The Human Experience of Disorder
Reflections and mirrors turn the stage into a kaleidoscopic space where the line between real and imagined is constantly shifting. The visual disorientation extends to the structure of the piece, blurring the boundaries that separate image and narrative.
“My job is to build the puzzle and to break it into small pieces, involving not only the dancers but also the props, the furniture, and the revolving stage,” says choreographer Fernando Melo.
The small stage at the Helsinki City Theatre, with its half-arena seating and revolving floor, became the starting point for a concept created specifically for this space.
“In this space, you can create such magical images,” says set designer Kalle Nio. “When we saw that it’s almost surrounded, almost like a circus, it pushed us to find a new perspective.”
With Out of Order, Nio and Melo continue their collaboration that began with Tempo, premiered at Helsingin Juhlaviikot 2025.
A Different Process
In Out of Order, the creation process unfolds differently than in most dance works. Instead of the set following the choreography, the movement is built around the objects and materials on stage, which is why they need to be ready early in the process.
“You have to envision the scenes and what is possible to do with this material, so that you can get very specific to what this material needs to do on stage with the dancer,” Melo says.
Just as with the physical materials, the process with sound works in reverse: Melo develops each scene first and then finds the music that supports it.
Working with moving scenography, reflections, and optical illusions makes the creation process unusually complex.
“It’s a lot of trial and error,” says Melo. “We’ve made drawings and small-scale models, but it’s only when we’re in the studio with the dancers that it comes together.”
The dancers don’t move within the set but with it, as the objects and mirrors are fully integrated into the movement. In Out of Order, they must split their focus between performing and carefully managing the props to keep the visual illusions working.
“It’s very demanding for the dancers. They have to think about all the technical details and still be dancers, to interpret the scene and to express with their bodies,” Nio says.
Meaning in Disorder
The title Out of Order was chosen for its multiple meanings, reflecting both the structure of the piece and the human experience of disorder.
It refers not only to the rearranged sequence of scenes, but also to the sense of fragmentation that shapes how we remember, perceive, and make sense of our lives.
Melo explains that the scenes are intentionally displaced and rearranged, encouraging the audience to take an active role in piecing the story together and finding their own sense of meaning.
Nio is drawn to the idea of non-linearity, where things may first seem abstract and only later begin to form a story that stays in the mind and perhaps changes in memory afterwards. Nio describes Out of Order as a journey of vanishing and reappearing images.
”Through illusions, choreography, and moving scenography, it becomes a different kind of theatre experience — one that we don’t usually expect from a dance company.”
Text by Ida Henritius.