Susanna Leinonen Company: RAW – Triple bill
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5 performances
8.10-11.10.2025
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Duration
2 h (incl. intermission)
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Venue
Erkko Hall
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Tickets
55-35 €
Show times
Wed 8.10. 19:00
Thu 9.10. 19:00
Fri 10.10. 19:00
Sat 11.10. 14:00 & 18:00
Audience Discussion
Post-show audience discussion on Fri 10.10. at 19:00. Duration 20–30 min.
Introduction
Susanna Leinonen Company’s evening of three works at the Erkko Hall draws a powerful arc across the company’s nearly 25-year journey. The triptych showcases Leinonen’s distinctive and compelling choreographic voice – a fusion of physical precision, intense emotion, and boundary-pushing movement language where ballet and contemporary dance meet.
The evening offers a rare opportunity to dive into the artistic world of one of Finland’s most influential contemporary choreographers – to witness where it all began and discover what is emerging right now.
No One, Just Your Friend
The evening of three works opens at the Finnish National Opera’s Almi Hall with No One, Just Your Friend, which premiered there in 2000 as part of the Bagnolet festival. This debut work by Susanna Leinonen marked her breakthrough on both the Finnish and international contemporary dance scenes and was immediately met with enthusiastic acclaim from audiences and critics alike.
No One, Just Your Friend dives into the movements of life and the mind, revealing what happens when the façade of friendship collapses. The interplay between three women presents the beauty and cruelty of friendship side by side: intimacy, competition, gossip, and power. The movement language shifts from observant to sharp and dynamic, brimming with energy and expressivity. Tapani Rinne’s intense soundscape, blending ambient and jazz, propels the piece toward a hypnotic finale. Lighting by Pasi Pehkonen and costumes by Annette Tamminen create a minimalist yet powerful stage image in which movement and atmosphere reach their full force.
No One, Just Your Friend shows where the artistic journey of one of Finland’s most influential contemporary choreographers began.
Trickle, Green Oak
The second work of the evening is Trickle, Green Oak, which premiered at the Finnish National Ballet in 2003. The piece is one of the strongest works of Leinonen’s early career and firmly established her as an original choreographer whose artistry has also drawn international attention.
A female quartet leads the audience into a mysterious, starkly haunting world where physical strength and vulnerability intertwine. Movement, driven by the rhythm of breathing, stretches to its limits and bursts forth in controlled explosions. The work has been described as rawly beautiful and intensely atmospheric, with each gesture carrying a clear inner energy and purpose.
Visuality plays a central role: Erika Turunen’s costumes, Olli-Pekka Koivunen’s lighting, and Mia Erlin’s score create a stage world that is dreamlike, even nightmarish. Leinonen’s choreography, the visual design, and the music are interwoven in a way that captivates the audience with aesthetic force and powerful presence.
Pain Killer
The RAW evening culminates in the world premiere of Pain Killer, taking place at the Erkko Hall on 8 October 2025. The work continues Susanna Leinonen’s artistic exploration of the body’s limits and human experience. At approximately 40 minutes, Pain Killer is the evening’s most extensive piece, and its intense dialogue between movement, sound, video, and visuals stands as a tribute to multidisciplinary collaboration.
The creative team brings to the stage a work in which each element amplifies the others. Composer Kasperi Laine (also known as the rap artist Laineen Kasperi) provides a pulsating and experimental soundscape, while Ville Seppänen’s video design and Teemu Nurmelin’s lighting construct a space that evolves alongside the dancers’ movements. Costumes by Sari Nuttunen complete the visual world, where the body’s boundaries and identities shift before the audience’s eyes.
With its physicality and visual force, Pain Killer offers a comprehensive finale to the RAW evening and marks a new, eagerly awaited chapter in Susanna Leinonen’s already remarkable career.
Organizer: Susanna Leinonen Company
Ticket information
Early-bird -ticket | 41 / 38 / 34 / pyörätuolipaikka 34 €. Voimassa rajoitetun ajan.
Standard ticket | 55 / 50 / 45 €
Discount ticket | 45 / 40 / 35 € (Alle 25-vuotiaat, opiskelijat, työttömät, siviilipalvelus- ja varushenkilöt.) Varauduthan esittämään todistuksen.
Pensioners | 45 / 40 / 35 € €
Groups | (min. 10 people) 43 / 38 / 33 €
Professional in the arts field | (maximum 2 tickets/card, only A and B seats) 40 / 35 €
Group (minimum 10 people) 43 / 38 / 33 €
PWYC (restricted amount per show, only A and B seats) | 15 / 10 €
Note: To ensure good visibility to everyone, The Erkko Hall auditorium is steep. Please note that there is no lift to the upper section. Only the first row seats are fully accessible.
Please contact for more info: info@susannaleinonen.com
Credits
No One, Just Your Friend
Choreography: Susanna Leinonen
Music: Tapani Rinne
Lighting Design: Pasi Pehkonen
Costumes: Annette Tamminen
Dancers: Katariina Luukas, Taru Pellinen, Joanna Salmikannas
Duration: 26 min
World premiere: 23.3.2000 Finnish National Ballet, Almi Hall
Dancers in the original version: Kaisu Hölttä, Virpi Juntti ja Susanna Leinonen
Trickle, Green Oak
Choreography Susanna Leinonen
Music: Mia Erlin
Costumes: Erika Turunen
Set Design: Erika Turunen, Olli-Pekka Koivunen and Susanna Leinonen
Lighting Design: Olli-Pekka Koivunen
Dancers: Ninni Niemikunnas, Katariina Luukas, Joanna Salmikannas, Marie da Silva
Duration: 18 min
World premiere: 31.10.2003 Finnish National Ballet
Dancers in the original version: Salla Eerola, Johanna Nuutinen, Sara Saviola, Maria Tamminen
Production: Finnish National Ballet
Pain Killer
Choreography: Susanna Leinonen
Music: Kasperi Laine
Video: Ville Seppänen
Lighting Design: Teemu Nurmelin
Costume Design: Sari Nuttunen
Dancers: Rebekka Guðmundsdóttir, Atte Kilpinen, Kasperi Kolehmainen, Katariina Luukas, Taru Pellinen, Marie da Silva
Duration: approx. 40 min.
World premiere: 8th of October 2025, Tanssin talo, Erkko Hall
Technical production of the triple bill: Teemu Nurmelin and Marianne Lagus
