ICA presents the UK premier of Kaisa Nieminen and Marika Peura’s live work down below things shudder. The work explores surrendering to the intimacy of dancing and derives its choreographic material from the context of club and rave culture. With grinding as its movement landscape, five dancers engage in a search of pleasures of the dancing body; sensual and sexual energies, frantic expressions, the thrill of the social play grounded in intimate explorations.
Honey on the rocks, lava in the spine.
Lä-ääh, lä-ääh, uuuh aaah! (or how does one transcribe the ocean?)
Body rolling, body rolling, heavy waves through my muscle tonus.
Eyes low, wavy like the sea, the landscape listens.
Wait, can you feel it?
Another body wave gyrating through me.
I want you to notice it, I made it for you!
My sweat, my lava – a grandiloquent sequence.
Ooops, oh my! Can you come closer?
The name of the piece is from poet Rebecca Tamás’ poem WITCH VOLCANO. (Tamás 2019: 103).
Read an essay by Even Minn on down below things shudder.
Kaisa Nieminen is a dancer-choreographer. Her dance background is in street dance; mainly in hip hop and punking/waacking. She graduated with a master’s degree in choreography from the Inter-University for Dance Berlin (HZT) in 2019. Nieminen is also a member of the rap group Pimeä Hedelmä.
Marika Peura is a freelance choreographer and dancer. Her dance background is in street & club dance culture. She works multidisciplinary in the fields of dance and contemporary performing arts. In 2020 Peura graduated from the MA Choreography program at Theatre Academy of the Uniarts Helsinki.
Performed by Selma Kauppinen, Lau Lukkarila, Kaisa Nieminen, Caroline Suinner, Marika Peura.
Sound Designer: Tiikka Drama
Light Designer: Luca Sirviö
Set Designer: Virpi Nieminen
Costume Designer: Joona Huotari
Dramaturg: Hanna-Kaisa Tiainen
Producers: Kaisa Nieminen & Marika Peura, Dance House Helsinki
Photography by Venla Helenius
down below things shudder at the ICA (12 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH) on 4–5 July. Visit ICA’s website to get your tickets!
