visualization | Simo Heiskanen |
| Dancers | Kristiina Backman, Pia Keskinen, |
| Mammu Rankanen, Hermanni Rask | |
| Light design | Janne Teivainen |
| Photos | Ilpo Vainionpää |
| Duration | 25 minutes |
| Premiere | The Cultural Centre of Espoo,
Louhi Hall, September 1, 2000 |
| Production | G&G, Espoo City Culture Department Centre, Zodiak |
Tuomo Railo
THE
CHERRY TREE
The Cherry Tree is a work for five dancer.
The work is based on the music of György Liget and the choreography was
made by Tuomo Railo. The Cherry Tree was visualized by the artist Heidi Romo.
"It is clear that Railo knows sovereignly
the carriage of movement and the scale of emotions of dance, down to pathetics."
Jukka O. Miettinen, Helsingin Sanomat
"This
work includes nothing unnecessary. Railo has excellent taste and instinct
when it comes to choosing his music. The Cherry Tree is a freely breathing,
even a meditative experience."
Pirjo Raiskio, Turun Sanomat
| Choreography | Tuomo Railo |
| Music | György Ligeti |
| Visualization | Heidi Romo |
| Dancers | Kristiina Backman, Simo Heiskanen, Pia Keskinen, |
| Mammu Rankanen, Hermanni Rask.. | |
| Light design | Janne Teivainen |
| Photographs | Ilpo Vainionpää |
| Duration | 40 minutes |
| Premiere | The Cultural Centre of Espoo, Louhi Hall, September 1, 2000 |
| Production | G&G, Espoo City Culture Department Centre, Zodiak |
Simo Heiskanen ja Tuomo Railo
JAVA
- confusing people
"The performance criticizes technology,
but in a very sweet and hilarious way. The work does really prove that new
technology is fun."
Auli Räsänen, Helsingin Sanomat
"The
whole stage of Kiasma Theatre is like an instrument. In addition to the soundscape
that Heiskanen has created on tape, even the floor and the walls of the hall
ring; they react to speech and movement in real time. The result is amusing
and playful, lightly cacophonic."
Anni
Valtonen, Aamulehti
"With
their new production JAVA in the Kiasma Theatre, the duo known for their versatile
and easily accessible performances, Simo Heiskanen and Tuomo Railo make a
fantastic comeback. As a whole, JAVA is a true scenic adventure and an exuberant
flow which one does not easily forget… The relationship between man and
machine find in JAVA a new and unconditionally up-to-date depth in a purely
fascinating form."
Jan-Peter Kaiku, Hufvudstadsbladet
"The work which is generous in its selection
of tricks, is written by Railo, and the music was made by Heiskanen. They
share an enthusiasm for computers, which makes it the most futuristic experiment
in Finnish dance so far… If a genre called topical dance exists, this
is it."
Annukka Ruuskanen,
Kaleva
"Is
the whole thing just technology? Oh, no. The duo has always had something
thought-inspiring to say and that is the case now as well… The joyfully
proceeding JAVA is spurred by the dancers' playing with floor sensors. The
live image, video clips and the frolic of those on the stage is splendidly
timed… JAVA is intelligently put together, uses technology magnificently
and is a joyful whole."
Pirjo Raiskio, Turun Sanomat
| Choreography, dance and visualization | Simo Heiskanen, Tuomo Railo |
| Music | Simo Heiskanen. |
| Video | Sari Tervaniemi |
| Light design | Pasi Pehkonen. |
| Photographs | Pirje Mykkänen, Ilpo Vainionpää |
| Duration | 1 hour |
| Premiere | Kiasma Theatre, Helsinki, November 10, 1999 |
| Production | G&G, Kiasma Theatre, Zodiak |