The Finnish artist and choreographer combines contemporary choreography, music practices, and the tools of camp-aesthetics and drag for a world premiere resulting from a residency at Inkonst. Inspired by the philosopher and poet Anne Carson’s essay “The Gender of Sound”, SONGBIRD reflects on the identity of voice, choreographies of the vocal cords, femininity and vulnerability. “Songbird” meets her audience through sounds, songs, vocal cords, lyrics, costume, 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 sounding and corporeality meet? 

Performed by Kasurinen and the sound designer and composer Keliel/Eliel Tammiharju, the working group also includes light designer Sofia Linde and costume designer Freyja Taus. Kasurinen’s practice navigates the fine line between entertainment and critical commentary. Engaging with elements of pop culture, each creation examines how spectatorship shapes social and cultural understandings, pushing audiences to see beyond surface appearances. Her choreographic works have been presented at Dansé Elargie in France, One Dance in Bulgaria, Dance Base Yokohama in Japan, Helsinki Festival, and Zodiak – Centre for New Dance, among others.

“ 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)