Dancers

Kaari Martin

Choreographer Kaari Martin (born 1972) has built an international career as the reformer of contemporary flamenco. One of her many dance productions, the solo performance The Raven, won all the awards possible in the choreography competition in Madrid in December 2012: the best choreography, best original score for dance, and best costume design. Her latest work, KILL Carmen, premiered in the Helsinki Festival in August 2015 and was loved by both the critics and audience. Martin’s other works include, for example, On a String together with Minna Tervamäki composed to the Sibelius’ violin concerto (2010), Pippi Longstocking for the Helsinki Festival (2009), that won the Thalia award for the theatre music act of the year, and Tell Me Rain (2006) that won the third prize in the choreography competition in Madrid as the very first foreign group. Martin has combined dance, for example, with prose by Rosa Liksom and poetry by Pentti Saarikoski. Together with her composer husband Roni, Martin runs Compañía Kaari & Roni Martin which is one of the most significant contemporary flamenco companies outside Spain, with performances in 15 countries.

Besides as a dancer and choreographer, Martin has made a career as a pedagogue in the Theatre Academy, Finnish National Opera Ballet School, and Helsinki Conservatory of Music, among others. She has also taught in eight foreign learning institutions, including Danhögskolan in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2014, The Finnish Cultural Foundation honored Martin for an outstanding cultural accomplishment and the triumph of Finnish flamenco.

Mariana Collado

Mariana Collado began dance studies in the Conservatory of Almeria, later continuing with a scholarship in Fundación de Cristina Heeren in Seville and Centro Flamenco de Estudios Escénicos in Granada led by the legendary choreographer Mario Maya. Collado was hired to Maya’s dance company and has since then performed in several productions and dance companies together with many top names in flamenco, such as Belén Maya, Rafaela Carrasco and Manuel Liñan. Collado also works closely with the interdisciplinary choreographers Carlos Chamorro and Karen Lugo.

At the moment, Collado works in Madrid as a dancer and choreographer with several different projects. In 2014, she composed the choreography Flamencos de plomo y cobre for the American tour of Fundación Casa Patas. Collado also works as a pedagogue in the flamenco school named after probably the most unique and famous choreographer in Spain, Antonio Canales. Collado’s individual style is visible especially in her choreography Lady´s Circus that was first performed in the Mercat de Flors festival in Barcelona in 2009. She won the second prize in the flamenco competition in Almeria in 2013. 

Carlos Chamorro

Carlos Chamorro is a lone rider, whose original vision has created completely new and innovative flamenco. Chamorro masters also the techniques of ballet and contemporary dance, and he combines them in his style in an interesting and personal manner. Chamorro founded his own dance group Malucos Danza in 1998 representative of this style. Chamorro has also delivered various demanding pieces of commissioned work, as the Dressed to Dance choreography compilation for the Guggenheim museum of New York. The dancer prized for the best solo choreography in 2008 in Spain has performed also in Spanish National Ballet, in addition to leading his own group.

JOSÉ MALDONADO

José Maldonado, a dancer from Barcelona, started learning flamenco in a very oyung age. He has worked with many well-known Spanish choreographers like Antonio Canales, Rafaela Carrasco ja Javier Latorre. Maldonado is versatile and he has an ability to combine different dance forms naturally. He won the Choreography Contest in Madrid with his choreography “Mojacar” at 2013 and again with his choreography “Trigo Limpio”. He also has his own company.  

JYRKI KARTTUNEN

Jyrki Karttunen is a dancer and a choreographer who started his career at 1989 as a dancer in the dance company of Helsinki City Theatre. Karttunen is known by his original and often cozy ironic work. He has made many visionary and internationally succesfull choreographies. As a choreographer he was ahead of his time to combine the video and movement.

As a dancer Karttunen is charismatic and known of his skills to throw himself boldly and improvise. Karttunen was leading his own group Karttunen Kollektiv 2008–2013. After that 2013–2017 he was leading Helsinki Dance Company. He has received the State Prize of Dance Art at 1993 and 1999, the Theatre Act of the Year 2012 and Finland Award 2013. At the moment Karttunen studies social work, where he will aim especially the work with children and youth and dance.

BAKR HASAN RAJAB

(s.1989) is an actor, graduated from Bagdad University. Besides acting, he has worked as a director and script writer in Iraq. Rajab arrived in Finland year 2015 and has played in Finnish National Theater in plays “Toinen kori” and “Undocumented Love”. He has also acted in TV-films and directed two solo works: Made in Bagdad ja Wayting.

