Valtteri Raekallio
Valtteri Raekallio is based in Helsinki and one of the most prominent Finnish choreographers of his generation.
EDUCATION
He began his dancing career at the Finnish National Opera Ballet School in 1989 and graduated as a dancer in 2001. In 2000-2001, he was an exchange student at the Amsterdam School of the Arts’ Modern Theatre Dance program.
Additional studies at University of the Arts Helsinki in subjects including theatre management, directing as well as space and lighting design. Raekallio has also complemented his studies in New York, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Deltebre.
PROFESSIONAL WORK AS A CHOREOGRAPHER
Valtteri Raekallio´s choreographic work explores the boundaries between multiple art forms. He creates bold performances that combine complex narratives and themes with strong visual imagery and well crafted movement.
His productions reach from immersive or site-specific works such as Frame (2020), Audience (2018), Neuromaani (2016), Short Stories from Forgotten Rooms (2015), The Representative (2014), Where Does the Light Go? (2013) to stage work Recollections (2019), Oneiron (2018), Frigid (2017),
A Performance (2016) and Rehearsal on Love (2015)
and dance films of different approaches, most recently
No Man’s Land (2020), Fram (2019) and Cold Storage (2016).
PROFESSIONAL WORK AS A DANCER
Valtteri Raekallio has worked with major international and Finnish choreographers in over 70 productions in 40 countries. He has appeared in contemporary dance performances, opera and theatre productions and films.
Raekallio was engaged with Helsinki Dance Company from 2006 to 2013 where he worked with choreographers such as Linda Kapetanea & Jozef Fruček, Anton Lachky, Kenneth Kvarnström, Ina Christel Johannessen, Andonis Foniadakis, Ikuyo Kuroda and Jyrki Karttunen.
As a freelancer, he has danced among others in 14 works by Tommi Kitti between 2001-2010. Raekallio is currently working as a dancer in Norway for Ina Christel Johannessen / Zero Visibility Corp. for the production Frozen Songs (2017-2020).
OTHER ARTISTIC WORK
Raekallio is the founder of Liikekieli.com, Finland’s online magazine for dance. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the magazine from 2004 to 2009. Liikekieli.com subsequently received the 2008 Finnish State Award for Dance Arts, Finland’s highest commendation in dance. From 2012 to 2014, Raekallio was the artistic co-director of Loikka dance film festival. Valtteri Raekallio is also an internationally recognized teacher in high demand at dance workshops and universities.
AWARDS AND GRANTS
Finland’s Minister of Science and Culture awarded the Finland Prize to the dance company Raekallio Corp. in 2019. The same year Valtteri Raekallio received the City of Helsinki Artist of the Year award. In 2018 he was an Aerowaves Twenty 18 artist and the performance Oneiron was selected for the Ice Hot Nordic Dance Platform in Reykjavik. In 2017 Raekallio was awarded a five-year Finnish State Grant for Artists and the Uusimaa Cultural Prize.