Bliss

ANNA TORKKEL

Anna Torkkel and the working group’s dance piece, Bliss, focuses on recalling life's wonder. It anchors itself in existence in its multiplicity and illuminations from dawn to nightfall. The performance highlights the playful essence of dance and its fearless, illogical nature, allowing it to shimmer. In it, dance is a pathway to a profoundly experienced being and its enchantment.

Bliss is a performance in which dance, music, material, and light merge into one. The piece weaves together birth, growth, transitions, and fading, bringing forth both dance’s capacity to express continuous change and the dancer’s skill in navigating between these states. The work is performed by three finely attuned dancers, Mira Kautto, Tuija Lappalainen, and Marika Peura. The performance continues the collaboration between Torkkel and the designers – Kristian Palmu, Johanna Porola, and Piia Rinne – whose most recent joint creation is the solo piece Ray of light (2023). In Bliss, dancing to music and the dialogue between different elements proposed by Torkkel's practice evolve into group choreography.

Anna Torkkel’s choreographic practice draws from focusing on the present moment and from dancing to music. Since the work Heart piece (2012), she has developed a practice that enables and supports the dancer to surrender to the music and disregard evaluating themselves and the movement that emerges. In her practice, dance does not arise from the dancer’s subjective choices, reasoning, or pursuit of excellence, but rather through remaining sensitive and letting go. In the process of Bliss, the practice expands to include working with touch, voice, and singing.

Bliss premieres in October 2025 as part of the Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma’s programme at Kiasma Theatre in Helsinki. In the following spring, 2026, the piece will be performed at the Turku City Theatre. Additionally, a new work, Kultasiipi (Goldwing), has also emerged from the performance process. A draft of it will be presented as part of the Love Harvest contemporary art festival at the Frantsila Organic Herb Farm in August 2025.

Choreography: Anna Torkkel
Dance: Mira Kautto, Tuija Lappalainen, and Marika Peura
Sound design: Johanna Porola
Lighting design and scenography: Kristian Palmu
Costume design and scenography: Piia Rinne
Ehkä-production’s house dramaturg: Even Minn
Lyrics: Excerpt from Milka Luhtaniemi’s poetry collection Kirnu (Gummerus, 2021)
Airbrush paintings on the flame shirt and trousers: Eija Koponen
Pre-photos: Hertta Kiiski
Performance photos: Eva-Liisa Orupõld

Trailer: Elli Syrjänen
Production: Kiasma Theatre, Ehkä-production, rendezvous, and Anna Torkkel, in collaboration with the Regional Dance Centre of Western Finland
In partnership with: Love Harvest festival and Turku City Theatre
Residency (workgroup): Ehkä-production/Contemporary Art Space Kutomo (Turku)
Residencies (Anna Torkkel): Circolo Scandinavo (Rome), SÌM Residency (Reykjavik), and The Finnish Institute in Rome (Rome)
Supporters: Arts Promotion Centre Finland and TOP Foundation

Premiere: 29.10.2025 at Kiasma Theatre
Duration: approx. 55 min

Premiere:

Wednesday 29th October 2025 at 6 pm at Kiasma Theatre, Helsinki

Performances at Kiasma Theatre:

Fri 31st October at 6 pm

Sat 1st November at 3 pm

Sun 2nd November at 3 pm

Tue 4th November at 6 pm

Wed 5th November at 3 pm

Thu 6th November at 6 pm

Performances at Turku City Theatre in the spring of 2026:

Fri 15th May at 6:30 pm