Dance theater ERI Rouletti. In the picture, Lassi Sairela and Eeva Soini. Photo: Jari Laurikko.
Aurala has been significant in many stages of my life, both as a building and as an understanding community.
My cooperation with Aurala has indeed been diverse and included important openings in my career as an artist. My path in the professional world of dance began to take shape in 1975, when I co-founded the Turku Tanssiyhdistis as Primus motorist Mirja-Liisa Herhi.
The cooperation with Aurala's civic college started around the same time, and the then principal Antti Joutsenlahti recognized our potential and rented us premises in the "old Aurala" wooden house. After meeting me and Mirja-Liisa, she stated that the plan of such determined young women must be seen to the end! We were able to renovate a dance hall in Aurala's charming old building. Many people from Talkoo helped in the project and my father Voitto Soini was actively involved in the renovation work. After the hall was completed, we diligently honed our own ballet technique and also opened our own dance school in the premises: Turku Dance Association. The Miimos Dance Theater we founded - the first professional dance theater in the Turku region - was allowed to operate in the same premises in 1980-82.
After studying abroad for a longer period of time and having danced in the Finnish National Ballet, among others, I returned to Turku. In 1989, we boldly founded Tanssiteatteri Erin with Tiina Lindfors and Lassi Sairela. We were able to use Aurala's dance hall for the first years as our rehearsal space, and this was crucial for the success of the fledgling dance theater. Where else could we have assembled and refined new works, which take months to half a year to work on and require endless hours of work every day.
We also got a small corner of the office premises, from which marketing and sales work began. The only landline phone in our office and the used electric typewriter we received as a gift were running hot. Like ourselves. Sometimes we were so tired that we slept on the hall floor. Despite the dizzying amount of work, we managed to organize themed parties at Aurala's facilities. Among the masquerades, Lassi's toe dance as Cinderella and Aurala's old foal as a partner are vividly remembered.
Over the years, the collaboration with Aurala has continued and the latest one follows Resepti Iloon!.
Art in me and I in art
For me, art means professionalism, personality, sensitivity, responsibility and vision.
In the art of dance, a good mastery of different techniques gives the tools. With their help, you can reach a touching interpretation and artistic impact. However, a lot is about pruning, about that inexplicable power that some people have and others don't.
In this way, the artist can ignite an entire work and turn it into a strong experience precisely through his interpretation. Even skillful dance patterns without mental influence are only movement performances. Through a powerful experience, new avenues can be opened to the public's thinking and they may even lead to a new way of thinking.
During my career, I have made 40 choreographies and performed thousands of times at home and abroad. Through this, I have been able to realize my goal, which is a high-level, artistically ambitious and diverse dance theater. At the moment, my artistic passion is realized both as a performer and as a choreographer in our work Ruletti. In it, the many paths of humor tickle the audience's laughter nerves, but something beautiful and touching vibrates under the surface. Good art entertains on many levels.
Responsibility and influence
On the surface, a dancer's work may seem light and spontaneous - and it should be. In reality, years of work are behind it. First to achieve professional skill and then to deepen and sensitize the art.
Preparing presentations is also a diverse and demanding process. It asks for surrender, commitment and ultimately giving your all. The artist's ethical responsibility is also significant. Art is not a phenomenon detached from the world, but the artist must use his gifts for the benefit of society. This means art that bears its responsibility for other people as well as for our environment. Important issues that we at Eri want to influence include equality, marginalization and general cultural well-being.
Recipe for Joy
At the moment, we offer Reseptia Ilo in cooperation with Aurala. The purpose of the project is to bring joy and experiences to people and to offer opportunities for discussion. In addition, tempaus offers support for the development of digital skills.
Recipe for joy takes you on a virtual trip to the theater. It offers a free opportunity to participate in the performance as an audience and afterwards to discuss the experience and, of course, other topics that come to mind.
The recipe for joy takes its viewers away from the home sofa to the Dancing Gallery, where they encounter both sensitive and humorous moods. At the end of the performance, there will be a relaxing and engaging soft
body workout that can be done even while sitting at home.
In this way, we want to offer an experience that arouses joy and brings out memories and thoughts.
Tanssiteatteri Eri organizes a virtual meeting on Zoom, etc. after the performance. in the service, so that all participants have time, space and opportunity for discussion.
Art always needs its viewers and experiencers. Only together with our audience can we change the world.
Eeva Soini
executive director
dancer-choreographer
Tanssiteatteri Eri
www.eri.fi
