GRIT (for what it’s worth)

GRIT (for what it’s worth) by Milla Koistinen is an opening for her upcoming performance series, reflecting personal endurance in physical and mental stamina, a requirement to push boundaries and transcend limitations. The performance captures the essence of resilience, duration, persistence and hardiness. GRIT (for what it’s worth) examines the ability to persevere through hardships, fatigue and obstacles, embodying the spirit of endurance in its most personal form. 

Endurance is the central theme of the upcoming performance series, which delves into the realms of physical labour, determination, commitment and perseverance, especially as recognised within sports but also reflected in culture and society. The work investigates the way that sports and performing arts can create a shared social space and act as a cultural and political force, influencing our collective identity and societal dynamics. 

This performance is a part of the Focus on the Local Landscape within the frame of Moving in November.  

Milla Koistinen is a Helsinki-Berlin-based Finnish choreographer. She graduated from the Theatre Academy in Helsinki with an MA in Dance and holds an MA in Choreography from HZT Berlin. She has collaborated with artists such as Kristian Smeds, Hiroaki Umeda and Christine Gaigg, and her work has been featured in venues like Radialsystem Berlin, Dance House Helsinki and Tanzhaus NRW. She received a danceWEB scholarship at Impulstanz Vienna in 2010. As a guest teacher, she has taught at institutions including SEAD Salzburg, Tanzhaus NRW, Sasha Waltz & Guests, the Theatre Academy of Helsinki and HZT Berlin. In 2019, she was a lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts in Helsinki. From 2020 to 2024, her work is supported by apap – FEMINIST FUTURES, co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union.