Review: Kuka pelkää tappajahaita

Life is a martial art

Life is a playing field and the game is hard and merciless. You always have to be able to do the same or better than other players. And it doesn’t help even if you sometimes want to blow the whistle and throw yourself into the final void if you dare. However, it all starts again.

Such a picture of the world is provided by Joona Halonen’s new work for the Helsinki Dance Company, Who Is Afraid of Killer Sharks.

It’s black and ugly almost to the point of comicism. Genders, and partly even identity, have been faded into similar black uniforms designed by Minttu Vesala , with protective helmets and gloves. The chalk drawing dust sticking from the black floor messes everything up equally. Only six bodies and movement remain.

And a lot is required of both. Unrelenting endurance, strength and flexibility from bodies. Movement has speed, spectacle and a sense of danger. There is plenty of both.

Even though the dancers of HDC are sweaty and clearly exhausted at the end of the performance, they also have a touch of pride in them. We survived it and survived handsomely.

And that’s what they did. Runs, spins, daring jumps and head-to-head battles go smoothly and work. Sofia Hill, Kai Lähdesmäki, Heidi Naakka, Guillermo Sarduy, Eero Vesterinen and Sofia Ylinen have a strong connection. Eyes speak. There is energy and fierce determination in the movements.

The deliberately random choreography pushes forward almost in a lull. This work does not focus on being streamlined and airy, but extremely carnal and bodily. In Halonen’s game of life, fears are not fought with intellect or emotion, but with violent physical movement. When you run fast enough, you can escape, or can you?

The soundscape created by Tuuli Kyttäjä is as dark and menacing as the rest of the performance. That doesn’t take a breather either, unless you count the wedding march scene with a crooked smile on the corner of your mouth. Vesa Ellilä’s lights are declarative in the style of a game arena. They show what they are supposed to.

Who Fears Killer Sharks is a strong and sweaty praise of physical movement. But if the viewer’s view of life is not in line with game theory, a common ground of identification may not be found.