How the Land Lies

How the Land Lies is a dance performance for 5 bodies and 3 LED scrolling signs, choreographed and directed by Bianca Hisse (Brazil/Norway) and Laura Cemin (Italy/Finland) in collaboration with the Estonian choreographer Keithy Kuuspu and international dancers based in Estonia.

The LED-signs, usually encountered in public spaces as low-key advertisement signs, become means to explore how language keeps inscribing in our bodies. Navigating between kebab stand ads, tourism slogans and visa questionnaires the dancers, who themselves carry experiences of migration between countries, interact with the text scrolling on the LED panels.

Dancers are stretching the notion of what “entering” and “exiting” can be with their movement. As the words move on the screens, they are equally moved by the bodies.

Borders slowly blur: who can stay and who must leave? Who is seen and who remains hidden? What is allowed and what is forbidden? The piece is questioning how the notions of belonging, territory and borders are manifested in the contemporary world. Not just geographical borders but borders within the body and identity.

The performance is presented in multiple countries and in each of them it is adapted to the local context through the participation of local dancers, who are not from these countries.

Participating dancers in Estonia are Lea Blau who is an artist from Croatia. She graduated the first CPPM master course and is currently living and working in Estonia.
Angel Casal is an Argentinian who participated in the European Voluntary Service programme in 2011-2012 in Estonia and has lived here ever since.
Rodrigo Chavero is an Argentinian choreographer who moved to Estonia in 2021.
Shion Yokoo-Ruttas was born in Japan and arrived in Estonia as an exchange student in 2016 to the Viljandi Culture Academy choreography department where she graduated.

Choreography: Laura Cemin, Bianca Hisse
Performers and co-creators: Keithy Kuuspu, Lea Blau, Angel Casal, Rodrigo Chavero, Shion Yokoo-Ruttas
Sound and live performances: Vera Vice
Light design: Sofia Ivarsson
Costume design: Kairi Mändla
Coproduction: Black Box Theater, Kiasma Theater, Sõltumatu Tantsu Lava (STL)
Supported by: Davvi - Senter for scenekunst, Frame Finland, Kulturrådet, HIAP - Helsinki International Artist Programme, Narva Art Residency, Nordic Culture Point, Norsk-Finsk kulturfond, Norske Billedkunstnere, PAHN Norway, Office for Contemporary Art Norway, Tvibitstigen, Estonian Cultural Endowment
Original cast: Bianca Hisse, Kazue Ikeda, Keithy Kuuspu, Mariê Mazer, Nassim Meki
Duration: 45 min