Maria Nurmela's contemporary dance piece A breath of a mild kind, created for Pori Dance Company, will have its premiere at the historic Porin bus station, now a cultural center Asema44, in September.

The piece draws its inspiration from Brazilian author Clarice Lispector’s final work Um Sopro de Vida (A Breath of Life), translated into Finnish by Tarja Härkönen. Posthumously published in 1978, A Breath of Life explores themes of the passage of time, the cycle of life, and solitude.

The contemporary dance piece A breath of a mild kind is built upon encounters and fragments that reflect lived moments. Everyday gestures and the movements derived from them create an impression of diary-like notes and dialogues that are both relatable and thought-provoking for the audience. Inevitably, the events of human life return to breath, to a breath of life, where each inhalation and exhalation creates its own time for existence.

The piece continues the long-term collaboration between Maria Nurmela and lighting/set designer Kalle Ropponen, offering the audience a holistic and sensory experience.

The creators thank translator Tarja Härkönen for the excellent Finnish translation of Clarice Lispector’s original work.

Duration approx 45 min.


CHOREOGRAPHY, SOUND DESIGN, AND COSTUMES
Maria Nurmela

LIGHTING AND SET DESIGN
Kalle Ropponen

DANCE
Kati Aalto, Meri Tankka, Riikka Tankka

TEXT FRAGMENTS
Clarice Lispector: A Breath of Life, translation by Tarja Härkönen

SOUND TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Sami Lehtonen

PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY
Toni Randell

PHOTOGRAPHY
Mikko Jokinen