Dance on the Borders

INDIA-KARELIA – the DANCE ON THE BORDERS -project of 2019:

“INDIA-KARELIA“, Sortavala, Karelia

The Dance theatre project “India-Karelia” was directed and choreographed by Marja Merisalo. A story that combined the Karelian-Finnish epic Kalevala´s mythologies with the Ramayana from India.

Two choirs from Sortavala Music school together with dance groups “Karusel” and “Aurinko” and a school class from School No 1 in Sortavala performed the play on the Seurahuone stage in Sortavala, Republic of Karelia.

GAM – the DANCE ON THE BORDERS -project of 2023:

“GAM“, Arctic Finland and Norway

The story tells about two Sami children who find a sacred stone in an arctic lake where they suddenly meet the under-earthly Sami mythological gnome Ganeš, who sends them through a frozen waterfall to an unforgettable adventure with their magical flying reindeer. The trip goes all the way to distant India, fulfilling the wish of the gnome Ganeš to find his Indian brother Ganesha and finally bringing back home precious Stones of Wisdom.

GAM – a dance theatre play in both Sami and Norwegian languages, was performed by Sami children from Finland and Norway of ages 6-13 together with professional artists on stage in Tana, Norway in the spring 2023.

The play was directed and choreographed by Marja Merisalo and it got funding from the Finnish Cultural Foundation, Alli Paasikivi Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland and Tana commune (Norway).

GAM was funded by:

Finnish Cultural Foundation, Arts Promotion Centre Finland, Alli Paasikivi Foundation (Finland) and Tana municipality (Norway).

.

The coming DANCE ON THE BORDERS project “ETELÄ!” (“SOUTH”):

“TANSSIA RAJOILLA — ETELÄ!” “DANCE ON THE BORDERS – SOUTH!” (“Dans vid gränserna – Söder!”), Estonia (2024) (COMING!)

The project “Tanssia Rajoilla – Etelä” (“Dance on the borders – South”) brings forth another colourful adventure where school children and children who study dance, music and theatre meet in a thrilling adventure that take place in Estonia and that combines old Estonian culture with surprising similarities of other old cultures in the nearby and far away countries.

One of the main goals of this project is to create cross-border interaction and cooperation between Estonia and Finland, specifically focusing on children’s culture. Additionally, the project aims to identify and explore intriguing and interesting similarities within the cultural heritages of both countries, encompassing languages such as Finnish, Estonian, and Swedish, as well as their rich cultural histories. By facilitating this exchange, the project seeks to promote a deeper understanding and appreciation of the shared cultural aspects between Estonia and Finland.

The play is directed by the Finnish choreographer and dancer Marja Merisalo.

Etelä! – South! -project has got funding from Finnish Cultural Foundation (Suomen Kulttuurirahasto) and Alfred Kordelin Foundation (Alfred Kordelinin säätiö).

The coming DANCE ON THE BORDERS project “GAM2”:

“TANSSIA RAJOILLA — GAM2″, Norway, Finland and Sweden (2025) (COMING !)

The story of GAM continues: indigenous Sami children of North Europe gather again in new adventures!

The project “Tanssia Rajoilla – GAM2” (Dance on the borders – GAM2) is a follow up of GAM, that took place in the Cap of the North in 2023.

In this coming project schoolchildren from North Finland and North Norway will collaborate with Swedish counterparts from Kiruna.

The project has a wide range of collaborators in both Northern Sami communities and the cultural field of Finland, Sweden and Norway.

The stage performance will be in Tana bru, Norway in the spring 2025.

GAM2 is currently searching for funding.

The coming DANCE ON THE BORDERS project “MEÄN MAA” (“OUR LAND”):

“TANSSIA RAJOILLA — MEÄN MAA”, “DANCE ON THE BORDERS – OUR LAND”, Sweden and Finland (2026) (COMING!)

The project “Tanssia Rajoilla – Meän Maa” (“Dance on the Borders – Our Land”) takes place in the borderlands between Finland and Sweden around the Torne River Valley (Tornionjokilaakso, Tornedalen) in the Swedish Norrbotten county, as well as on the other side of the border in Finnish Lapland. The project will start in 2026.

DANCE ON THE BORDERS projects summary:

ABOUT DANCE ON THE BORDERS -PROJECT

“Tanssia Rajoilla” (Dance on the Borders) is a five part dance theatre project where children take part in workshops and rehearsals in their schools during periods of about two months. The project ends with a professional-style stage performance lead and supported by professional artists.

Dance on the borders -projects are colorful adventures where any school child that happen to be in the school where the project lands, gets in contact with dance, music and theatre, thus getting a first-hand experience of how it is to work towards artistic and creative goals.

The children meet foreign fellow schoolchildren in thrilling dance theatre adventures. The performances take place on stages both in Finland and its four bordering countries: Russia, Norway, Estonia and Sweden.

One of the purposes of the project is to revive and maintain minority cultures and minority languages in each country in a respectable and creative way and to create contacts between children, who are interested in performing arts and professionals as well.

The stories strive to strengthen the children´s knowledge of their local Finno-Ugric indigenous and minority cultures in their own surroundings and to encourage new interest in children for their own heritage and for further artistic endeavors within their own culture and languages.

The stories combine traditional local culture, stories and mythologies, with dance theatre, music and stage dialogues in local languages, finding often surprising similarities in the other ancient cultures nearby or in far away countries.