Aira Dance Company
The world's first ever Sami dance center opens in November 2024 outside Jokkmokk in Vuollerim in an award winning beautiful design building.
Presenting at the Swedish Dance Experience, Thursday, August 29th in Sammlung Philara.
Project – Jillat Sami Dance Center
The name of the new Sami Dance Center is Jillat, it's a word in lulesami language and has the meaning: To glow or to sparkle.
Imagine the scenery of stars glowing in a luminous way or the eyes of a child all starry when watching its first dance production. Also, the feeling in your heart when all feels great and inspiring and you just have to be creative. Jillat is built on a peninsula by the small part of lule river and the building follows the shape of the nature, like a magic gem in the forest.
The unique location by the polar circle offers both midnight sun and aurora experiences. The center has a large dance studio, an amphi theatre with room for 130 persons and professional TV studio ready, live stream equipment in both of these areas. There is a fully equipped music studio, a sewing studio, conference room, office space and relaxing areas. We even have an open fire place in one end of the dance studio. Imagine having a morning dance class in this place!
The inauguration is the 16th of November 2024 and we will start hosting residencies in 2025 for dancers, musicians and a lot of other artistic disciplines. We are working close with the village schools and artists will have a chance to invite all kinds of audiences for work in progress of final productions. We will also be able to offer a planned tour to three cities in the region if the residency results in a final production. Tour bus, sound and light can be arranged for the tour to make it as easy as possible for visiting artists to get a quick start of their project.
We look forward to a multidiciplinary meeting for artists and we welcome all artists to create and get inspired in this beautiful house, filled with love and created to be a totally safe space for artists.
The Company
Liv Aira is a dancer and choreographer that often reflects on her indigenous Sami background in her art. She is the founder and artistic director of Invisible People Contemporary Dance Company where she is currently touring with the dance and yoik production Ájttega and the dance show Akti Lij for children. She is the creator of Låvda – Sápmi screendance festival and the indigenous cultural festival Skájdde in Storforsen nature reserve that can host 20 000 people each year. She is currently in the start up of the world's first sami dance center in the north of Sweden outside Jokkmokk. She has a BA in dance and MA in choreography from Institute of the arts Barcelona.
Contact person
Liv Aira, Artistic director, Dancer, Choreographer, liv@invisiblepeople.se
Website
Social media
IG: @livaira
Photographers: Daryoush Tahmasebi – Picture of the Dance Center, Carl Johan Utsi – Picture of Liv Aira dancing.
