A dance piece about the body that carries the weight and lightness of life Alpo Aaltokoski’s...
The Finnish word “huominen” means “tomorrow” as well as “morning”.
Tomorrow is a new version of Alpo Aaltokoski‘s solo choreography for dance artist Delfiina Huczkowski, and the middle of the independent parts of Aaltokoski’s choreographic Kancheli Trilogy‘s After Yesterday (2008), Tomorrow (2010) and The Prayers (2012). The series of works is based on the musical works Morning, Evening and Night Prayers by Georgian-born composer Giya Kancheli.
The original version of the dance work (2010) was interpreted by Sinikka Gripenberg.
Tomorrow springs from the dancer’s body. Yet it is not a portrait, but rather the work makes visible on a more general level the meanings of life, experiences and the passage of time.
Delfiina Huczkowski is a 63-year-old dancer who also studied trapeze in Barcelona.
“Tomorrow demands complete surrender and captivating presence from its performer. When I wanted to bring the work back to the stage, I immediately thought of Delfiina. She is one of our most luminous pop artists,” Aaltokoski says.
Team:
Choreographer: Alpo Aaltokoski
Dance: Delfiina Huczkowski (Sinikka Gripenberg 2010)
Music: Giya Kancheli
Lighting design: Kalle Paasonen
Costume design: Anna Perez
Photo: Ninna Lindström
Graphic design: Atte Karttunen / Kirsti Maula
Production: Alpo Aaltokoski Company, Nomadi Productions
Duration: 24 min.
(On the video: Sinikka Gripenberg as dancer)
Sinikka Gripenberg is an impressive sight, grandly entering the stage in a low-backed velvet dress that has been designed by Anna Perez. It is beautiful, as is its 70-year-old wearer, who can not only carry the dress but herself too. [..] The dancer holds the whole audience in the palm of her hand with the slowest of gestures and her intense gaze. The work is also dramatic and Giya Kanchel’s music comes close to being pathetic, but always pulls back at the last minute. There is no unintentional comedy; rather this is an intensely performed work that is believable from start to finish.
Gripenberg’s solo performance on Music Theatre Kapsäkki’s small stage is extremely charged from the very beginning. Every step, movement and facial expression seems to contain a lot more within it than is revealed. The dancer’s at once noble and sensual presence captivates the audience in her gaze. [..] This slowly escalating and finally relenting performance radiates drama, just like Anna Perez’s deep blue velvet dress, and especially Giya Kanchel’s music. This powerful emotional charge suits Gripenberg, as does Aaltokoski’s choreography, which is very like her, although it also brings new nuances to Gripenberg’s dance. [..] Huominen is open, full of expectation and maybe even fear, but in the end the dancer has the power and serenity to face it.
Re-premiere: 27 October 2026 Pannu hall, Dance House Helsinki, Finland
Premiere: 6 October 2010, Kapsäkki, Helsinki, Finland
Performances:
October 8-15, 2010 Kapsäkki, Helsinki, Finland (4)
November 15.-18, 2012 Stoa the Cultural Centre of Eastern Helsinki (3)
May 29, 2015 LéSpace, Helsinki (1)
June 9, 2015 Kaktus dance festival, Cable Factory, Helsinki (1)
October 23, 2015 Sotku, Kuopio city (1)