Last day in Hammerfest

Here is the last video from this trip. Camera operator/editor decided to sleep for the traveling days.
Check out the nordic lights and other nice stuff!

11th day on the road

Home soon. Finally.


 -Mea

Questions addressed to the universe !

We have been endulged with the festival pass to the Dance Festival Barents. It is insanely amazing to see so many performances in a short period of time.
Yesterday's performances brought about a lot of discussion amongst us.

Here are some questions that arose from the performances Praeambulum (Ingur Bjornsgaard Prosjekt) and Wild Places: Mountain (Roosna & Flak):

Praeambulum:
Did this piece aim to comment on gender stereotypes?
If so, why was there so much text about Bach in the programme?
Where came the esthetics of this piece?
Why did they choose Bach?
Why did they choose not to wear bra?
Was this a piece about sexual abuse?
Why did they use the plastic thing for such a short period of time?
How on earth did they become such talented dancers?
Am I too short/fat/ugly to be a dancer?
What kind of image of female/male gender does this piece draw in the world?
What kind of image of humanity does this piece draw in the world?
Why was the piece that long?

Wild places: Mountain:
Why did they use video footage in the performance?
What did they want to deliver/communicate/say/state with this piece?
Where came the sentense "I want salty peanuts" ?
How come you ended up using so much movement material?
Why did they use the "civilisation-shaking thing" for such a short period of time?
Why stage performances in general tend to be so long?

Photobooth

Good morning! Here are some photos by our tech master Sony Keinänen. Today we were going to landscape ferry cruiser (familiar from windy videos) but it had left already when we arrived to harbor. Luckily mountains are always open ;)

a view from our home street

Tickets to heaven

Ferry behind did´t reach us today :( 

a view from our balcony

Besieged!

... And this meemi is done by our meemi master Siiri Kortelainen:

Impossible to translate!

Hammerfest meemi group 2015

Hammerfest för livet

Zen-flying-mountain-experience with Johanna

Zhaar!

It´s 11.17 am, peacuful and quiet here in cafeteria. Kedja started yesterday with opening ceremony at Arktisk Kultursenter. I have been sick (driven by gods of fever) for few days but now i feel being back in business with my rally english and kidney beans. Luckily second year student Alli Mattila has been here also by shooting and editing films to you. Alli - the true ally!

So, Hammerfest. It´s dark, beautiful, not TOO expensive and exotic place. People have been polite to us and all the arrangements considering to the festival have been done well. Yesterday some of us were hiking in the mountains that surround the city and they said it was so windy up there that you could fly. I skipped my yoga class this morning to have my own zen-flying-experience up there. It wasn´t windy at all this time. By contrast it was actually very peaceful and snowing. Perfect start for the day i would say. Some of us have been spending time with locals in moody cafeterias and some of us have just been wondering about people selling polar bear´s meat at the town. Spending your free time here is not a problem. There´s enough space and nature letting your soul to have a nap but still enough people around to have your social circle satisfied. It´s kind of easy to be a superstar here. 

Opening ceremony at Arktisk Kultursenter

Mikko being roped during opening

We have seen many performances already here and yesterday´s ”Spa för livet” (not in the picture above) touched me. I felt it was kind of spa simulation dealing this modern time, rushing, growing up, having everything but still having nothing. I couldn´t understand most of the lingual aspects because it was in norwegian but it still got my attention and was easy to follow through. I just came from a panel discussion considering the piece and some people had had thoughts about the piece being kind of too light or parody-like while it still handled very serious topics about consuming culture etc. I didn´t feel like that at all and afterwards i think like that because of very emotional driven soundscape/atmosphere which was made by echoing and modulating speech, instruments and signing. It kind of made the piece together not being too ironic or funny. It was kind of real while the motion and dancers were presenting something artificial. That´s just a one benefit of having a talented musician who handles the art of improvisation. As a total all supporting elements were in right places at right time during the show. 

Breakfast debate

After performances we have discussed a lot about feelings and it has been very interesting to see points through dancer´s eyes. As a sound designer/musician i can´t help it that i look so many aspects through the audio and it affects to my emotions so much. Talented dancing and/or beautiful choreography itself is nothing if it doesn´t communicate with other supporting elements (music, audience, scenery etc). There can be a house without windows. Yes - it is still house but it doesn´t have windows. Some people may like it like that but i want to know at least WHY there´s no windows ;)

Okay, that kind of thoughts. See ya soon!

-Ilmari-

Day 6: Kedja Hammerfest starts!

Yesterday the Kedja Hammerfest had it's opening and Mikko, Joanna and Samppa got involved into Danny Kok's and Luke George's installation performance Bunny. In today's film there's also video footage from a windy boat trip - filmed by Aino Ojanen and Ulla Mäkinen.

Today third year students have their performance in Martha Andersensalen in the Arktik Kultursenter. Exiting!

Day 5: First day in Hammerfest

This night the Kedja starts and we have been studying the programme and enjoying the rainy and beautiful Hammerfest. Also we saw a polar bear! Check it out!

Lapin kansa wrote about us!

Day 4: On the road again

We're now in Hammerfest!
Barents Festival is starting and we are enthusiastic!

Insipired by our maze like hotel.

Day 2 - Saarroksissa

Zhaar folks! Nyt Rollottaa!

Here we are at Santasport-hotel, well fed, slept and alive. Yesterday was all about enjoying Rollottaa-dance festival at Lappia-talo. Our third graders performed Virpi Juntti´s Saarroksissa dance piece there in addition to 15 other spectacles by local artists. It was good fun. It was also good fun to visit Arktikum museum, have sauna, play board games and have luxory meals by Santasport-chef. Bowling is super popular here and we couldn´t play it yesterday because we didn´t reserve it beforehand. Today we will. Weather is showing some marks of winter but it is still pretty warm (+5 celsius = summerish) . It is dark though and it´s gonna get only darker when we start approaching toward Hammerfest on tomorrow. Right now i feel a bit sick so better stay in bed and watch a movie ”Fighter”. Till tomorrow°°!!:::)))

-Ilmari-