Elle Sofe Company

The Norwegian Elle Sofe Company brings to Kuopio the powerful piece Vástádus eana / The Answer is Land, which focuses on the community and kinship between people with nature and with the earth we all share.

The choreography is inspired by demonstrations, Sami spiritual practices and formation dance.

Written specially for the performance by composer and professor of yoik, Frode Fjellheim, the polyphonic yoik works as a supportive pillar throughout the work. Fjellheim showcases the breadth of yoik and a new way of working with polyphonic yoik.

Elle Sofe Sara is described as one of the most interesting and important choreographers in her generation in Norway.

Sara’s work expands upon seemingly mundane, often overlooked areas of Sámi physicality— unspoken rituals that have escaped the vice grip of colonialism. Sara uncovers a space in which the past and the present coincide.

Elle Sofe Company, founded by Sara in 2022, brings to the forefront the experiences and traditions of the northern indigenous peoples, blending dance, joik, and music.

In addition to the performance, the group will bring their BIRRA concept to Kuopio, which includes workshops on dance and voice usage, post-performance discussions, and mentoring, among others. More detailed information will be available in spring 2025.

“In this piece, modernity and tradition, as well as sound and movement, are combined in a new way. When I saw the performance a couple of years ago, the audience was enthralled. I don’t know exactly what happened, but something in it touched me deeply.”

– Kenneth Kvarnström, the artistic director of the festival

The Answer is Land starts as an outdoor performance, after which it will continue at the Kuopio city theater.
More information coming in November.

The organizer reserves the right to make changes.