32-year-old Mr Riku Lehtopolku (FI) has been appointed as the next Artistic Director of The Kuopio Dance Festival, Finland. Despite his young age, he has managed to forge a diverse artistic career as a dancer, choreographer, teacher, trainer, and in various specialist roles.
Lehtopolku has worked in the Nordic Countries, and toured several festivals in Europe, Asia, and Africa as an artist and teacher. He has performed in Tero Saarinen’s works, among others, and acted as an artistic co-director with the Pori Dance Company, collaborating also with the Festival’s current Artistic Director, Mr Jorma Uotinen.
The festival board comments on the appointment:
- In 2019, the Kuopio Dance Festival will enter its second half-century and the role of Artistic Director is significant in the new era. Developing an arts festival will require ever more versatility and knowledge of different arts in the future. We are impressed by Lehtopolku’s wide-reaching understanding of art, and his erudition and vision. In addition to dance, he is actively engaged in theatre, music, and modern circus and has thorough knowledge of the visual arts. He has experience in producing and financing events, which is excellent for an artistic director. He has the refreshing and enthusiastic attitude of his generation. Lehtopolku’s interview process brought up some new fresh ideas. He also has a real perspective of our town and event, as he has attended the Festival several times. The selection process was challenging and by no means clear-cut, as there were 14 high-calibre candidates from different countries. Several of them could have been selected for this role. The current Artistic Director, Jorma Uotinen, did not take part in, nor influenced, his successor’s selection.
- Large-scale dance productions have become familiar to me through my work with the Finnish National Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, and Reykjavik Arts Festival, as well as several regional theatres. I am actively involved in international dance, states Lehtopolku.
- I see the future of Kuopio Dance Festival as an international festival, focusing on contemporary dance, with very different works in its programme, both in terms of their content and their means of expression. Choices maintaining originality and diversity should offer the audience not only experiences but also meaning. I’m interested in stretching the boundaries of dance, and how it overlaps other arts. I’m also going to take dance out of its traditional settings. With the courses, I’d particularly like to expand the offering for advanced dance students and professionals. My objective is to create a mentoring programme, led by experienced artists, and to provide room to grow for young talent, he continues.
Riku Lehtopolku’s first Festival will be in 2020 and his contract will run for three years. The previous artistic directors were Mrs Doris Laine, Mr Jukka O. Miettinen and Mr Alpo Pakarinen.
Jorma Uotinen’s tenure as Artistic Director will continue until 2019, which is the 50th anniversary of the Kuopio Dance Festival. Ms Anna Pitkänen will continued as the Executive Director. The Kuopio Dance Festival is the oldest, most diverse, and one of the largest annual international dance festivals in the Nordic Countries. The Festival takes place every June. This year it will be held 13th-26th June.
Further information for media
Anna Pitkänen, Executive Director, Tel +358 50 543 92 67, [email protected]
www.kuopiodancefestival.fi
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