Tiia Kasurinen: Songbird

Music by Keliel

“It is in large part according to the sounds people make that we judge them sane or insane, male or female, good, evil, trustworthy, depressive, marriageable, moribund, likely or unlikely to make war on us, little better than animals, inspired by God.”

– Anne Carson, The Gender of Sound (1992)

Songbird is a performance combining contemporary choreography, practices of performing music and the tools of camp-aesthetics and drag. Inspired by the philosopher and poet Anne Carson’s essay ‘The Gender of Sound‘, the performance reflects on the identity of voice, choreographies of the vocal cords, femininity and vulnerability.

In the performance, ‘Songbird’ meets her audience through sounds, songs, vocal cords, lyrics, costumes and dance. How do choreographies of vocal cords spread through space? What do pitches, frequencies and modes of expression cause in the spectator? How do the use of voice and embodiment intersect?

Music of the performance is by Keliel.

The performance can be experienced one night only at DaBY

NOTE

The performance contains loud sounds. Earplugs available.

◆Schedule

Saturday, September 6, 2025, 16:00- (All programs will end around 19:00)

● Doors open 10 minutes prior to the event.

Performances are scheduled to last approximately 45 minutes.

After the performance, there will be a one-hour post-performance talk and screening of works by Tiia Kasurinen.

The talk will be moderated by Maimi Sato, a mentor for this residency program.

After the after talk, there will be a networking party for about one hour.

◎This event is part of the “pARTir initiative” project (NextGenerationEU) funded by the European Union and supported by the Finland Center.

◆Rates

free

◆Application

Please register through Peatix below.

Peatix

https://songbird2025.peatix.com

*Registration as a DaBY member (free of charge) is required to apply. In advance Please register here Please register from here before applying.
*If you must cancel your registration, please contact DaBY (E-mail: contact@dancebase.yokohama).
*Please contact us in advance if you are using a wheelchair seat.

◆Venue

Dance Base Yokohama
Access here
3F KITANAKA BRICK&WHITE BRICK North, 5-57-2 Kitanaka-dori, Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa
Bashamichi Station, Minatomirai Line, Exit 2a “Yokohama Kitanaka Knot” directly connected.

◆Profile

photo by Petri Virtanen / Kansallisgalleria

Tiia Kasurinen (she/her) is an artist, dancer and choreographer working both internationally and in Finland, and graduated from the Stockholm University of the Arts. She is interested in themes such as identity, femininity, gaze, power, camp and pop culture. Kasurinen’s choreographic works have been presented at venues and festivals such as Dansé Elargie in France, One Dance -festival in Bulgaria, Inkonst in Sweden, Dance Base Yokohama in Japan, Helsinki Festival, and at Zodiak – Centre for New Dance.

◆Credit

Organized by Finland Center* with financial support from the European Union (EU) Part of the “pARTir initiative” project (NextGenerationEU)

Co-organaized by Dance Base Yokohama

◆Work Credit

Choreography, performance, dance, sounds, lyrics: Tiia Kasurinen
Sound design, music, performance: Eliel Tammiharju / Keliel
Costume design: Freyja Taus
Light design: Sofia Linde
Dramaturgical help, mentoring: Minna Lund
Set design consultant: Aino Koski
Photography: Saara Taussi
Make-up consultant: Stella Sironen, Veerti Koski
Internship: Hannah Krebs
Production: Tiia Kasurinen, Zodiak – Center for New Dance / Loisto, Inkonst, Kiasma
Residencies: Dance Base Yokohama, Inkonst, Cité Internationale des Arts
Supported by/collaborators: Kone Foundation, The Finnish Cultural Foundation, Dance Base Yokohama Japan, TelepART, Inkonst, The Finnish Institute in Japan, Circus & Dance Finland, Zodiak – Centre for New Dance / Loisto
Thank you: Simeoni Juoperi, Stella Sironen, Petra Huisman, Anni Leino, Katarina Lindholm, Veerti Koski, Liisa Kasurinen, Timo Kasurinen, Julius Konttinen, Teea Kasurinen, Taus Studio, Institut Finlandais