Arvo ( 2026 )

Arvo

When something great is gone.

In Karelian tradition, rites of passage, the processing of grief, and community went hand in hand. The everyday and the sacred coexisted closely. *Arvo* is an artistic tribute to lost traditions, craftsmanship, and physical labor. The work emerges from the fragments of a fragmented heritage and reaches out toward cultural ghosts as well as the intensity and spiritual strength of the mourners.

Dance Theater Tsuumi and Kulttuurikomppania Eloa bring to the stage choreographer and artist Sonja Jokiniemi’s new stage work, which explores the Karelian tradition of lamentation and the physical experience of mourning within the context of contemporary art.

Arvo is the second part of Jokiniemi’s trilogy exploring Karelian cultural heritage and grief. The first part of the series, Armo, dealt with death, wordless stories, and the experience of rootlessness—the second part of the trilogy focuses on the physicality of crying, communal mourning, and intergenerational knowledge.

Credits:

Choreography, art works and concept: Sonja Jokiniemi

In collaboration with:
Performance : Reetta-Kaisa Iles, Tuomas Juntunen, Salla Korja, Leila Kourkia, Herman Nyby

Sound composition:Eetu Vekki

Lighting design: Anna Pöllänen

Production: Tanssiteatteri Tsuumi, Kulttuurikomppania Eloa
In collaoration with: Kulttuurikeskus Stoa, Baltic Circle
Photo: Eva-Liisa Orupõld

The production is supported by the New Classics Fund. The Tsuumi Dance Theatre is supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the City of Helsinki. The Eloa Cultural Company is supported by the Finnish Agency for Arts and Culture and the City of Helsinki.

Performances:
28.11.& 29.11.2026 at 15:00
Kulttuurikeskus Stoa, Turunlinnantie 1, Helsinki