Take my hand is the Alpo Aaltokoski Company’s holistic dance evening, where contemporary dance collaborates with...
Alpo Aaltokoski Company’s year 2022 was eventful and full of dancing. In the spring, the works Ups and Downs and Uoma premiered, and the fall culminated in a major production of Pyörteitä / Whirls at newly opened Finnish Dance House. Ali & Alpo and Uoma visited Rovaniemi, Pyhäjärvi and Oulu. Alpo Aaltokoski Company’s open audition was organized in March and a total of 100 dancers participated in it.
The year 2023 will bring changes in the Company’s staff, as Executive Director Elina Aholainen will be on maternity leave and will be replaced by Helmi Saksala, who has been involved in the production strength also before. Helmi can be reached from 16.1.2023 by phone +358 44 3233509 or by email at helmi(a)aaltokoskicompany.fi.
Review from 2022
On February 2 the opening of Finnish Dance House was celebrated. Alpo Aaltokoski performed in Reija Wäre’s choreography and the recording of opening gala can be viewed until February 1, 2023 at Yle Areena.
On March 4-6 Alpo Aaltokoski Company open audition was organized. A total of 100 dancers participated over three days in five different groups.
From April 28 to May 1 the Ups and Downs installation piece was presented at Cable Factory Valssaamo, Helsinki. The starting point for a new kind of cross-art collaboration was visual artist Carina Ahlskog’s interest in the moving body in the context of visual art.
From May 28 to June 5 all seven Uomaperformances at the Maunula house, Helsinki were sold out.
The audience discussions after the performances aroused an extraordinary amount of interest. Most of the audience stayed to listen to the conversation and many wanted to share their experiences. It was seen as specially great that there were dancers of different ages on the stage, which gave many viewers something to relate to.
Uoma can with good reason be called a polished pearl, after which you will be blown away by all the beauty and wisdom that the dancers convey.”
– Maria Säkö, Helsingin Sanomat, 29 May 2022
On June 1 Alpo Aaltokoski was awarded the Dance reputation award for promoting the Dance House project. The prize was given on 22.10. in connection with the Whirls performance at Dance House.
On October 20-22 the large-scale production Pyörteitä / Whirls was performed a total of 3 times in the Erkko hall of Dance House. Production the work, which premiered originally in 2011, was a huge effort for the free field dance group.
“The historical importance and importance of Whirls to our art field actually obligates the continuation of the work’s life cycle. The themes of the work are still relevant today. We are struggling with climate change and the loss of nature, at the same time a war of conquest is going on in Europe. Where we came from, what we are and where we are going. I believe these questions are on the minds of many of us.”
– Alpo Aaltokoski