Kuopio Dance Festival begins – the whole city becomes a stage
The festival will open with Vástádus eana / The Answer is Land by the Norwegian Elle Sofe Company. The work draws inspiration from protests and Sámi spiritual practices. The Olvi Arena will host Miller de Nobili from Germany, whose performance PACK is a virtuosic and explosive display of street dance skills.
The opening ceremony of the festival will take place in Syvänniemi Village on 6 June at 21:00. An impressive installation will be on display in the territory of Syvänniemi Manor, where a 250-character version of Reijo Kela‘s iconic environmental artwork Silent People has been built in honour of Kuopio’s anniversary.
The work will be accompanied by performances featuring Kela and Heikki Laitinen – both on 6-8 June in Syvänniemi and later in the city centre on 13 and 14 June, when accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen will also be present.
The Seasons – the garden gnomes’ travels, created by Jyrki Karttunen for Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth, is a charming performance for the whole family at the ITAK stage. Miller de Nobili will also bring his second work, There was still time, inspired by Samuel Beckett’s classic play Tomorrow she will come, to Kuopio.
The French-Algerian Compagnie Hervé Koubi will perform at the Olvi Arena with Sol Invictus, featuring no less than 19 dancers. For theatre lovers Leaning Tree by Dansk Danseteater is recommended, choreographed by Fernando Melo.
The Ballet School of the Finnish National Opera brings to the Lumit a collection of short works from the classics of the ballet world.
The gala at the Olvi Arena will feature a diverse line-up of contemporary dance, ballet, flamenco and street dance – including Compagnie Hervé Koubi, Spanish company EFAD and singer Antonio Campos, as well as top Finnish artists such as Kinetic Orchestra, Misa and Natasha Lommi, Finnish National Ballet (Martin Nudo and Hye Ji Kang) and Ballet Finland’s Carmen?!, which will also feature the dancers from the boys`dancing camp.
The whole city dances
In addition to the main program, Kuopio Dance Festival includes a wide range of side events, courses, camps, seminars and lots of other dance content.
The Dance Tent Elo at Kuopio’s Market Square offers a program from morning till night, while the Savonia stage hosts performances twice a day, at 10am and 4pm.
The festival will culminate in an unofficial world record for disco dancing, which will take place at the Market Square on the closing day on 14 June, with the aim of gathering as many people as possible to dance disco together.
56. Kuopio Dance Festival 6.-14.6.2025
Additional information and the whole program: www.kuopiodancefestival.fi
