Jenni Kivelä

Jenni Kivelä, born 1974 in Helsinki, Finland, graduated as a choreographer 2002 from the Theatre Academy of Helsinki, Department of Dance. She lives and works as a freelancer choreographer in Helsinki.

She has created several works with her group Kind People, and commissions by e.g. Helsinki Dance Company, Mobita Dansco, Gruppen Fyra, Transitions Dance Company (UK), TADaC Theatre Academy Dance Company and Norrdans (Sweden). Recents works include Kleine Monster (2015) at Zodiak – Center for New Dance and Something like Grey Gardens in a private home (2015).

Jenni Kivelä combines movement, text and theatre into multidimensional dance theatre. Her works have been described as naivistic, kind, humoristic, ironic, perspicacious, conceptual, entertaining, sincere, delicate, layered and audience-friendly. Humanity is a central theme in her works. The use of text gives a sense of familiarity in the works, as well as the use of well-known songs, moody fado or classical music.

Jenni Kivelä won the Saitama international choreography competition in Japan in 2005. Other awards include theBonnie Bird Award in London in 2006. Her works have been performed in Finland, Belgium, England, Holland, Japan, Canada, Cyprus, Latvia, Mosambique, Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, and Estonia.

Jenni Kivelä worked as house choreographer of  Zodiak – Center for New Dance in 2004-2005, and as artistic director of TADaC in 2007-2009.