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Meri Lonkila

Dance Artist / Dance Teacher

Education:  Master of Arts in Dance 

                  Dance Teacher BA

Based in:    Finland

BIO Meri Lonkila is a freelance dance artist and a dance teacher based in Finland. She thrives on collaboration and is keen on working together with artists across different fields. 
Meri Salmela
Meri creates work that is multidimensional and ambiguous. Her practice is movement driven and focuses on exploring rhythm and musicality. Powerful high impact movement and expressive minimalism are the two extremities that attract her and searching for ways to combine them keeps her in a constant state of flux, searching for a stage of delicate strength. 

In her work, Meri is drawn to explore themes that arise from everyday life as well as strong emotions such as shame, anxiety, and rage. She enjoys twisting, morphing, and distorting them into relatable and recognizable yet abstract performances. She strives for making authentic, honest, and generous work.

Meri is a co-founder of the multidisciplinary artist collective Omiaruhje, which is a place for four creative minds to fulfill their artistry and create diverse work together.
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Work as a Dance artist
Grants

2024   Omia ruhje tour in North Ostrobothnia, Finland

            Omia ruhje, Omiaruhje collective, Cultural Centre Caisa,                          Helsinki, Finland

2023   Tar and other matters, chor. Emilia Ahopelto and

            Meri Lonkila, Redfest, Alles-sur-Dordogne, France

2022   Temper Tantrum, a dance short film, chor. Meri Lonkila

            Omiaruhje, Espoo, Finland

2021   Melt, chor. Meri Lonkila and Milla Kurronen

            Porvoo, Finland

2018   XYCLONE, chor. Joshua Sailo and Meri Lonkila

            New Blue Emerging Dance Festival, Toronto, Canada

2018   Re:Action, chor. Simon Beyer-Pedersen

            JoJo Oulu Dance Centre, Oulu, Finland

2023  Finnish Cultural Foundation: For Omiaruhje 
           collective to excecute a tour in the North Ostrobothnia 

2022  Arts promotion centre Finland: Covid grant, 2 months

2021   Arts promotion centre Finland: Covid grant, 2 months

           and 3 months

Residencies

2023  Centre de Création Dordogne, Alles-sur-Dordogne, France

           Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth, Helsinki, Finland

           NÄYTTÄMÖ, Joensuu, Finland

           Cirko - Center for New Circus, Helsinki, Finland

 

2022  Old mine residency, Outokumpu, Finland

           Centre de Création Dordogne, Alles-sur-Dordogne, France

 

2021  Cirko - Center for New Circus, Helsinki, Finland

           Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth, Helsinki, Finland

Other activity

Founder and dance artist at Omiaruhje collective

Work as a Dance Teacher

Laajasalon opisto, Dance programme, Helsinki 2023 ->

Vapaa Tanssikoulu, Helsinki 2019 - 2023

Helsinki Dance Institute2016 - 2017, 2019

Cross Move Company, Oulu 2014 - 2016

Producer's duties

2023  Producing Tar and other matters, together with the

           working group (2 people)

2021  Producing Melt-site specific piece together with the                    working group (2 people)

2018  Co-Producing XYCLONE dance and theatre piece                        together with New Blue Emerging Dance Festival and                the working group (2 people)

Dance courses and workshops

2024            B12-dance festival

                     Flip 2024-partnering workshop - Kinetic Orchestra

2018-2023  Kinetic Orchestra's practice group

2022            Flip 2022-partnering workshop - Kinetic Orchestra

2020            Flip 2020-partnering workshop - Kinetic Orchestra

2019            Puzzle Work-workshop - Anton Lachky

                     Raekallio Corp.-workshop - Ryan Mason

                     B12-dance festival

                     Flip 2019-partnering workshop - Kinetic Orchestra

                     Workshopfestival: Body Action-workshop

                          - Francisco Córdova

2018            Deltebre Dansa-dance festival

2013            OuDance-dance festival

2012            Masters of Movement intensive, Salzburg                                                  Experimental Academy of Dance

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