Description
The Art of Waiting is a solo performance that explores the experience of waiting through dance. The original version of the piece was created for a park bench in an urban environment, but for the Pohjanmaa Dances festival, it transforms onto a traditional stage.
The work stems from both a personal and universal experience of waiting and stillness during the years 2020–2021. Due to the pandemic, the whole world entered a prolonged state of suspension and pause. At the same time, I experienced waiting in its most concrete sense, both mentally and physically, as I awaited the birth of my first child.
In this solo piece, I focus on the embodied experience of waiting — a stillness that precedes something, whether small or monumental. When does waiting last only a moment, and when does it feel like eternity? Playing with time, stretching the moment, and releasing tension are central to my artistic process. I explore what kind of movement dynamics can emerge through the alternation of these elements.
Choreography / dancer: Maria Autio
Sound design: Josu Mämmi
Maria “Mimmu” Autio is a Helsinki-based dance artist with roots in both Central Finland and Ostrobothnia. She graduated with a Master’s degree in Dance from the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki in spring 2015, and since then has worked extensively across the field of dance. Maria has performed in works by Tero Saarinen, Riku Lehtopolku, Päivi Aura, and Petri Kekoni, both in Finland and across Europe. In addition to stage performances, she has appeared as a dancer in short films and music videos. Maria is also a founding member of the //\ //\ //\ collective and works as a dance teacher and assistant principal at Vapaa Tanssikoulu in Helsinki.
