Birds of Paradise examines masculinity in a time that emphasizes the ideal of strength
Inspired by the courtship dances of birds of paradise, show wrestling and gender stereotypes, choreographer Tiia Kasurinen’s new dance piece Birds of Paradise reflects on what kind of models of masculinity our culture rewards. Whatkind of choreographies do birds and people build in order to be noticed, accepted and chosen? The work, completed during the Helsinki City Theatre’s Contemporary Performance Stage’s summer residency, will premiere on 6 August at Studio Pasila.
“I got the initial spark for the work from the courtship dances of colourful male birds, familiar from nature documentaries. Through the courtship rituals of birds, I wanted to focus on humans and gender norms. How do we meet each other? How do we seek approval or love? I am curious to examine people through courtship with humour and gentleness, without shying away from weighty themes such as power, consent and extreme masculinity,” says Tiia Kasurinen, who is responsible for the overall concept, choreography and direction of the work. On stage, we will see four utopian birds of paradise, whose impressive costumes are from costume designer Leevi Ikäheimo’s No Pain No Glamour collection, which explores hypermasculinity . The superhero-like outfits that play with strong colors make you think about what kind of masculinity and body image are offered to boys and men from childhood.The dancers in the work are Tiia Kasurinen, Kaisu Koittola and Lauri Lohi. Samu Hakomäki is responsible for filming on stage. The costume design is by Leevi Ikäheimo. The music is composed and sound designed by Drama Tiikka, Iida Hägglund and Tiia Kasurinen. Mikko Kaukonen is responsible for the lighting design. The set design is by Aino Koski and Mikko Kaukonen. The video design is by Tiia Kasurinen and Mikko Kaukonen. Christa Ropponen works as a trainee in the work. An early version of Birds of Paradise attracted international interest as early as 2024, when it was selected for the finals of the Danse Élargie choreography competition in Paris – the first Finnish work in the history of the competition. After the Helsinki City Theatre’s performance season, Birds of Paradise will also be seen elsewhere in the Nordic countries. Kasurinen graduated from the Stockholm University of the Arts in 2017 with a degree in dance. Her choreographies have been performed at Dance Base in Yokohama, Japan, the One Dance Festival in Bulgaria, Inkonst in Sweden, the Helsinki Festival and Zodiak – Centre for New Dance. The Contemporary Performance Stage in Studio Pasila brings new forms of performing arts into the Helsinki City Theatre’s repertoire. The purpose of the stage for a contemporary performance is to create diverse contemporary performances for larger stages and wider audiences, as well as to create unique encounters between a fixed professional theatre and independent operators. Birds of Paradise premieres on 6.8.2026 and performances until 19.8.2026 at Studio Pasila (Ratamestarinkatu 5). Tickets: basic ticket €25 and student ticket €12.50 (Mon-Thu) #birdsofparadise @hktfi #nykyesityksennäyttämö Helsinki City Theatre ticket sales and customer service by phone (09) 3940 22 Mon-Fri 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ticket offices First line 2, Mon-Fri 12-17, Eläintarhantie 5, Sat (on performance days) 11-18.30 and one hour before the performance and Lippu.fi, Mon-Sat 9-21, Sun 10-16, tel. 0600 900 900 (2 €/from min+local network charge) www.hkt.fi Release photo: Jessica North Further information, media ticket reservations and interview requests: Communications Coordinator Heta Tuppurainen, heta.tuppurainen@hkt.fi, 050 475 7563 (until 31.7.2026) Kaisa Pelkonen, Communications Manager, kaisa.pelkonen@hkt.fi, 040 552 3788 (from 3.8.2026) Helsinki City Theatre, Ensi linja, 00530 Helsinki