VILLIT — THE WILD ONES is an immersive and one-of-a-kind collaborative performance led by Routa Company, choreographer Sari Palmgren, and sound artist Tuomas Norvio. Inviting audiences on a multidisciplinary journey of movement, choice, and discovery, the work will premiere in Kajaani in August 2026. It combines dance, sound, music, and an ever-evolving living landscape created by an exceptionally large ensemble of performers.
Each audience member experiences a unique version of the performance. The journey begins along one of two guided routes, both leading to the historic Main Building of Kajaani Seminary, where the performance unfolds across three floors. Visitors are free to move through the building at their own pace—to observe, explore, and immerse themselves in both microscopic and vast worlds, lingering where they wish before continuing onward.
Along the outdoor paths, audiences encounter the diversity of human bodies, the untamed surrounding nature, and layers of different dance traditions. Inside the Seminary, the performance inhabits a series of classrooms. The classroom is an ordered, bounded, and controlled space—a place for learning. It is also a space where movement and bodies are often disciplined and normalized, until the Wild inevitably begins to break through. Eventually, the classrooms can no longer contain themselves. They dissolve, overlap, and disappear.
VILLIT takes its audience on a gentle yet playful journey toward their own darker sides. Throughout the performance, scenes and rituals drive away evil spirits and invite the darkness to recede. The work culminates in a shared celebration—a moment from which the journey can continue with a lighter heart.
On an impressive scale, VILLIT features more than one hundred performers, including dancers, a choir, an extensive team of professional artists, as well as community participants and volunteers.
“Dance the evil away. Dance your fear into the light. Dance the space back to yourself.”
VILLIT is intended for young people and adults. The work is part of the Oulu2026 European Capital of Culture programme and its Cultural Climate Change initiative, as well as the programme celebrating Kajaani’s 375th anniversary.
Artistic Team
Director & Choreographer: Sari Palmgren
Lighting Designer: Topias Toppinen
Sound Designer, Composer & Musician: Tuomas Norvio
Composer & Musician: Kimmo Pohjonen
Scenographers: Jaana Kurttila and Mirkka Nyrhinen / Roskakatos Collective
Costume Maker: Piki Paananen
Technicians: Pekka Moilanen and Juho Hannikainen
Producers: Emilia Hyvönen and Mari Rytkönen / Routa Company
Graphic Designer: Petra Karvonen
Photographer: Minna Hyvönen
Dancers / Performers: Katja Sallinen (Dance Company Off/Balance), Vincent Jonsson, Olli Lautiola, Veikko Leinonen, Kaisa Niemi, Jukka Peltola (Kajaani City Theatre), Satu Rinnetmäki
Also featuring: Ballet Kaukametsä, Fadila Association for Oriental Dance, Kajaani Dance School / Dance Academy, KajjjÄäni (the Kainuu Music Institute’s contemporary music choir), Routa Villit Volunteers, Routa Villit Seniors, Kajaanin Casamba DanceSport Club
Partners: Routa Company, Dance Company Off/Balance, Oulu2026, City of Kajaani, Pohjois-Suomen Kiinteistösijoitus Oy, Kajaani City Theatre, Kajaani Main Library, Seminar Arts Campus
The production is supported by the City of Kajaani, the Oulu Cultural Foundation, the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Foundation, the Kainuu Regional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, and the Finnish Arts and Culture Agency.
Performances
Premiere: Thursday, 20 August, 6:00 pm
Saturday, 22 August, 6:00 pm
Monday, 24 August, 6:00 pm
Tuesday, 25 August, 6:00 pm
Thursday, 27 August, 6:00 pm
Friday, 28 August, 6:00 pm
Saturday, 29 August, 6:00 pm
All performances begin at 6:00 pm and 6:15 pm (staggered departures).
Duration: approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.
Starting points: Kajaani Main Library and the Old Kajaani Health Centre.
Get your tickets from Tiketti
