The Raven

The Raven is a tribute to those Spanish flamenco artists who worked in the 1930s and were influenced by surrealism.

In 2012 The Raven claimed a triple victory from the prestigious Certamen de Coreografia de Flamenco y Danza Española choreography competition, taking the main prizes for best solo choreography, best music and best costumes.

“The light of the moon is mere silver
In the eye of the raven it twinkles The clock turns, the wings unfold.

The whole world is unbound Searching for a new shape to ground
Instants flee to history
Shadowboxed by time, inevitably.

Above us the raven rises high
Casts a glance for tomorrow a while
The wing hit by a ray of light.”

Choreography: Kaari Martin
Dance: Kaari Martin or Mariana Collado
Music & lyrics: Roni Martin
Musicians: Kaari Martin, Roni Martin, Sanna Salmenkallio, Karo Sampela
Costume design: Erika Turunen
Lighting design: Mikko Linnavuori
Make-up: Kaisu Hölttä
Costume sewing: Tipi Taskinen
Photography: Kim Laine, Sami Federley, Janne Mikkilä
Premiere: 1st December 2010 at Savoy Theatre, Helsinki
Duration: 14 min

Rewiews

Kaari Martin’s kinetically extremely interesting The Raven demonstrated their performers’ virtuosity and exceptional musical precision.

MIKA SAARELAINEN / Helsinki Times 3rd December 2010

Jointless arms

The highlight was nevertheless Martin’s surrealistic solo The Raven, in which she features as a cabaret diva of former years with her theatrical radiance and sensual movements. With seemingly jointless arms and her head expressively jerking, she gives a fine imitation of a bird. As the silvery moon shines on the black, glistening raven, as she leans over backwards and allows her ruffled feathers to settle, time seems to stop for one magical moment.

JENNY JÄGERHORN / Hufvudstadsbladet 5th December 2010

The motions of Martin’s dancing were controlled and rich of expression, sharing similarities to the moves of marionettes and the mechanic style of the dancer in a musical box. The motions of this immense dancer take form in a very restricted space, as does flamenco. Yet in here the motions were purposefully pointy. The masked performance of gestures and flirting reflect different levels of roles that become entwined to each other, before snapping off into oblivion.

The dancer’s compellingly structured motions and the parody-like choreography resulted a captivated illusion about the hunt for the disappeared movement.

 REIJA PALTTALA / Keskisuomalainen 25th November 2011