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| About punkkiCo punkkiCo seeks to create artistically satisfying high quality performance through collaboration with artists from different disciplines in order to transform emotion into motion. Music composition, sound and costume design are all pivotal in the development of the “movement material,” which is based on Finnish and European contemporary dance. Founded in 2005 by Raisa Punkki—who says about her work, “It all comes from life”—collaborators have included composer Albert Mathias, artist Nicole Bauguss, set and costume designer Claire Pasquier, and lighting designer Christian Mejia. Over the years punkkiCo has moved from a reliance on clean, pure lines and speed of movement into looking for and incorporating those little moments that can be held together by gestures, breathing or stillness. About Raisa Punkki Raisa Punkki is a dancer, choreographer, teacher and the founder of punkkiCo. When it comes to her work, she leans toward an aesthetic that welcomes the energetic, sensual and strange. Raised in Finland, she counts her years working in theater doing plays, musicals and dance as a chief influence. As well as an abiding interest in photography and the natural world. “I have filmed many sunrises in San Francisco.” When it comes to inspiration, Punkki primarily looks to situations in everyday life between people, but like many artists other artists also inspire her. A short list of these would include Georgia O’Keefe, Dan Perjovchi and Abisag Tullman plus choreographers Kenneth Kvarnström and Wayne McGregor along with actors Elizabeth Taylor, Shirley McClaine and vintage Michael Gambon. “At one point I read everything published by Salman Rushdie, Paul Auster, Oliver Sacks, David Mamet and Peter Hoeg.” Punkki’s work is known for its combination of abstraction, theatrical costuming and lighting along with a penchant for brooding and haunting electronica as a soundscape. Grants and nominations include two Finnish State Grants, Zellerbach Family and Finlandia Foundation grants, along with a nomination as Finland’s Best Dancer of the Year. Since founding PunkkiCo in 2005, her choreography and dances have appeared at the Women On the Way Festival, Collaboration Music and Dance, ODC’s Pilot and House Special and CounterPulse. PunkkiCo’s work includes Polar Night, end trance, nunataks and all blue among other titles. In 2011 she will debut an evening length piece entitled Pick Cells with artist Claire Pasquier, composer Albert Mathias and lighting designer Christian Mejia. Pick Cells premieres the weekend of November 11-13 at Dance Mission Theater. More information punkkico.com COMPANY MEMBERS 
Photo by Rob Kunkle Costume/Set design by Claire Pasquier | Raisa Punkki Choreographer, Dancer, Founder of punkkiCo Raisa Punkki graduated with an MfA at the Department of Dance, Theatre Academy in Helsinki, Finland, in 1992. After several years as a freelancer she signed up with the Helsinki City Theatre Dance Company (96-98), where she danced in choreographies e.g. by Kenneth Kvarnström, Anzu Furukawa and Tero Saarinen. The following four years toured intensively with Kenneth Kvarnström & Co, in and outside Europe. Raisa has taught contemporary dance at the dance departments of various Art schools in Europe and US. Raisa Punkki has made choreographies for both theater and dance companies. She has received several grants, awards and nominations, including the state (Finland) grant, the best dancer of the year nomination and twice a grant from The Zellerbach Family Foundation. Raisa Punkki/punkkiCo reseived a Lighting Designer Award together with light Designer Christian Mejia, for punkkiCo's new work Pick Cells (2011). |  Photo by Rob Kunkle / Location with the curtesy of SFAI | Jennifer Meek Dancer Jennifer graduated magna cum laude with a BFA in contemporary dance performance from Point Park University. She went on to perform in Chicago with Thodos Dance Chicago, Lucky Plush Productions, Concert Dance, and Hedwig Dances. Upon moving to the bay area Jennifer has performed with Kunst-stoff, Capacitor, and Moving Arts. In addition to performing, she enjoys teaching dance and yoga and sharing the importance of well being and artistic expression. She has presented choreography at The Garage, Dance Mission Theater, and RoCo Dance and Fitness |  Photo by Rob Kunkle | Sarah Keeney Dancer Sarah Keeney (Dancer) is a dancer, performer, teacher and choreographer. While earning her degree in Psychology at UCSD, Sarah performed and choreographed for the dance department and the competition dance team. Upon graduation in 2004, she was honored with the very first Dance Faculty Award for Performance and Choreography. While living in San Diego, Sarah performed with Patricia Rincon Dance Collective, Jean Issacs, Bound Contemporary Dance and Project 423. Sarah worked as Assistant Associate Director and Education Outreach Coordinator for the performance art company Xdrop. As part of her Xdrop Education Program, Sarah taught dance in public schools, art galleries and organized a show at a Guatemalan orphanage. She also had the opportunity to teach at UCSD, San Diego State, All Star Dance Studio and La Jolla Country Day High School. Sarah moved to the Bay Area in 2009. She has greatly enjoyed performing with Facing East Dance and Music, Jessica Damon, Bianca Cabrera and Scott Wells & Dancers. Last summer Sarah was funded to go to Victoria, Canada to learn and perform a contact improvisation duet with a professor from the University of Victoria. Sarah continues to explore her relationship to movement and is grateful to work with punkkiCo. | 
Photo by Rob Kunkle | Patric Cashman Dancer Patric Cashman began his formal dance training in his native Cork, Ireland. He continued his studies as a Dance Artist at The Northern School of Contemporary Dance, Leeds, England where he graduated with a B.A. in 2001. Patric has lived in the Bay area for nine years . He also works as a dance teacher, choreographer, music and film editor. Patric has performed work in many cities including London, Dublin, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. While in the U.S. he has danced with Shift Dance Theater, Element Dance Theater, Punkki- Co, Company Mecanique Dance Theater, Martt Lawarence , Lisa Townsend Company, Dandelion Dance Theater and 13th Floor Dance Theater. In 2009, Patric returned to Ireland to study an M.A. In Contemporary Dance Performance at University of Limerick and recently graduated with first class honours. While in Ireland he also worked with Carlos Cortes, Croi Glan, Adam Benjimin and Shakram Dance Company. | 
Art work by Claire Pasquier |
Claire Pasquier Costume and Set Designer Claire Pasquier is a French artist who lives and works in San Francisco. Painting was such a revelation for her that it led her to study the history of art at the Sorbonne and afterwards to enter a school of decorative arts (Ensad) in Paris where she learned set and stage design in addition to costume design. After her degree Claire did several productions in theatre, children’s Opera, cinema (short films) and events. Claire approaches creation as a self-renaissance: to find our freedom and to shape it until passes into others. Claire has been working with Raisa Punkki since 2006. |  Photo by Claire Bloomberg Light design by Christian Mejia Costume/Set design by Claire Pasquier | Christian Mejia Light Designer Christian Mejia is a lighting and scenic designer working in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2004, he graduated with a B.F.A in Production Design from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. After spending two years trying to juggle work in the downtown theatre circuit with a job in 3D animation, he decided to return to the Bay Area to pursue the performing arts full time. Christian now works as the technical director and production manager of the Village Theatre in Danville, CA. He also designs lighting and scenery for dance and theatrical productions across the Bay Area. | | | | |
FORMER COMPANY MEMBERS AND COLLABORATORS Kakuti Davis Lin, Alisa Michelle, Mair Culbreth, Julie Sheetz, Phil Hallbert, Julia Hollas, Jessica Stephenson, Michelle Lynch, Elizabeth Morales, Christine Bonansea, Danny Nguyen, Paul Laurey, Bob Webb, Kaisa Salmi, Nicole Bauguss, Keith Moore, Albert Mathias and Perry Spinali.
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