DREAMER
DREAMER invites the audience into an immersive, dreamlike world of rhythm, vivid images and movement. In a surreal, fuchsia-coloured space, performers dance on the border between fantasy and reality, living moments that feel both familiar and strange, almost Lynchian in their aesthetic. DREAMER does not tell a story, but offers viewers the freedom to create their own meanings and gently encourages personal reflection and interpretation.
Choreographers
ANNAMARI KESKINEN and RYAN MASON
Set and lighting design
WILLIAM ILES
Costume design
ELINA KOLEHMAINEN
Sound design and composition
by TIMO TIKKA
Composition and cellist
SAARA VIKA
Hair and makeup and implementation
RONJA NYLUND
Premiere 20.3.2025
Helsinki City Theatre studio in Pasila
Performance duration
1 hour 15 minutes, excluding intermission
Performers
SOFIA HILLI
JYRKI KASPER
AKSINJA LOMMI
PEKKA LOUHIO
MIKKO PALONIEMI
JUSTUS PIENMUNNE
INKA TIITINEN
ANNA VIRKKUNEN
ELLI VIRTANEN-ROTH (esiintyvä työharjoittelija)
Choreographer's word
With DREAMER we challenged ourselves to work within a context of dream logic, delving into texture, subtext, and mood as key elements. Thinking about the notion of dreaming, we were curious to create a space that would be free from plot devices while simultaneously pulling from dramatic contexts. So the work, in large, relies heavily on rhythm and precise action. In this fuchsia room, we framed a plotless drama, a shell into which one might project themselves. We were curious to break apart actions into smaller and smaller increments, as a way to perhaps open up a singular moment and observe the fantastical within it.
As creators, we are often drawn to the ineffable, and because of this, we tend to create work that we cannot fully explain or even understand. Of course, this runs the risk of incoherence, yet even still we prefer to create work that doesn’t point directly toward anything, but instead exists for its own sake and for what it might offer the viewer and how it might open itself to the world.
This type of creation is highly fragile, positioned on a razor's edge between clarity and ambiguity. The subtleties—the length of silence, the nuance of an action, the interplay of light, sound, color, and movement—balance on this fine line. In this precarious space, the work seeks to uncover hidden layers of reality, inviting the viewer to look beyond simple black-and-white interpretations and explore the spectrum of possibilities that lie in between. Through this exploration, new pathways for understanding and discovery emerge, shaped by personal observation and experience.
We are interested in what moves the performers and how their inner world appears within the context of the piece. "DREAMER" has traveled a multifaceted journey to reach this point. Initial vague visions have gradually found their way into being. We began with improvisation-based tasks that charted the course for what was to come. It's important to note that the performance seen now offers just one perspective from a creative process filled with play, joy of discovery, and challenges. We feel privileged to work with HDC’s talented dancers and other artistic professionals who bring invaluable contributions to the piece. Our process-oriented way of working has required our team to constantly adapt and immerse themselves, for which they deserve our deepest gratitude.
Finally in DREAMER, we strive to move between the conscious and subconscious worlds. It is a truly vulnerable yet brave space to inhabit. We believe that dreaming is an essential resource because it encourages us to imagine different realities. It allows us to transcend the limitations of everyday life and create new meanings. DREAMER invites us to nurture this vital ability.
Annamari & Ryan