What is it like to be a girl in the 2020s? In "Venus", Janina Rajakangas explores the erotization of youth together with a group of teenage girls. Addressing their everyday feminist battles, the piece delves into the role that outsiders play in shaping our perceptions of beauty and the value placed on a girl’s life. "Venus" is honest, humble and kind, but also dopey, problematic and loud; the portrayal of Venus is multifaceted, because girliness itself is. What began as a project between a mother and daughter has become a creation comprising poems, songs and dance performed by four teenagers, with a text based on their shared conversations.
Artist / Company Bio
Choreographer, performer and teacher Janina Rajakangas has received grants for artistic work since 2017 by Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Finnish Cultural Foundation. She works with detailed choreographic material as well as large-scale scores for groups, always trying to understand how dance comes from what we encounter in the everyday.
Credits
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Choreographer/director
Janina Rajakangas -
Choreographer’s assistant
Maija Reeta Raumanni -
Founding idea
Volta Rajakangas-Moussaoui -
Co-choreographers/performers
Natalia Foster, Mea Holappa, Seela Merenluoma, Volta Rajakangas-Moussaoui -
Spatial and lighting design
Alina Pajula -
Costume designer
Kirsi Gum -
Sound designer
Tuuli Kyttälä -
Producer
Ulrika Vilke
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Premiere date and place
10.11.2022 Mad House Helsinki
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Duration (minutes)
60