Saku Koistinen

I am a dancer and choreographer from eastern Finland, currently living in Pusula in the west of the Uusimaa region. I earned my M.A. in dance from Theatre Academy Helsinki.

Since 2006, I have worked as freelance dancer in numerous companies and productions both in Finland and abroad. My long-term collaborators include choreographers Tero Saarinen, Michael Keegan-Dolan (IRL) and Petri Kekoni. I have also danced in works by, among others, Eeva Muilu, Tuomo Railo, Marjo Kuusela, Panu Varstala, Laura Koistinen and Elina Pirinen, in addition to performing with the ensemble Und er libet.

As a dancer, I have been and still am infinitely fascinated and inspired by movement – by dancing. This fact follows me in my creative work, and being a dancer is the key starting point also for my choreographic work. My artistic projects are characterized by a demanding physicality, a strong relationship to nature, an uncompromising attitude and the desire to discover a deeper understanding of the world and our existence.

I have been creating my own works since 2010. The first of these, OHI, was performed at Routa Company in Kajaani as well as at Stoa in Helsinki, and was subsequently seen in France and the Czech Republic. Since then, my pieces have included the duet Vice Versa on diversity with Indian-British dancer Saju Hari, as well as SetUp, a work about death with Bretagne-based bandoneonist Philippe Ollivier. My latest choreographic works have been created as part of my tenure as the artistic director of Routa Company from 2017 to 2020. http://sakukoistinen.com