In the Waning Light II

In the Waning Light II is an installation-like stage work premiering in autumn 2025, with guest choreographer Milla Koistinen. The piece is part of a multidisciplinary series produced by Off/Balance that brings together artistic and scientific approaches. It has united international creators from the fields of dance, performance and installation art, as well as ornithology.

In the Waning Light II is a sensorial, spatially expansive performance that explores what aspects of nature and embodied perception within it can exist in human-made environments. What experiential elements lie at the heart of our relationship with nature, and is it possible to evoke them within a theatre space?

Alongside this exploration of our relationship with nature, the work draws inspiration from writer Helen Macdonald’s bird-focused essays and the scientific perspectives of ornithologist Mia Rönkä, a member of the artistic team. Through these influences, the piece also delves into themes of departure, disappearance, and letting go as they manifest in nature.

In the Waning Light II aims to create a space where the audience can—much like in nature—discover pathways to focus, deceleration, and sensory openness.

Premiere at Tanssin Aika Festival on the 24.9.2025 in Villa Rana, Jyväskylä, Finland

Further performances on the 25.9., 29.9. and 30.9.2025

Concept and direction Milla Koistinen

Choreography and performance Elina Häyrynen, Anna Virkkunen, Milla Koistinen

Sound design, music and performance Paul Valikoski, Tatu Rönkkö

Visual artist, spatial design Salla Salin

Ornithologist Mia Rönkä

Production Off/Balance, Milla Koistinen

Supported by Arts Promotion Centre, City of Jyväskylä, The Finnish Cultural Foundation

Photo by Ilkka Saastamoinen