ALI ADNAN SAAD ALSAEDI

Ali is a singer educated by his uncles. He knows widely the folklore and pop music of Middle East. He is from Baghdad. Ali Saad is studying at Pop & Jazz Conservatory and he has performed at festivals, at clubs and in concerts in Finland. He has acted in National Theatre and played a role in the movie Rikinkeltainen taivas, which premiered in March 2021.

ANGEL

is a gender queer fashion student at Omnia who has been assisting various designers, for example Ervin Latimer. Angel is also a model , a ballroom participant and a drag artist. Angel is born and raised in Uganda and moved to Finland 6 years ago where they currently reside. At the moment Angel is working as a costume designer for Ilmastokirkko and other personal projects.

SAMULI EMERY

(born 1996) is a Finnish-British queer dance artist and dance teacher. They graduated from the SEAD Academy in Austria at 2019 (main subject choreography). They have studied the cultural heritage of the street and club dances.

In the past 7 years Samuli has worked widely in Finland and in Europe, for example in the productions of Meg Stuart, Jerome Bel, Jill Crovisier, Hanna Brotherus, Sonya Lindfors and Jaakko Nieminen, as well as some well-known Finnish artists. They have been awarded as a performer and a choreographer in Finland, Germany, Estonia and Italy.

JÉRÉMY GAUDIBERT

(born 1988) is working within a plurality of fields, from product to graphic design while also developing his dance practice and pedagogy. Originally from France, Jérémy settled in Helsinki by the end of 2017. The constant friction between their different interests sparks a drive for experimental projects where image meets movement and movement meets materials.

ANNI HORSMANHEIMO

(born 1998) is a dancer from Kuopio. She will graduate 2021 as a pedagog of dance from Savonia University of Applied Sciences. She has worked as a dancer in the following productions: Tanssikielto by Dance Theatre Minimi, City Theatre of Kuopio and Dance Theatre Tsuumi as well as in the play Bernarda Alban Talo by City Theatre of Kuopio. Anni has danced from contemporary and jazz dance to street dance disciplines, which are her passion. She is interested in choreographing street dance and to raise the appriciation of the street dance in the arts scene.

SIMEONI "SLYRRE ÄS" JUOPERI

(born 1989) is a Helsinki based dancer, musician and artist. Lately he has performed in the contemporary art piece Actions x Figures by Mikko Makkonen. He has been a part of School Breaks ensemble by Konserttikeskus. At the moment he is finishing the album "Ou nou" with the producer Sebastiwan. He started breaking with Mikko Ahlgren in Jyväskylä 2000. At the moment he is active in the groups Toistuvat Yllätykset, Hips Don't Lie, Rancid Rockers and Vapaa Aika. He is a member of the board in the Finnish Breaking Association.

ADASHA MOORE

(born 1991) is one of the founders of the Shameless Dance Crew with Hamza Jadda. Shameless Dance Crew has been competing in the national level for a long time and it has been awarded with the scholarships of the Finnish Dance Organization. Adasha has her inspiration of African dances, hip hop, dancehall, waacking and voguing. Adasha has been a part of the projects of Pehmee Collective (Ruskeat Tytöt Media) , in music videos, in TV (Huuma 2019), at festivals and in Emma Gala (2020).

SOFIA RUIJA

has started her dancing in Kuopio Dance Studio. Sofia continued to study at Finnish National Ballet and gratuated as a dancer 2021. Sofia has been performing in different performances by Tero Saarinen, Riku Lehtopolku and Reija Wäre. She has created her own choreographies for Sony Music Finland and Nordic Prix du Nord ballet contest. Sofia has been performing in different art festivals such as Kuopio tanssii ja soi Festival, Emma Gaala and Amos Rex Exhibition.

AMANDA

(born 1988) is a performance artist, a dancer and a dance teacher. She started with hip hop and later found voguing, which has impacted her most. Amanda has performed as solo artist as well as in groups. She has worked in various productions with artists such as Jenni Vartiainen, Olavi Uusivirta, Antti Tuisku, Robin and Kaija Koo. At the moment Amanda is a part of two collectives: Amanda & Lydia and Fem Queens of Finland. They have performed for example with Princess Nokia, Leila K and Alma.

VILMA TUOMINIEMI

(born 1998) is a young dancer and a dance teacher from Kuopio. She will graduate 2021 as a pedagog of dance from Savonia University of Applied Sciences ( main studies in contemporary dance and ballet). As a dancer Vilma is interested the combination of the fluidity of contemporary dance, floor techniques and the precision of ballet. Also detailed movement attracts her. She has worked as a dancer in the City Theatre of Kuopio in the play Bernarda Alban talo. She is teaching in different dance schools and wants to works more as a choreographer. Her choreography was awarded in the professional series at the Kajaani Dance Festival 2018.

AKIM BAKHTAOUI

(born 1994) is a dancer and choreographer, who also performs as Alpha Extreme. Akim is one of the best known street dancers in Finland. He has performed with the group WFFF (Will Funk For Food). Akim knows many street disciplines, and the main ones are locking and hip hop. Akim works as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and Dj and also competes internationally.