MARLON MOILANEN

(s. 1993) is a modern dance freelancer from Helsinki. His field of expertise is modern performance art, and his works are inspired especially by body experience, imagination, and a contradictory human being with his psyche. Marlon has worked e.g., with choreographers Sonja Jokiniemi, Liisa Pentti and Katja-Maria Taavitsainen. At the moment he is also doing a research work in Helsinki University about social rights and power.

Heidi Lehtoranta

Dancer Heidi Lehtoranta started studying dance in Sonja Tammela ballet school in Lappeenranta. She graduated from ballet school of Finnish National Opera year 1999 and from Stockholm Danshögskolan dancing program year 2000. Lehtoranta has been working years as a freelancer in Finland and Sweden, and has worked for instance with Susanna Kekoni, Arja Raatikainen, Marjaterttu Willman and Carl Knif.

KAREN LUGO

Mexican flamenco dancer Karen Lugo is one of those rare flamenco dancers that have succeeded outside of Spain, and for a reason. Lugo is known of her personal style, musicality and technical skills. She has been awarded with First Price at International Flamenco Festival of Almería. Lugo has performed with numerous significant flamenco performers like Pepe Habicuela, Jorge Pardo and Javier Latorre. She has performed in “Flamenco flamenco” movie by Carlos Saura.

DANIEL RAMOS

Daniel Ramos started dancing at the age of 3, and at 15 he entered the Royal Professional Conservatory of Dance “Mariemma”. He concluded his studies with the honors End Degree Award and Best National Academic Record.

Throughout his career, he has received the following awards: Best Performer by Dávalos-Fletcher Foundation (Castellón City), Outstanding Dancer Award and 2nd place in Choreography by the Spanish Dance and Flamenco Choreographic Contest of Madrid’s Community.

Ramos has been part of several dance companies such as EnClave Español, Carlos Vilán, The New Spanish Ballet, Shoji Kojima Ballet, The National Spanish Ballet (directed by Antonio Najarro) and Compañía Manuel Liñan (for ¡VIVA! Show).

Currently he performs in Tablaos like Café de Chinitas, Carboneras, and Las Tablas, interpreting Spanish dances within flamenco contexts.

JORMA UOTINEN

Jorma Uotinen is a Finnish choreographer, artistic director, dance artist, performer and singer.

Jorma Uotinen is one of the major figures in the field of performing arts in Finland. His career is vast and varied, and his impact in dance and on stage is very strong, not to forget his performances in concerts, galas and films and in television. His art is highly appreciated by the public and the critics. His choreographic work-entity consists of almost 80 creations, and on the top of this he has acted as director and/or choreographer for several musicals. He is internationally famous after working and performing in over 40 countries.

Jorma Uotinen started his career already at the age of ten in the Municipal Theatre of his native town, Pori. As a dancer, he got his first contract at the age of 20 at the Finnish National Ballet.

In 1976, the world-renowned choreographer Carolyn Carlson invited him to join the GRTOP at the Paris Opera, the group being the leading contemporary dance company, touring also world-wide. With his solo work Jojo he made an international break-through at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris.

Uotinen took over the artistic directorship of the Helsinki City Theatre Dance Company in 1982. In 1992 Jorma Uotinen was appointed as artistic director of the Finnish National Ballet. Since 2002 Jorma Uotinen works as artistic director of the Kuopio Dance Festival.

Jorma Uotinen has worked as guest choreographer in companies like Royal Danish Ballet, Teatro alla Scala, Introdans, Ballet de l’Europa, Grand Théâtre de Genève, Skånes dansteater, West Australian Ballet, Gothenburg Opera Ballet and many others.

 Uotinen is nowadays a very popular singer and interpreter of French chansons. He performs with his own music group Trio Avec and they have been visiting all Scandinavian countries and France, Hungary and Germany. Uotinen has participated also in Finnish movies and he was granted the Jussi Award. Uotinen is also a TV-celebrity guesting regularly in many shows. In the most popular tv-show 'Dancing with the Stars' he has been one of the judges from on the first show in 2006.

He was awarded the Pro Finlandia medal (1985) and Officier de l'ordre 'Pour des arts et lettres' (2003, Paris). Also the international television prize Prix Italia was given him (1997, Rome) and the Golden Medal of Honour from Finnish Actors Union in 2001. He has designated Artist Professor by Arts Promotion Centre Finland in 2012.

SARI PIKKARAINEN

Sari Pikkarainen is a flamenco dancer, and besides classical ballet, her movement language has been influenced especially by street dance. Sari has danced in the works of Compañía Kaari & Roni Martinin years 2000 to 2007 and has for instance starred in The Little Mermaid, for which she also designed costumes. Sari, who is a professional dressmaker, as well, calls herself a recycling designer, and has designed many dresses e.g., from recycled ties. Pikkarainen will graduate to be a youth leader year 2021.