Joutsentanssi – Kuhmo Dance Festival
Joutsentanssi- Kuhmo Dance Festival is a Kuhmo-based contemporary dance festival whose annual themes are inspired by nature and Kalevala. Thefestival was held for the first time in 2018 and its ultimate idea is to combine nature, dance and creativity into an experimental experience.
Previous Joutsentanssi events
JOUTSENTANSSI 2026
30 June–3 July 2026 Joutsentanssi
The Forest Hums, the Ground Rumbles! – Children’s Summer Dance Camp
Children’s camp | Tue–Fri 9:00–15:30, Sat 15:00–17:00 | Price: €120 / €100 / €160 (incl. 4 lunches)
Kalevala area | Wilma Seppälä and assistant instructor Saara Milton
At this children’s workshop camp, participants will dance, make art, explore, play and enjoy games in nature, inspired by its wonders! The camp is aimed at children aged 7–12. Read more and register!
Monkeying Around & Choreography – Youth Camp
Youth camp | Tue–Fri 9:00–15:30, Sat 15:00–17:00 | Price: €120 / €100 / €160 (incl. 4 lunches)
Kalevala area | Sofia Keto-Tokoi & Miro Puranen
The youth camp consists of two different courses led by two instructors. In the Choreography course, participants will learn how to create new dance choreography and perform existing choreographies under the guidance of Sofia Keto-Tokoi. In the Monkeying Around course, participants will dive into acrobatics, climbing and playful movement with encouraging guidance from Miro Puranen. The camp is aimed at young people aged 12–15. Read more and register!
Full Programme
Tuesday
9:00–15:30 Children’s camp
9:00–15:30 Youth camp
Wednesday
9:00–15:30 Children’s camp
9:00–15:30 Youth camp
16:00–17:30 Opening of the adult workshops: Choreography of the Moment
Other programme:
18:00–18:45 Summer Musicians’ Evening
Thursday
9:00–15:30 Children’s camp
9:00–15:30 Youth camp
9:30–12:00 Adult workshop: How Does the Forest Make You Dance?
13:00–15:30 Adult workshop: Singing in the Forest
Other programme:
18:00 Swimming down the Pajakkakoski Rapids
19:30–21:30 Storytelling Campfire at Suvanto (Pajakkajoki River)
Friday
9:00–15:30 Children’s camp
9:00–15:30 Youth camp
9:30–12:00 Adult workshop: The Joy of Theatre Improvisation
13:00–15:30 Adult workshop: Boundaries Are Love
Other programme:
18:00–19:00 Guest performances at Kide Stage (Market Square)
20:00–22:00 Contact Improvisation Jam (Mydance)
Saturday (Closing Day of Joutsentanssi)
10:00–11:00 Dancing Under the Open Sky
– A children’s dance session for the whole family
12:00 Excursion to Harakkasaari
13:00 Theatre improvisation in the forest
- Opportunity to swim
Return from the excursion at around 15:00
Other programme:
16:00 Camp performances
17:15 Lentua Residency performance
18:30 Evening celebration & dance film screening
21:00 Silent Forest Disco
JOUTSENTANSSI 2025
We are excited to organize the 2025 summer festival with fresh new ideas! The Joutsentanssi Festival will take place from July 8th to 12th, 2025, in its familiar location in the Kalevala area of Kuhmo. Be sure to mark the date in your calendar!
This year’s festival will be held entirely outdoors. Through this, we aim to highlight the importance of nature and movement, as well as their deep connection. At Joutsentanssi, we strive to foster a sense of community, inviting everyone to participate through their own movement and physical presence.
One of the most popular features of Joutsentanssi is the summer camp for schoolchildren. In addition to the children’s camp, there will also be dance workshops for youth and adults, a dance moment for families, and performative dance sessions in care homes for the elderly.
We warmly welcome you to experience the Joutsentanssi Festival of summer 2025!
Sincerely,
The Joutsentanssi Board
Joutsentanssi connects nature, dancers and viewers in three ways
- The festival offers paid camps and courses open to dancers of all levels and ages. The camps and courses are mainly held in the natural surroundings of Kuhmo’s Kalevala Village area, providing a variety of environments from pine forests to sandy beaches. Course participants have the opportunity to perform in the festival’s final show.
- A small group of professionals are invited to a residency to paddle and stay overnight in the Lentua archipelago. This so-called Lentua Collective translates their nature experience into dance at the end of their residency. The artistic outcome is presented in the festival’s main performance at Kuhmo Arts Centre (Kuhmo-talo).
- During the festival week, the audience is offered dance performances related to the year’s theme. These organized performances are both paid and free, taking place in various locations around Kuhmo, mainly in natural .
The driving forces behind the Joutsentanssi Festival are nature, growth, and community. The nature theme aims to strengthen people’s relationship with nature by incorporating it into the dance creation process, such as preparing course performances. The growth theme helps individuals discover their inner strengths, offering the opportunity to grow both as a person and a dancer. The community theme creates a safe space for participants to be themselves and express themselves in their unique way.
We warmly welcome you to develop or discover your dance skills at the Joutsentanssi – Kuhmo Dance Festival! The festival offers a wide range of genres in both courses and performances, ensuring there is something for everyone.
Read more about the festival on the website: https://joutsentanssi.fi/in-english. The driving force behind the Joutsentanssi Festival is the board of Joutsentanssi ry.
