Vivian Pakkanen - Danser

Alder: 25 år

Bosted: Oslo

Kunstfelt: Dance

Program: NSP2

Hvor lenge har du holdt på med dans?

I started dancing at the age of 3 and started with more intention for it around the age of 13 to 14.

Hvordan startet det?

My sister, a year older, had started so I wanted to dance too and my mom found a wonderful teacher with contemporary dance for children. I started to really invest in dance after my two teachers started their own school and began to choreograph their own work and built a community around it which was really inspiring for the teenage me.

Hva ønsker du å oppnå med kunsten din?

A big part of what I love about dance is that it is a universal language, a different way to meet people and to communicate with the body or to deal with existing as a human. I wish that the work I do can create new experiences and space for anyone just to be and exist with their senses.

Hva liker du best med programmet du har vært en del av?

I experienced the workshops we had throughout the program to be something that really stretched my skills and often put me on the spot. That made me go with my gut and thinking back, I trust myself more after going through those processes. We also worked very intensively in the fall of 2020 and I really enjoyed the consistent push it gave me in that period.

På hvilken måte har programmet bidratt til din kunstneriske utvikling?

Throughout the program we were creating a lot of our own material individually which at point proved very difficult to me driving myself to doubt everything I made. I feel like we could come together as a group and support each other and I learnt to draw inspiration and strength from my colleagues. I think I became better at creating on my own but also asking for help when it is needed, to open up more and understand the importance of the community I am a part of.

Hva inspirerer deg?

My friends and colleagues are a big inspiration. It amazes me to see the transformation and development of the ones around me and to watch an idea grow and take form.

Hvordan motiverer du deg selv?

To be honest it has been challenging throughout the pandemic having to go through periods where there isn’t a community to go back to in the same way as before. After talking with other dancers and reminding ourselves of the feeling of performing, going back to that feeling has become a motivation for me.

Hvordan ser en vanlig arbeidsdag ut for deg?

As a freelancer the workdays can look very different from one another and each work has a different practice built around the work. One thing that is recurrent and necessary for me in any process is to have at least an hour for myself at home in the morning to center myself and get my mind and body ready for the day.

Hva er din beste kunstopplevelse?

I don’t think I am able to choose the best moment in art but a moment that was very influential for me as an artist was working with choreographer Andrea Miller in London back in 2019. I loved how she built her practice for creating a work through improvisation and I could see the joy in my fellow dancers. I was constantly blown away by their ability which fed my artistry as well and I felt a great deal of agency within the work. From an audience point of view I recently saw the graduating class of KHiO perform work by Jukstapoz company and I am very grateful for the performance for making me laugh so hard it turned into tears.

Hvem er ditt kunstneriske forbilde?

I have had many role models through my journey and they tend to change depending on my process at the time so I find it really difficult to name anyone in particular. Right now I look up to the most to my friends who I see developing their ideas and are creating their own work.

Hva legger du i ordet talent?

I quickly associate the term talent as something quite fixed and to indicate someone that is and always was extraordinary in what they do. I try to view it more as a quality describing someone who is invested and passionate with what they do and puts themselves out there to do their best.

Hva har det betydd for deg være del av NSP2?

Through the process of making REALNESS while being a part of NSP2 I got to challenge my skills on many levels that I hadn’t before by stepping into acting and all parts of film production. I think it has made me a more independent and knowledgeable performer coming out of it.

Hva har det betydd for deg være del av Talent Norges nettverk?

It means a lot to me to have met many extraordinary humans and had the pleasure of becoming familiar with their ways of working and thinking. I have built lasting connections during the program that have played a part in shaping my artistry.

Hva holder du på med nå for tiden?

Right now I am working on two different short films and will take on another challenge of acting in one of them. I will try to enjoy summer as much as I can and look forward to upcoming projects in and outside of Norway

Les mer om programmet NSP2 her.

Foto: Erlend Mikael Sæverud.