Staff
Carl Knif
Choreographer
Artistic Director
+358 405080870
Carl Knif (Master of Arts) is a dancer, choreographer, artistic director and the founder of Carl Knif Company. Knif has created numerous choreographies for CKC and carried out co-productions and commissioned works for theaters and dance houses.
Knif was awarded the State Prize for Performing Arts in 2016.
Knif was awarded the State Prize for Performing Arts in 2016.
Marjo Pyykönen
Managing Director
+358 40 5567191
Marjo Pyykönen (Master of Arts and Culture) has worked in the field of performing arts since 2011 for various dance and theatre companies. She started to work as the Managing Director of Carl Knif Company in 2018.
Essi Brunberg
Communications Specialist
+358 40 869 9466
Essi Brunberg (M.A.) is a press officer, communications specialist, and translator who has worked extensively in the performing arts field with various festivals, events, individual performances, and publications.
Board
Reetta Aarre-Ahtio
Chairperson of the Board
Reetta Aarre-Ahtio works as the Vice Principal at Tampere Conservatoire. A dance teacher and cultural producer (YAMK), she is also educated in cultural leadership (UniArts Helsinki) and educational administration (OPH). She has also worked as a choreographer, dancer and producer at various events, theatres and festivals. In addition to her work, she serves on the boards of STST and DaCi Finland.
Kristofer Möller
Vice chairperson of the Board
carl knif
Member of the Board
Jonna Aaltonen
Member of the Board
Laura Karén
Vice Member of the Board
Laura Karén is a stone and carpenter artisan who has become a cultural producer from her assisting scenographers career. Karén has worked as a producer for Universum, Carl Knif Company and now for Kulttuuritalo Lilla Villan. In addition to the work of the producer, the tool kit still includes a hammer and a paintbrush.
Artists
Janne Hast
Sound designer
Janne Hast is a musician and sound designer from Rovaniemi and nowadays living in Helsinki
He has worked as a freelancer in different theater, dance and contemporary circus productions for more than a decade.
He has worked as a freelancer in different theater, dance and contemporary circus productions for more than a decade.
Jukka Huitila
Lighting designer
Visualist
Jukka Huitila is a lighting designer living in Rovaniemi and an outdoorsy daydreamer. He has worked with Carl for ten years and working together has been rewarding since the beginning. The company has grown over time with great performers and welded together with trusted designers. Each work has taken it a step further and the journey continues.
Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila
Costume designer
Karoliina Koiso-Kanttila is a Helsinki-based costume designer and set designer. She graduated with a master’s degree in performing arts from the Aalto University in 2003. Karoliina works extensively as a designer in dance, theater, film and television productions. She has made costume designs for more than 60 dance productions, several films, and successful TV series. Karoliina has been working with Carl Knif since 2007.
Jonna Aaltonen
Dance artist
During her nearly 25 years of international career, Aaltonen has worked in dance and theatre scene e.g. in contemporary dance, dance theatre, musical and opera productions. She has performed in more than 70 pieces and worked with over 40 choreographers in Finland ans abroad.
Satu Halttunen
Dance artist
Olli Lautiola
Dance artist
Olli Lautiola is a Helsinki-based freelance dancer, teacher, and sound designer who graduated from DOCH (Sweden) in 2017. Olli has been involved in several dance groups and has produced various freelance projects. He has also performed in music videos. Sessions in 2022 was his first collaboration with Carl Knif Company.
Riku Lehtopolku
Dance artist
Riku has been dancing at Pori Dance Company since 2001, performing e.g. in the works of Jorma Uotinen, Tero Saarinen and Marjo Kuusela. Between 2014-2019 he also served as the group’s second artistic director. As a visitor, Riku has been seen e.g. in the productions of the Finnish National Ballet, Skånes Dansteater and Iceland Dance Company. Since 2006, Riku has worked as Jorma Uotinen’s choreographic assistant and practitioner of his works, e.g. at the Finnish National Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet. The collaboration with Carl Knif began in 2014. In 2020, Lehtopolku started as the artistic director of the Kuopio Dance Festival.
