Touching Point

• Choreographer: Maria Littow
• Dancers: Patrik Häggström (Luleå, Sweden), Solveig Leinan-Hermo (Hammerfest, Norway), Nikolai Schetnev (Arkangel, Russia), Titta Court (Tornio, Finland), Pirjo Yli-Maunula (Oulu, Finland)
• Light design: Niels A.W. Jensen
• Production: Stellaris Dans Teater and Flow Productions
• Premiere: 8 Oct., 2008 Hammerfest, Norway
• Sponsors: Oulun Valistustalo Oy, Arts Council of Oulu Province, Nordic Culture Fund, Nordic Culture Point, National Council for Dance

Five dancers of the Barents region present a contemporary dance work, Touching Point, under the guidance of choreographer Maria Littow.  The initial idea comes from a text of Vuokko Koistinen: “Miten hellästi sinä kosketit ja kuitenkin kaikki minussa järkkyi” (“How softly you touched and yet it shook everything in me”). The work is sensitive, humorous and warm.

AUTHORS:

Titta Court is a Finnish freelance-dance artist from Tornio, Finland. She graduated as a Master in Dance from the Department of Dance of the Theatre Academy of Finland in 1993. She has danced, for example, at the Helsinki City Theatre, at the National Opera and at the Dance Theatre Raatikko. Since 1997 and her move to the north of Finland, she has created a number of solo pieces and performed at various festivals, such as the Full Moon Dance Festival,  Dans Festival Barents and at the European Female Theatre Festival.

Patrik Häggström is a contemporary dancer from Luleå, Sweden, and he has specialized in various types of street dance. Besides teaching, Patrik has collaborated with a number of Swedish choreographers.

Solveig Leinan-Hermo is Artistic Director of the dance theatre Stellaris Dans Teater from Hammerfest and also dancer-choreographer. She is very active in the Barents region with organizing various tours and festivals both for her own dance theatre company as well as for visiting artists.

Nikolai Schetnev is dance artist from Arkangel, Russia and he has appeared in a number of works by various choreographers in several European countries. He has visited Finland, for example, at the Full Moon Dance Festival in Pyhäjärvi. He has created a number of solo pieces, dance videos and has operated as Artistic Director of the Touch Dance Festival. In addition, he is a master teacher of contact improvisation and has visited various countries in his teaching career.

Stellaris Dance Theatre is a professional dance theatre which is led by dance artist Solveig Leinan-Hermo and which was founded in Hammerfest, Norway in 1980. Stellaris produces contemporary dance works and tours widely in the entire Barents region. Dancers are recruited separately for each production. Stellaris is also hosting the Barents Dance Festival which is annually held in Hammerfest.

PERFORMANCES:

Premiere:

• 8 October, 2008 Barents Dance Festival, Hammerfest Kino, Norway

Other performances:

• 3 Dec., 2008 at 7 pm, Culture Centre Valve, Oulu, Finland, Hallituskatu 7
• 4 Dec, 2008 at 7 pm, Culture Centre Valve, Oulu, Finland, Hallituskatu 7
• 7 Dec., 2008 at 7 pm, Musiikkitalo (Music House), Tornio, Finland
• 9 Dec., 2008 at 7 pm, Lärkan, Luleå, Sweden

• 24 Oct., 2009 Samovarteatert, Kirkenes, Norway
• 27 Oct., 2009 Pedagogical University, Murmansk, Russia
• 28 Oct., 2009 Laplandia Culture House, Murmansk, Russia
• 30 Oct., 2009 Voshod Culture House, Nikel, Russia
• 31 Oct., 2009 Kirov Culture Palace, Murmansk, Russia