Meet the artists: Anni Puuperä and Natalia Barua

The #CROWDdance 2023 residency programme continues this week with dance artists Anni Puuperä and Natalia Barua meeting for the first of their two residencies together this summer. The first one is hosted by TaikaBox in Oulu, Finland from 17th – 28th July and the pair will also come together at The Work Room in Scotland from 18th – 29th September.

Let’s find out more about Anni and Natalia and what they’re hoping to explore as part of their residencies:

Anni Puuperä

Anni is a Finnish contemporary dance artist based in Helsinki. She works as a choreographer, community artist, performer and dance teacher. She approaches dance through corporal movement, writing and visual arts. 

Images: Liisa Parkkinen, Osmo Puuperä and Katri Naukkarinen

What are you hoping to explore during the CROWD 2023 residencies?
My aim is to explore practices of listening and working in dialogue with others. I hope to research these questions: How to enable dialogue in community dance work? How to make space for listening in the artistic process? What kind of movement and dance working with dialogue creates?

Why did you want to be a CROWD 2023 artist?
I found the concept of the CROWD program inspiring. The opportunity to work internationally is a great opportunity. I think that working in a different country and with a new artistic partner(s) can really widen my approach to artistic work and offer me new ideas to my community dance practice. Also, I wanted to take time to research and rethink my community engaged dance practice. I think that CROWD will offer me an opportunity for that.

What are you most looking forward to as a CROWD 2023 artist?
Meeting other artists and working with different kinds of communities. Sharing practices, learning and enjoying life together. Dancing together.

Why are you interested in creating art with the community?
Basically I am interested in creating art with different kinds of people and developing accessibility to art work. Working with community engaged dance practice gives me an opportunity to share my artistic practice and get inspiration from communities. As a community artist my aim is to develop accessibility and inclusivity to art work. I pursue that by facilitating a safe space for creative experimentation.

What was your introduction to community dance?
I did my first community dance project while studying BA in dance pedagogue. I worked on a project with elderly people and also wrote an article about that. I got a chance to do several community dance projects while studying and I am grateful for that.

Who or what inspires your community practice?
I have worked with many inspiring colleagues and gained inspiration from them. But I think the most important thing that inspires me is the communities I get to work with.

What have you discovered through working with communities?
I have discovered how to give more space to others and value different kinds of ways of creating and experiencing art.

What difficulties or limitations have emerged for you when working with a community?
Usually limitations are with the lack of resources such as time and money while working with a community art. I dream about a sustained community dance project with permanent funding.

How do you describe community-engaged dance practice?
For me the essence of community engaged dance practice is in the thought that everyone can dance and participate in the artistic process. My approach to community dance is based on a dialogical communication, listening and valuing each participant’s artistic views. For me the core of community artists work is in making space for interaction and proposing artistic activity to participants. As a community artist my aim is to develop accessibility and inclusivity.

Natalia Barua

Natalia is an award-winning dance artist and choreographer working predominantly in videodance, interdisciplinary performance and participation. She is based in Scotland.

Images: Chris Scott and Owa Barua

What are you hoping to explore during the CROWD 2023 residencies?
I’m hoping to create a space for interrogation, reflection and vulnerability – a space to make mistakes and test and wonder and research and fail without impacting someone’s experience, without so much at stake.

Why did you want to be a CROWD 2023 artist?
I was particularly interested in the partner organisations and the international aspect of the residency, as well as the focus on community dance artist professional development.

What are you most looking forward to as a CROWD 2023 artist?
Time, space, freedom, enquiry, lack of pressure, the unique place and encounters, stepping away from it to get deeper into it, to stand back and dive in from a new angle.

Why are you interested in creating art with the community?
Because at it’s best, it’s the most sincere way to know others, to build empathy and empower people. It works to dismantle societal and art world hierarchies and reminds people that they matter.

What was your introduction to community dance?
As a child and teenager in my own community, as a participant. Weekly classes, my extended family, competitions that brought our mothers and grandmothers together and gave me important friendships outside of school.

Who or what inspires your community practice?
The coming together of multiple influences; my ideas and visions; the history and present reality of the place; the people and their stories, their vulnerability and their movements.

What have you discovered through working with communities?
That true engagement and care has so much power to make radical change for individuals, their wider family units and communities.

What difficulties or limitations have emerged for you when working with a community?
The sense of being constantly ‘on’, the weight of holding a safe and exciting space, trying not to allow for distraction or boredom – it can be a lot of pressure.

How do you describe community-engaged dance practice?
I just describe it as a dance practice, as art – I don’t define it away from non-community engaged dance – potentially the only differentiation is that the level of care and curiosity for people is greater and more considered.

Follow #CROWDdance 2023

Across the coming months, we’ll be inviting our ten artists and the host partners to capture elements of their residencies and share insight into their work and the areas they’re exploring within the realm of community-engaged dance. Follow our blog here and #CROWDdance on social media for further updates.