Description
The Floor Is Lava is a performance where professional dancers meet embodied manifestations of children’s imagination. The work explores a world shaped by crises — and how humans affect other species and one another. The Floor Is Lava is aimed at both primary school children and adult audiences. It offers the audience a chance to process floods, heavy rain, and glowing red sunsets through artistic expression.
The dancers play drums, dance, and sing. The children build dens, climb, and embody extinct animals and extreme weather phenomena. The work has emerged through collaboration between professional dancers and children during art camps and workshops, where the body, dance, and rhythm have served as tools for engaging with a changing world and building a sense of community.
The Vaasa performance features pupils from Hietalahden koulu as well as enthusiastic 8–10-year-old performing arts hobbyists selected through an open call. The premiere will take place in autumn 2025 at two primary schools in Helsinki, performed for child audiences. In spring 2026, the piece will also be shown at Pannuhalli in Tanssin talo (Dance House Helsinki). Additionally, it will be performed in Vaasa at the Ostrobothnia Dances festival in March 2026.
The performance offers a perspective on the world in which today’s children live. It has been created from their voices and interests — yet without popular culture, familiar programmes, or fairy tales. The result is an encounter between imagination and movement that speaks to audiences of all ages.
The Floor Is Lava continues choreographer Janina Rajakangas’ work in bringing contemporary dance to new stages and audiences. Janina believes in acknowledging all participants and creating works based on their ideas and perspectives. In The Floor Is Lava, professionals and children together create contemporary art that reaches both young and adult audiences.
Choreography and direction: Janina Rajakangas
On stage: Tashi Iwaoka, Maija Reeta Raumanni, Janne Aspvik, Mea Holappa, Vappu, Sofia, Ukko, Vicente, Zahra, Veronika, Anna, Céleste, Eemeli and Wisal
Drummer: Janne Aspvik
Sound design: Tuuli Kyttälä
Lighting and spatial design: Katinka Ebbe
Costume design: Kirsi Gum
Photography: Ilkka Saastamoinen
Production: Entirely Moved I Kaikki Liikkuu ry, Zodiak – Center for New Dance and Annika Sillander
In collaboration with: Regional Dance Centre of Ostrobothnia, Regional Dance Centre of Western Finland, Reality Research Centre and Annantalo
Supported by: Arts Promotion Centre Finland, City of Helsinki, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Svenska kulturfonden, Konstsamfundet, KulturÖsterbotten, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation
