Baltic Circle // Janina Rajakangas: Venus

Janina Rajakangas: Venus

Once a girl starts laughing, she needs to keep on laughing

Ha-ha-ha-ha

Once a girl starts clapping she needs to keep on clapping

Clap-clap-clap-clap

Once a girl starts crying she needs to keep on crying

Bu-huu bu-huu bu-huu bu-huu

Once a girl starts screaming she needs to keep on screaming

AAAaaaaa-AAAAAaaa-AAAAAAaaaa-AAAAAaaaaa

Venus is a piece made with teenage girls. It is a piece about the erotization of youth and what it is to be a girl in the 2020s. It is a project about a teenage girl growing up in a patriarchal society.

Venus reveals the part outsiders play in the understanding and appreciation of beauty and value in a girl's life.

It tells you where we are at

It opens everyday feminist fights had by youth

It forces the ghosting needy subject to fall (for a moment)

And draws Venus again by the means of contemporary dance, performance and song.

Working group:

Choreographer/director: Janina Rajakangas
Choreographer’s assistant: Maija Reeta Raumanni
Founding idea: Volta Rajakangas-Moussaoui
Co-choreographers/performers: Natalia Foster, Mea Holappa, Seela Merenluoma, Volta Rajakangas-Moussaoui
Spatial & lighting design: Alina Pajula
Costume design: Kirsi Gum
Sound design: Tuuli Kyttälä
Producer: Ulrika Vilke

Performers

Mea: I’m 18 years old. I attend upper secondary and dance is an important way for me to express myself. I enjoy trying out new things. I’m also passionate about crafts.
Seela: I’m 16 years old and dancing is my passion. I have been in a dance class and I also dance in my spare time. I am interested in many arts, such as music and crafts. I can't decide which one is the nicest.
Natalia: I’m 15 years old. I dance and go to comprehensive school. I like performing a lot, but also reading and writing
Volta: I am 13 years old. I practise singing. I also like to read. I’m in secondary school in the music program.

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Age limit: All ages

Language: English
Duration: ca. 1h
Warnings: lound noices, contains explicit talk on sexual harassment

Accessibility:

Personal assistants of guests with a disability are entitled to a ticket free of charge. If you arrive with a wheelchair and/or a personal assistant, please notify us at the time of purchasing your ticket, tel. +358 94542 1333(Q-teatteri, Tue–Fri 11am–3pm) or via email: q-teatteri@q-teatteri.fi. Information about the accessibility of the premises: balticcircle.fi/tickets.

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By adding a 1€ worth Wilding one add-on to your ticket, you support the rewilding of Baltic Circle’s own dedicated nature restoration location, Oravasuo, and help combat the effects of climate change.

All funds will be directed to Snowchange Cooperative for their nature conservation and restoration work. (Fundraising permit RA/2020/1201).

The 19th Baltic Circle International Theatre Festival takes place in Helsinki from 18–26 November, 2022.