Ballet Finland: KEHÄ

KEHÄ (‘circle’) represents the four unique seasons. The evening features premieres by Atte Kilpinen, Reija Wäre, Kenneth Kvarnström and Jouka Valkama.

KEHÄ invites the audience into a cycle of movement and time – a work inspired by the seasons, in which four distinctive choreographic voices come together. The evening brings together four premieres by four unique contemporary dance artists: Atte Kilpinen, Reija Wäre and Kenneth Kvarnström and Jouka Valkama.

The different moods of the seasons are brought to life on stage through four powerful works. Atte Kilpinen’s winter piece Kirkastettu yö pauses to reflect on silence and the connection between generations, where movement is illuminated like moonlight. In her spring piece, Reija Wäre explores the tension between the individual and the group, infusing the language of ballet with new nuances. Kenneth Kvarnström’s rambunctious triotrio plays with structure, repetition and subtle mysticism in a dialogue between the three dancers. Jouka Valkama’s autumn piece Varjojen muisti delves into memories, change and letting go, where shadows begin to stir.

Atte Kilpinen: Kirkastettu yö

Ballet dancer Atte Kilpinen’s new work Kirkastettu yö transports the audience to a winter forest – a quiet, moonlit moment where time seems to stand still and every movement is illuminated. The duet is based on Arnold Schönberg’s composition Transfigured Night (Verklärte Nacht, 1899). The music, originally based on a lovers’ tale, takes on a new meaning in Kilpinen’s interpretation: the production explores the love between a mother and her son, the continuity between generations.


Reija Wäre

“I have been reflecting on the relationship between the individual and the group: how a single person can be used as a scapegoat or a lightning rod for the emotions of others.

In my forthcoming work for Ballet Finland, I am interested in enhancing the grace and fluidity of ballet with elements from other dance genres. The skills and personalities of the dancers inspire me.”
– Reija Wäre

Kenneth Kvarnström: triotrio

Three dancers.
Three parts.
Three hundred and fifty steps, thirty lifts and a pinch of mystery.

Jouka Valkama: Varjojen muisti

Shadows create movement from memories, change and letting go.

Event duration: 1.5 h + intermission; total duration roughly 2 h