Choreographer Jyrki Karttunen’s Human Imitations is a theatrical journey into the miraculous world of the stage.  The piece reveals Karttunen’s sincere love for the stage and for its peculiar rules of so called reality. The piece is also about five male performers, who dance because in the end, despite the numerous “languages” used, they find it impossible to express themselves verbally.  Human Imitations deals with the constant role playing of human beings, both on and off the stage. By combining nostalgic, sentimental and sometimes noisy tunes to all kinds of imitations, Karttunen has created a disarmingly charming performance, full of stage magic of the most authentic kind!

with Jukka Huitila, Jyrki Karttunen, Akseli Kaukoranta, Carl Knif, Antti Seppänen
Choreography: Jyrki Karttunen
Set and lighting: Jukka Huitila
Sound: Jukka Huitila, Jyrki Karttunen
Costumes: Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila
Costume realisation: Karoliina KoisoKanttila, Tiina Pollari
Photography and graphic design: Ninna Lindström
Premiere: 30.11.2005, Youth and Culture Centre Nuku, Oulu
Language: gibberish
Information: www.nomadi.fi / [email protected]

Jyrki Karttunen (b. 1969) started his career as a dancer in the Helsinki Dance Company in 1989. Before creating his first choreography in 1995, he had become known as one of the leading male dancers in Finland.  His choreographic breakthrough happened with the duet digital duende in 1998. Since then he has become one of the most sought after Finnish choreographers, and has created both commissioned works and pieces for his own company. His best know creation so far is probably the solo work Fairy (2002), which has toured around the globe. Karttunen is one of the four dance artists promoted and produced by Nomadi Productions.