Carolyn Carlson was born in California to parents of Finnish origin. She studied dance at the San Francisco School of Ballet and at the University of Utah, where she met Alwin Nikolaïs in 1965. She became the leading figure at the forefront of her company in New York during 7 years. She then travelled the world, and in 1968 was awarded the Prize for Best Dancer at the Paris International Dance Festival, which was followed by many well-known prizes.
Carolyn Carlson has been working in Finland, Sweden (directing Culberg Ballet), Italy (directing the dance section of the Venice Biennale) and Paris, where she founded Atelier de Paris-Carolyn Carlson. She has been working with numerous dancers including Tero Saarinen, Jorma Uotinen, Larrio Ekson, Malou Airaudo. Besides creating more than 80 choreographic works presented throughout the world, Carolyn Carlson also writes poetry and draws.
In this spring Carolyn Carlson will be visiting Estonia for the first time. On april 28th her recent work “Down By The River” and even more recent work of her student Juha Marsalo, “Scene d`amour” will be presented over one night at National Art Museum of Estonia (KUMU) in Tallinn.
“Down By The River” is a creation of Carolyn Carlson, premiered in Salt Lake City (USA) in 2004. Inspired by the poem “River” by A.R.Ammons, this piece pays tribute to the whole power of Nature. It conjures up our respect and amazement at the miracle of the changing seasons, the alternation between the sun and the rain, the stillness and chaos, which impregnate the rhythm and vibrations of our lives. The dancers try to embody the swift rapids and calm pools of a river, while leading the audience down a path of symbolism. Symbolism and epic appear even stronger as the performance is backed by a collage of sounds, and some moving jazz by Rene Aubry.
Scène d’amour is a work by Juha Pekka Marsalo, student of Carolyn Carlson, premiered at the Théâtre de Béthune in December 2005. “The initial idea for a Scène d’amour is the physical desire to obtain what one want, to fulfil ones imaginary fantasies. What is the path which leads to a kiss? How does one edge towards emotion with the force of the body? The piece expresses desire, brutal and direct encounters, the compliance of the other when love passes beyond the protagonists. Scène d’amour comes straight from the dynamic situation which is generated by the friction of energies and bodies, and which breathes a common rhythm into the six dancers” - Juha Marsalo.
Performance is completed with a soundtrack by Dan Levy and Olivia B. Merilahti, both composers, met while working on the movie L’empire des Loups, a Gaumont production. Their collaboration still continues with compositions for film scores. They created The Do, to develop their artistic path.
The programme consisting of two performances will begin at 19.00 and tickets (250.-/180.-) are available in service points of Piletilevi and Piletimaailm and during one hour before the programme starts on location.
