Tiia Kasurinen: ONSTAGE – The Concert

ONSTAGE – The Concert, by Tiia Kasurinen, draws inspiration from pop stars, club concerts and stage alter egos - and especially from the femmes of the music industry who have harnessed the audience’s gaze. ONSTAGE – The Concert, a dance work premiering in autumn 2023, explores alter ego bodies and stage presences in the context of live music. What emerges when contemporary choreography and visual transformation meet the practices of making and performing music? The work will be based on the electronic pop-band formed by Tiia Kasurinen (concept, choreography, performance) and Olli Lautiola (sound design) and an EP-record of the band, which Kasurinen and Lautiola will compose and write during 2021-2023. The protagonist of the performance is an alter ego -body practiced by Kasurinen. The stage will be also joined by a voguing performance art duo Amanda & Lydia (Lydia Ofi Teresia and Amanda 007). The performance is an album release party, a dance piece, a musical try-out and a choreographic alter ego-exploration. What does the combination of a gig and a choreographic work evoke - in the performers and in the audience? The performance is interested in spontaneous and pre-planned choreographies of the concert context. The work observes the themes of gaze and charisma, and is influenced by artists such as Nadia Tehran, Grimes, Madonna, Lizzo, Arca100000, Ariana Grande, Whitney Houston, Donna Missal and fka Twigs. Concept, choreography: Tiia Kasurinen (she/her) Performance: Tiia Kasurinen, Lydia Ofi Teresia (she/her), Amanda 007 (she/her), Olli Lautiola (he/him) Sound design: Olli Lautiola & Tiia Kasurinen Lighting design: Mikko Kaukonen (he/him), Sofia Linde (mentoring, she/her) Costume design: Annukka Havukumpu (she/her) Stage design: Landys Roimola (she/her) Motion graphics: Gabriel Boicel (he/him) Production: Tiia Kasurinen, Zodiak – Center for New Dance, Helsinki Festival PR photos: Saara Taussi (she/her)