Liisa Pentti +Co: Spaceparticles #23

Spaceparticles #23, a concert for five dancers and space particles

Spaceparticles #23 is the next chapter in choreographer Liisa Pentti’s series Spaceparticles. It is based on the musical work In C (1964) by composer Terry Riley.

The working group challenges the concept of choreography by creating a living, spatial-kinesthetic experience out of the parallel worlds of dance and music. Music and the concepts of time and duration form the framework for the bodily journey of the dancers, creating a choreography of self-directed simplicity. The dancers play their bodies and add new frequencies to the music. Each dancer is an instrument that actualises Riley's composition in their own individual way.

The first part of the series was performed at Liisa Pentti +Co's studio in Helsinki in June 2012. The next part was seen in May 2013 at Galleria Augusta on Helsinki’s Suomenlinna island, and the third part at Media Centre Lume in October 2013––which was also the dance company’s first collaboration with Helsinki’s Sibelius Academy's contemporary music group, the NYKY Ensemble.

Terry Riley is one of the founders of minimalism in music. The form of his pioneering composition In C had a significant impact on the development of music throughout the 20th century, and most notably on the compositional work of Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and John Adams. In C consists of 53 musical phrases, which each musician repeats as many times as they want before moving on to the next one. The result is a rich and complex, static, but at the same time ever-changing rhythmic and harmonic pattern.

The duration of In C has not been defined, but over the years it has varied from fifteen minutes to an hour and a half. The number of musicians performing it has also varied: on the original 1960s recording, 11 musicians play the composition, but in 2006, the piece was performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with no less than 124 musicians. Spaceparticles #23 uses the version of the composition recorded in 2002, performed by European Music Project with the electro duo zignorii++.

Duration: ca. 60 min

Tickets: 25 / 20 / 15 / 10 eur, you can choose the category most suitable for you.
Combo ticket together with the performances WE. The Emphatic Body vol. 1, 18 eur.

Wheelchair user space bookings to performances via email: [email protected].

Free entry for personal assistants and interpreters.

The venue is accessible with an elevator.

Concept and direction: Liisa Pentti
Choreography: Working group
Dance: Kimmo Alakunnas, Rea-Liina Brunou, Johanna Ikola, Leila Kourkia, Sara Soulié
Music: Terry Riley, “In C”. Performed by European Music Project with electroduo zignorii++.
Lighting design: Meri Ekola
Sound design: Jouni Tauriainen
Producer: Hanna Nyman
Production: Liisa Pentti +Co

Photo: Sari Antikainen