JESSE GYLLENBÖGEL

(born 1998) studies in the University of the Arts in the Acting in Finnish Degree Programme. Jesse has studied acting at Folk High School in Lahti and danced in Ryhmisnuoret in the years 2017-2018. The love for the theatre and arts started at the very early age, and he experiences that the physical expression is a very important part of the art. Dance has guided Jesse towards the acting. Jesse is a variant art maker and likes to challenge himself to try and explore many sectors of the art.

JOONA HUOTARI

(born 1986) is a costume designer, who has worked in the field from the year 2010. Joona’s work are for example Turandot 2020 by Opera BOX, Kymppitonni 2020 by FOX, Talvisirkus BAU 2019 by Tanssiteatteri Hurjaruuth and Body Positive 2019 by Emma Salokoski . Joona is a part of the collective called The House of Disappointments. They organized a costume exhibition called WEAR(E)ART as a part of Kiasma’s URB Festival at Cultural Center Caisa in the summer 2020.

HAMZA JADDA

(born 1991) is one of the founders of the Shameless Dance Crew with Adasha Moore. Shameless Dance Crew has been competing in the national level for a long time and it has been awarded with the scholarships of the Finnish Dance Organization. Hamza is originally from Marocco, and he has his inspiration of African dances, hip hop, dancehall, waacking, voguing and disco dance. Hamza has performed in the music videos, in TV (Huuma 2019), in festivals and competed succesfully in the European and the World Championships. He has been triumphant also in the national team of Finland in karate.

Alex Komulainen

is a dancer and choreographer born and raised in Finland who has taught all over Europe, as well as, South Africa, Russia and the United States. He recently moved to the USA to teach contemporary classes at the world-renowned Millenium Dance Complex in Los Angeles, California.

Alex is a featured soloist on music videos for artists such as Billy Lockett and Isak Danielson. In addition, Alex was selected to be a part of Brian Friedman’s ”the ENTOURAGE”. He has performed for some of the biggest artists in Finland including; Isac Elliot, Robin, Jenni Vartiainen and many more. Alex has been featured all over Scandinavia`s largest TV- shows and Live Broadcasts, such as ”VG-Lista” in Norway, ”Sommarkrysset” in Sweden, as well as ”Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu”, ”Urheilugaala” and ”Good Morning Finland” and dozens more.

LYDIA OFI TERESIA

(born 1994) is a transfemme performance and burlesque artist aswell as a dancer and a dance teacher. Lydia’s aesthetics comes from the Ballroom community which she has been a part of since 2011. Lydia has performed in numerous productions as solo as well as in different groups working with the artist for example Jenni Vartiainen, Krista Siegfrids, Alma, Princess Nokia and Leila K. Lydia is a part of the queer performance duo called Amanda & Lydia and a group called Fem Queens of Finland, which was awarded with Academic Award of the Fine Arts.

RENNE LEHTO

(born 1992) is a modist and custom sewer student from Helsinki. They have been working in many productions at theatre and opera as well as in television productions. Renne is fascinated of using new materials and techniques in costume design and also interested in recycling materials.

MARLON MOILANEN

(born 1993) is a freelancer contemporary dancer from Helsinki. He is performing in the field of the contemporary performing arts and works especially inspired by body experimental, imagination, contradictory human being and also with political mind sometimes. Marlon has worked with choreographers such as Sonja Jokiniemi, Liisa Pentti and Katja-Maria Taavitsainen. Besides dance art Marlon studies social justice and power in the University of Helsinki.

Marika Peura

is a choreographer, a dancer and a performer. She has studied modern dance at Theatre Academy and at Dance, Context, Choreography Program of HZT. She has gratuated The Master's Degree Programme in Choreography 2020. Freestyle hip hop has always ben close to her heart and she is a part of Cleva Crew. She has won Finnish Championship in Hip Hop 7 times, SADE Festival twice and Juste Debout Nordic once. Marika works also as a dance teacher and in the commercial field making TV-, advertisement- and music video productions.

Marika is interested to explore the intimate, emotional, expressive, sensual and sexual of the dance experience. She also wants to bring feminist ways of working in a group to the work processes. At the moment Marika is working ‘and then they left’ performance what premieres this autumn, and also as a performer of the work of Maija Hirvanen.

BAKR HASAN RAJAB

(born 1989) has graduated as an actor from the University of Baghdad. He has worked in Irak as an actor, a director and a script writer. Rajab came to Finland 2015. After that he has worked in the National Theatre in the plays Toinen kori and Undocumented Love. He has played in TV-movies and directed two solo works:  Made in Bagdad and Wayting.

SOPHIA WEKESA

(born 1989) is a dancer, a dj and an actor from Helsinki. She has concentrated in the dancehall dance and culture for the past 12 years and is a member of The Bubblin' Crew. Sophia is also a founding member and the leader of the MNT Company. In the works of the group she has studied, what is to perform with the marginalized bodies after the marginal narrative and how to build a feminist working process in the feminist performances. Sophia teaches dance in the Bubblin' Moves collective and at Saiffa Dance School. She has also lectured for the students in the Dance Bacholor’s Program at The University of the Arts Helsinki. Sophia has lectured about antiracist tools as a part of dance together with Sade ry and also for the students of Åsa folkhögskolan street dance program in Sweden.