"Butoh is a potato but dance" is a description of butoh by Pasi Mäkelä. In this workshop you'll get to experience secret life of potatoes. Potato is an old plant that has provided food for people for hungry and for the poor. It is originally from the Andies and has been cultivated there for thousands of years. Potato landed to Europe in 16'th century. An average Finnish person eats around 50 kilos potatoes a year.

But how it is to be a potato? What is the inner life of a potato? How does it feel to grow inside the soil? Or experience other transformations on the chain of actions to become for example french fries? How do potatoes multiply? You are welcome to experience this and other transformations in this workshop with funny yet profound exercises of metamorphoses. This workshop is also audience workshop for the performance “Tato Tatoes" that is being presented by Mertanen and Rönkkö at Helsinki Butoh festival.
 

Minja Mertanen (1981) is helsinki-based dancer and live artist. She has graduated as a dance teacher, dance and movement therapist, yoga instructor and studies currently somatic movement therapy. She has been teaching butoh over 17 years to professionals, special groups and anyone wanting to dance. Last years she's been teaching in Theater Academy, Art School Kankaanpää, Art School Maa and quided workshop for professional performers at Wiener Festwochen festival with Kate McIntosh.