Review: 100 tapaa nauraa

Extending the age
with a dance padded with laughter

A small baby who cannot yet speak sometimes surprises its parents with such a big giggle that they have to take a breath from time to time. In other words, we have the biological capacity to laugh quite early. Psychologists also know how important the contact between people made possible by laughter is, and positive physiological effects have been described as internal massage, exercise, jogging, if not spurts.

Art has also both explored and utilised laughter, and when this is happening in the dance sector of the Helsinki City Theatre, it is both a demonstration of a sense of play and responsible creativity. Lovable are the laughter-inducers!

Jyrki Karttunen’s choreography is a cornucopia that is not content to examine the concept in question only as a social event. What happens in a community when laughter shakes it is interesting, but at least as interesting is tackling the “problem” on an individual level.

The dancers are excellent illustrations. They put not only the gestis but also their vocal instruments into play. The comprehensiveness of creating laughter becomes very visible when numerous sound variations are found and the movement language is tuned to the limits. A dancer’s “stradivarius” is his body, and when everything works, it’s hard to say which came first, the dancer or the dancer.

However, the dance work is not an educational event, but it proceeds according to its internal laws and expressive dimensions. The ensemble finds its interpretation on the scale of laughter, stagnation or flight, shyness, boisterousness. Play and joy are present, foolishness as well as emotionality, and the scenes overlap effortlessly but not without surprises. Tuomas Fränti’s compositions are an integral part of the work – supporting and inciting movement language. Other music choices are also of great importance.

The most endearing and imaginative are the cinematic scenes in which the smiley spirits have come to life. In their yellow plump tamines, these “aliens” – perhaps bringing greetings from the tree – are absolutely adorable, making art out of clumsiness and curiosity, encouraging open-mindedness and gentle laughter. The mutual circus-like games include both acrobatics and an appealing lack of pressure. Bravo! And the set design, it’s like a modern painting – shapes, colors…

Helsinki Dance The company shines in the dance world as beautiful and unique. Alongside eight professionals – as a snack of the work – and a fresh dive into the theme of the evening, the dance workshop’s amateur group The Funky Foot Clan was also seen. The other groups will take turns introducing themselves in future performances. A project worth supporting, the traces of which are guaranteed to be visible in the future.