Brazil's "choreographic wonder" Lia Rodrigues comes to Finland for the first time
Brazil's "choreographic wonder" Lia Rodrigues comes to Finland for the first time
Press releasesDance House Helsinki's international guest performance series presents Lia Rodrigues' work in Finland for the first time on 2–3 November 2026. Over a career spanning more than four decades, Rodrigues has become one of Brazil's most influential contemporary choreographers. Her socially engaged works have captivated audiences around the world. Her latest work, Borda, is a timely and sensuous exploration of borders—the ways they are formed, how they shift, and how they are constantly being redefined.
In Portuguese, the word borda refers both to a border and to embroidery. Rodrigues draws on both meanings: borders can divide, but like embroidery, they can also be reshaped, unravelled and woven anew. Geographical, political and social borders separate us from one another—native from foreign, familiar from unfamiliar, me from you. Yet they are never fixed; they shift, move and sometimes even dance.
Performed by nine dancers, Borda asks what happens when borders are crossed—visible and invisible barriers, barbed wire and concrete walls, but also beliefs, fears and prejudices.
Rich in colour and physical intensity, the performance invites audiences to imagine a different kind of world: one where coming together triumphs over division, acceptance over rejection, and open doors over closed ones.
Lia Rodrigues is known for her inclusive artistic practice and her long-term collaboration with local communities in Brazil. Her works give space to voices that are too often left unheard. Fifteen years ago, in partnership with a local NGO, she co-founded Centro de Artes da Maré, an arts centre in Rio de Janeiro's Maré favela. In recognition of this work, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of the Arts Helsinki in 2024. Through her uncompromising artistic vision, Rodrigues demonstrates that dance is more than movement—it is an act of change, a way of opening up new worlds, and an invitation to solidarity.
"Brazil's miraculous choreographer."
- Financial Times
Lia Rodrigues: Borda
Erkko Hall, Dance House Helsinki (Kaapeliaukio 3, Helsinki)
Performances: 2 & 3 November 2026 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: 41,50-22 €, tanssintalo.fi
The performance is part of Dance House Helsinki's international guest performance series. Supported by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, the series brings some of the world's most compelling dance artists and companies to Finland.
Media enquiries: Saara Oranen, communications, saara@tanssintalo.fi +358 445661903
Press images: Tanssin talon pressikansio
Tanssin talo
Dance House Helsinki is dedicated to advancing, supporting and presenting diverse dance art and dance culture. Its programme features both Finnish and international dance and performing arts productions. The programme consists of works presented by a wide range of cultural organisations as well as productions initiated by Dance House Helsinki. Dance House Helsinki is supported by the City of Helsinki and the Arts Promotion Centre Finland. The international guest performance series is supported by the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation.
