What is it like to be a girl in the 2020s? In her performance Venus, Janina Rajakangas explores together with teenage girls the erotization of youth. The piece delves into the role that outsiders play in shaping our perceptions of beauty and the value placed on a girl’s life. By addressing the everyday feminist battles had by youth, Venus forces the ghosting needy subject to fall (for a moment) and draws outlines of Venus again.
Venus is honest, humble and kind, but also dopey, problematic and loud. The portrayal of Venus in this piece is multifaceted, because girliness itself is. Girls don’t fit one mold. What began as a project between a mother and daughter has blossomed into a creation comprising poems, songs, and dance performed by four teenagers. Janina Rajakangas has crafted the text for this piece in collaboration with the performers, based on their shared conversations. The development of Venus primarily took place outside of regular school hours, during evenings, holidays, and weekends.
After having shown Over your fucking body in 2019 at Moving in November, Janina Rajakangas is back at the festival with Venus that premiered in Baltic Circle in 2022.
Janina Rajakangas is a Helsinki-based choreographer, performer, and teacher. Rajakangas creates detailed choreographic material and large-scale scores for groups. Her work revolves around understanding how dance emerges from everyday experiences. In her current trilogy, the Janina Rajakangas Project deconstructs the structures of patriarchy by examining everyday power dynamics. The trilogy explores themes such as paternal relationships (Meadow 2021), the sexualization of teenage girls (Venus 2022), and inclusivity as choreography (Dancer 2023). The Project’s pieces have been shown at Moving in November, Zodiak – Center for New Dance, Kiasma Theatre and The Place Theatre London.