Misa Lommi
Actor
Dance artist
Oksana Lommi
Actor
Oksana Lommi will graduate from the Theater Academy’s Swedish-language acting program in 2021. In addition to tstudying, she has acted in Svenska Teatern, Lilla Teatern, TV and film productions and Yle’s Radio Theater. Oksana will be collaborating with Carl Knif Company for the first time in 2021.
Pekka Louhio
Dance artist
Pekka studied at the Theater Academy’s Department of Dance in 2004–2007 and has been dancing at the Carl Knif Company since 2014. He has also worked at Tommi Kitti & Company as a dancer and choreographer’s assistant from 2007 to 2010. Louhio has also worked with several other choreographers.
Anne Pajunen
Actor
Dance artist
Anne Pajunen is a Finnish actor and dance artist working internationally. She has worked with companies like Alexandra Bachzetsis, Troubleyn Jan Fabre, Hiatus Daniel Linehan, Company Gabrielle Moleta, Jeremy Shaw and most recently at the Finnish National Theatre. She has an MA in acting (2016) from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), an MA in Dance from the Theatre Academy of Finland (2011) and a Research Cycle Diploma (2010) from Anne Teresa de Keersmaker’s Performing Arts Research and Training Studios (P.A.R.T.S.). Sessions (premiere in 2022) is her first collaboration with Carl Knif Company.
Tom Rejström
Actor
Tom graduated from the Theater Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki in 2016. Tom works as a lecturer in acting at the Theater Academy and in the artistic management team of the Hangö Teaterträff festival. He has worked both as a performer and as a director and producer extensively in the domestic theater field. Next, Tom can be seen in a film based on Kjell Westö’s novel Rikinkeltainen taivas, which premieres in 2021. Tom appeared in Carl Knif Company’s At once, in Helsinki in 2018.
Anna Stenberg
Dance artist
Anna Stenberg holds a master’s degree in Dance Performance and is intrigued by the landscape between dance and theatre. She enjoys her diverse work as a freelance artist and dance teacher in companies, with artistic collaborations and dance schools. Anna graduated from the Theatre Academy’s Master’s Degree Programme in Dance Performance with additional studies in Music Theatre and made her Dance teacher degree at Savonia University for Applied Sciences. With Carl Knif Company she has performed since 2016.
Terhi Vaimala
Dance artist
Terhi Vaimala is a dancer from Helsinki. After graduating with a master’s degree in dance from the Theater Academy in 2003, Vaimala has worked as a freelance dancer and was engaged Helsinki Dance Company from 2011 to 2013. During her career, Vaimala has worked with numerous contemporary Finnish choreographers. The collaboration with Carl Knif began in 2009 with Mandorla.
Eero Vesterinen
Dance artist
Eero Vesterinen began his dance studies as a child at the Opera Ballet School and finished them at the Theater Academy’s Department of Dance. Since 2003, he has danced mostly as a freelancer in the works of many choreographers and toured with various festivals and dance tours from Kokkola to Nicaragua and Japan.
Jonna Nyman
Actor
Jonna Nyman is a freelance actor who graduated from Theatre Academy Helsinki in 1995. She has worked in Swedish-speaking theatresin Turku, Helsinki, Vaasa, and Espoo, and collaborated with independent theatre groups in Finland.
Åsa Wallenius
Actor
Åsa Wallenius is an actor who graduated from Theatre Academy Helsinki in 1999. She has since then performed in several shows and worked with theatres like Wasa Teatern, Svenska Teatern, Blaue Frau, Viirus, and Lilla Teatern.
Linda Zilliacus
Actor
Linda Zilliacus is an actor who graduated from Theatre Academy Helsinki in 1999. Linda has worked in theatre, film, TV, and audio for decades, both in Finland and abroad.
Petri Tuhkanen
Light & set designer
Petri Tuhkanen is a Helsinki-based light and set designer who works in theatre, contemporary dance, concerts, live events, installations, and architecture, among others.
Miika Alatupa
Dancer & actor
Miika Alatupa graduated as a dancer from Uniart Helsinki’s Theatre Academy, with previous studies at Lahti Academy of Liberal and Fine Arts. Miika has worked as both a dancer and actor at Helsinki City Theatre, Finnish National Opera and Ballet, Vasa City Theatre, Dance Theatre Raatikko, and Tampere Theatre.