16.4. at 18.00 and 18.4. at 13.00. Willman Dance Company's production Words with Isadora will be visiting RaumArs in April. The dance performance, which takes place around Rauma Day, will showcase Jonna Aaltonen's artist celebration production alongside RaumArs' exhibitions of textile and photographic art.
The dance piece Words with Isadora explores the connection between movement and emotion, as well as the artist's journey of expression throughout her long career. A performing artist of the 2020s reflects on the significance of movement and freedom of expression in contemporary dance, seeking connections to the ideas of Isadora Duncan, the dance innovator of the early 20th century. What would Duncan say about today's trends? How does aging affect artistry? Isadora Duncanin ajatuksiin. Mitä Duncan sanoisi tämän päivän trendeistä? Miten ikääntyminen vaikuttaa taiteilijuuteen?
Jonna Aaltonen's artist solo, which deals with her long career as a dancer, enters into dialogue with
South Korean artist Yulim Song's textile art and Lars Rebers' photographic art, both on display at RaumArs. Like the dance piece Words with Isadora, the photographic art deals with memories. Rebers' photographs reflect on the relationship between parent and child – how do childhood memories shape our personalities? The textile works created by Song together with participants of different ages highlight the traces of handcrafted work, lived life, and personal stories.
The premiere was performed to sold-out audiences at the WAM Kilta Gallery in Turku last fall. The visit to RaumArs is supported by the Regional Dance Centre of Western Finland.
Performances
Thu 16.4. at 18
Sat 18.4. at 13
The performances are free of charge. Due to limited seating, we recommend registering in advance using the online form . Please notify us by email at raumars@raumars.org if you are unable to attend so that we can give your place to someone else.
The performance begins in the courtyard of RaumArs, so please dress for the weather. The
courtyard is not covered.
Concept and direction Marjaterttu Willman.
Choreography Marjaterttu Willman in collaboration with Jonna Aaltosen kanssa
Dance performer Jonna Aaltonen
Sound design Mikko Väärälä
Costume design Aapo Siikala
Music Sarah Neufeld
Texts Isadora Duncan (from the books Isadora Duncan - My Life, Peter Kurth - Isadora Sensational
Life)
Production Willman Dance Company
Supported by Regional Dance Centre of Western Finland
Preview photos Mirka Kleemola
Duration 50 minutes
Willman Dance Company is a Helsinki-based dance group consisting of artists who share a passion for dance and performing arts. The group produces performances for both adult and child audiences, creating dance theater and contemporary dance works in which movement and the dancers' physical ability to express themselves are at the heart of the performance. The group's artistic director is Marjaterttu Willmana long-time dance professional with a strong background in ballet. Willman has been working as a choreographer since 2002 and has created over 20 premiere choreographies.
Jonna Aaltonen is an experienced, versatile, long-time freelance dance artist who has worked in Finland and abroad since 1995 with numerous different choreographers. It is important to Aaltonen to bring dance to different audiences and outside the walls of the theater: to the streets, courtyards, retirement homes, schools, daycare centers, and private homes. She has performed her solo show Neiti Ida (Miss Ida), aimed at children (choreographed by Hanna Brotherus), over 200 times. In 2025, she was awarded the Golden Medal of Merit for Finnish Stage Arts by the Central Association of Finnish Theatre Organizations in recognition of her 30 years of successful work for Finnish theatre.
Isadora Duncan (1877–1927) was an American self-taught dancer and choreographer who shook up the rules of ballet and brought natural movement, freedom, and emotion to the stage. She danced barefoot, drew inspiration from nature and ancient Greece, and dared to live like she danced: boldly, passionately, and on her own terms. Duncan, who was particularly popular in Europe, can be considered a pioneer of modern dance. Her life's work has had a significant impact on and connection to the later development of modern dance.
EN 
FI