JoJo – Oulu Dance Center is a professional dance production center operating in the northern Finland’s vibrant dance art field, where the members of the association have the highest authority.
JoJo – Oulu Dance Center is a professional dance production center operating in the northern Finland’s vibrant dance art field, offering international, multidisciplinary dance art programme, with a focus on contemporary dance. The program also includes the OuDance Festival in the autumn. For dance art professionals, JoJo is a platform for co-productions and visiting performances and offers international residency exchange programs.
In addition, JoJo offers open workshops for everyone. JoJo is one of the four member organizations of the Northern Dance Regional Center and is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture and the City of Oulu.
The members of the association hold the highest power at the JoJo – Oulu Dance Centre. The association has two regular meetings each year; spring and autumn meeting. The most important item on the agenda of the spring meeting is the financial statements of the previous year and in the autumn meeting the action plan and budget for the coming year.
The strategy of JoJo – Oulu Dance Center is valid until 2026. The strategy was processed by JoJo’s board, staff and collaboratiors in five strategy workshops in 2021. The strategy process was led by Janne Marniemi from Beat Next.
JoJo’s mission
JoJo is a professional dance production center, festival organization and visiting theater. JoJo offers local, international and national dance repertoire and audience work all year round and is active participant in dance art field.
JoJo´s vision for 2026
Accessible and sustainable center of northern dance art.
The strategic goal is to develop JoJo as accessible and sustainable center of northern dance art.
The priorities to achieve the vision are developing audience, participant and community base, developing digital services, increasing and expanding visibility, ensuring safe workplace and community, and using ecological methods in all actions.
JoJo´s values
Quality -JoJo is an innovative dance art professional organization whose operation is based on strong expertise. Quality is ensured by goal-oriented, reflective and renewing work. All actions are aiming to transparency, accessibility and reliability.
Cooperation -JoJo is supporting creativity by enabling dialogues and bringing different participants together. JoJo is an interactive and open-minded partner. JoJo creates an easily approachable, appreciative and inclusive platform for cooperation.
Responsibility – JoJo supports equality in all its activities. JoJo´s multidisciplinary and versatile operation increases the diversity of dance art field. All operations are aiming at environmental ecology and the sustainable development of dance art.
Henna Holma, Chairman, Director of Drama and Theater Classes, Dance Teacher (Bachelor of Arts)
Anna Myllylä, Vice President, Drama Instructor (BA)
Miia Ahonen, Member of the Board, Dance Teacher (BA)
Eerika Arposalo, Member of the Board, Master of Dance, Master of Education
Heta Haanperä, Member of the Board, Master of Arts (Theatre and Drama)
Anni Heikkinen, Member of the Board, M.Sc. (Dance Research), Dance Teacher (BA)
Hanna-Kaija Takalo, Member of the Board, Dance Teacher (BA), Vocational Qualification in Dance
The board is elected at the association’s statutory autumn meeting for two years at a time. The task of the board is to supervise that the activities of the association are carried out in the manner prescribed by the regulations of the Associations Act and the association’s own rules. The Board oversees that JoJo’s operations are carried out annually in accordance with the action plan and budget decided at the autumn meeting. The Board acts as the employer of the production center staff.
Jukka Heinänen, Dramatist
Miia Ahonen, Dance teacher (Bachelor of Culture and Arts)
Hanna Appel, Dancer
Eerika Arposalo, Master of Dance, Master of Arts (Education)
Henna Holma, Director of drama and theater classes, Dance Teacher (Bachelor of Culture and Arts)
Helena Lindqvist, Managing Director, M.Sc. (Art Research)
The Artistic Select Committee selects JoJo’s annual production and visiting program as well as the program for OuDance Festival. There is an open call for applications for production and program open to all professionals every year.
Helena Lindqvist, Executive Director, M.Sc. (Art Research)
Mira Kolanen, Producer, Dance Teacher (Master’s degree)
Leea Alatalo, Audience Work Coordinator, Master of Education
The artistic staff working at JoJo comes from the freelance field of dance. JoJo employs more than a hundred dance and performing arts professionals every year.
Finland’s comprehensive network of regional dance centers
The aim of the regional center’s activities is to promote equal access to art and cultural services and the employment of dance professionals in different parts of Finland.
The Northern Dance Regional Center consists of four strong professionals working in dance field in Northern Finland: JoJo – Oulu Dance Centre (Oulu), Dance Theater Rimpparemmi (Rovaniemi), Contemporary Dance Production Routa Company (Kajaani) and Pyhäsalmen Tanssi ry (Pyhäjärvi), which produces Full Moon Dance Festival.
The other regional centers are: Regional Dance Center of Eastern Finland, Dance Center of Central Finland, Regional Dance Center of Western Finland, Regional Dance Center of Ostrobothnia and Pirkanmaa Dance Center.
JoJo members receive various benefits, such as substantial price benefits for performance tickets and courses organized by JoJo.
© 2021 JoJo – Oulu Dance Centre
Site By: Mainostoimisto Idealabra
You can listen to the texts of the JoJo.fi website in Finnish by painting the desired text and pressing the play button that appears. Click here to the Finnish page.
Voit kuunnella JoJo.fi nettisivujen tekstit suomeksi puhuttuna maalaamalla halutun tekstin ja painamalla esiin tulevaa PLAY-painiketta.