I am a choreographer, dancer, dance educator, and dance researcher.
I was born in Finland in 1987 and have since lived, worked, and studied in 10 countries around the world. Throughout my career I have worked with three main areas of life: the paradox of freedom, colonialism and imperialism, and sexuality. All my creative practice is very much guided by the values of equality, love, and social justice.
My career in dance is vast and varied. I choreographed my first full-length musical Peter Pan at the age of 17, started teaching at 19, and have performed and created all over the world. I founded DANCO – School for De-Colonising the Art of Dance in 2021, a dance collective for unlearning Western hegemonic dance culture. Since 2022 I have been leading the Nordic Summer University’s Artistic Research Circle, and in 2024-2025 I am coordinating artistic research on postcolonial challenges and racialization through embodied practices for the Villa Karo Cultural Institute.
I have a BA in Dance Education and Choreography from Viljandi Culture Academy (2009), Estonia, and a BA (Hons) in Dance Theatre from Laban, London. I worked as a choreographer, dancer, and dance teacher in London, Thailand, and Austria for 5 years before embarking on a more in-depth dance research path. This began with a Masters in Choreomundus – International Masters in Dance Knowledge, Practise, and Heritage. My thesis ‘The Potential of Dance in Prison Rehabilitation’ was conducted in two juvenile prisons in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and two adult prisons in Manchester, England. In 2019, I returned to Finland and started a non-degree pedagogical study for teachers in the arts at Uniarts Helsinki to deepen my understanding of feminist, radical, and emancipatory pedagogy and creative praxis. In 2024, along with a research project, my self-development continues with the Cultural Somatic Institute certification course in somatic abolitionism and trauma of racialization.
My work as a choreographer ranges from site-specific to large stage, and from musicals to gallery space pieces and festival work. I’m inspired by challenging working environments, extremes, and the unexpected. In London, my work has appeared on the stages of Saddler’s Wells, Richmix, Roundhouse and Bonnie Bird Theatre. I have choreographed full-length theatre pieces including Peter Pan (Tiirismaan Lukio 2006) and Macbeth (Central School of Speech and Drama 2013). I am currently creating work as a soloist and with my colleagues in the DANCO collective.
As a dance artist, I’m always looking for authenticity, honesty, and inner strength. I have created solo productions and worked freelance for choreographers and within dance companies. Choreographers I have worked with include Lea Andersson, Lasse Kantola, Rachel Lopez De la Nieta, CHTO DELAT, Zoi Dimitriou, and Susan Sentler. From 2012 to 2014 I was a dancer with LCP Dance Theatre in London and Figmentations art collective, touring the UK.
On-screen I have danced in the feature film Cuban Fury and music videos by Mateus (Austria) and Älymystö (Finland).
I have been teaching dance since 2006, from professional classes to children and seniors, from prison projects in the USA and England to teaching ballet at Ramallah Ballet Centre. Regardless of age and level, I aim for a holistic approach where the processes of self-realization and empowerment are at the core of learning. My aim as a dance teacher or facilitator is to contribute to the discussion of arts pedagogy in the culture of education, drawing from feminist, critical, and radical pedagogies.
