Niina Airaksinen
Choreography, production, photography, graphic and web-design

Airaksinen studied dance and choreography at London Contemporary Dance School 1988-91 and has performed in Finland, England, Italy, Germany, Russia and USA. After small scale dance works Airaksinen begun more seriouse choreographing 2007 by a piece "Time at all time" combining medieval music and contemporary dance, premiered at Turku Castle 2008 (in collaboreation with Satu Tuittila). Airaksinen also does photography and video work, which she studied in Business and media -department at Turku Polytechnic 2000-05 (Bachelor of Business Administration).   www.niinaairaksinen.net/e/cv >>

Jonna Aaltonen
Dance

Jonna Aaltonen graduated 1995 from Turku Conservatoire. During her international career she has worked with many companies, such as DanceTheaterERI (Turku), NORRDANS (Härnösand Sweden), VOLKSOPERAN Ballet (Wien, Austria: with choreographers ao. Nigel Charnock, Liz King, Benoit Lachambre and Michael Klien) and Älvsborgsteaterns Dans Ensemble (Borås Sweden; chor. Nathalie Ruiz). In addition Jonna has danced in numerous freelance-productions in Finland and abroad; ao. with Mats Ek, Anu Sistonen, Tommi Kitti, Tuomo Railo, Samuli Roininen ja Carl Knif, and in many musicals.

Maria Nurmela
Dance 2010

Maria Nurmela graduated 1997 from the Finnish National Ballet School and 2002 from Folkwang-Hochschule für Darstellende Künste und Musik (Essen, Germany). She has also studied at the dance and theatre pedagogy department in the Theater Academy in Helsinki (BA 2007). Since 2002 Maria has worked in many of Tero Saarinen's productions and toured with the company also internationally. In addition she has worked with choreographers Hanna Brotherus, Alan Danielsson, Malou Airaudo, Piet Rogie, Yuval Pick in FInland, USA, Germany and Holland. Maria has also worked as a choreographer, ao. in production Hotel New York (2007).

Elsa Heikkilä
Dance

Heikkilä graduated 2008 from Turku Conservatoire,
after which she has worked as a contemporary dancer
with choreographer Nina Renvall as well as in a dance
performance for children. 2009 she choreographed a
solo which has been performed in a surprising locations
and situations.

Antti Helminen
Light design

Helminen graduated 2003 from the Crossing Borders in Performing Arts -department in Turku Art Academy and is now doing his BA at the light and sound design department in the Theatre Academy in Helsinki. Helminen has worked as a freelance light designer over ten years. In addition he makes installations and writes.

Marjo Haapasalo
Costume design

Haapasalo has graduated 2002 from the design department in Yrkeshögskolan Sydväst. She has created costumes in numerous dance and theater productions, ao. for the Aurinkobaletti Dance Company, Linna Theater, Turku City Theatre, Turku Summer Theatre and numerous freelance productions. 2007 she started her own boutique; business in fashion design, vintage and theatre costumes.
www.boutiqueminne.com

Joona Lukala
Compositions

Joona has composed for Turku Philharmonia and made music for over 30 theatrical plays for ao. City Theatres of Turku, Tampere, Espoo, Savonlinna, Varkaus and Pori. He has also composed music for TV and motion picture productions. Ha has produced and mastered about 500 records for pop and rock bands. www.joonalukala.com

Mikko Väärälä
Compositions and sounds

Musician-composer Väärälä has collaborated in dance and music with many choreographers and he has composed music for numerouse dance, theatre and video productions and for variouse bands. At the moment he works as a freelance musician, percussion pedagog and dance accompanist.

Kirre Koivunen
Hair & make-up,
Informing & marketing 2010

Hair stylist and makeup artist in variouse movie, television and theatre productions. Since 2000 Kirre has worked as a makeup instructor specializing in color and special effects makeup and hair. She is also directing Cultural Youth Centre, doing international human rights work especially among youg people and women, by means of media education.

Laura Taberman
Informing & marketing 2010

In spring 2010 Taberman will graduate from Humanistic Polytechnic Humak to become a cultural producer. So far she has been working in productions in fields of childrens culture, theatre, music events and fine arts.

Jouni Elomaa
Mentor / Japanology lecturer

Elomaa works as a lecturer of Japanese language and culture in the University of Stockholm specializing in litterature and traditional arts. 1989 he became the first Finnish authorized instructor of Chadô - art of tee.

Riitta Salastie
Mentor / Architect

Salastie made her doctorial thesis on Japanese architecture. Sha has degrees in classical and modern ikebena instructiong and has her own class of Japanese flower arranging in Helsinki. Salstie has lived in Kyoto Japan for over 7 years.