The Pond (2026)

The Pond is a bittersweet story about growing up and having the courage to be yourself.

This wordless performance tells the story of a chicken named Candy who dreams of being an elegant swan. Inspired by her dreams, Candy takes the audience on a journey to a world filled with imagination, where play and creativity help us understand emotions and ourselves on an ever-deeper level.

Candy is a wanderer whose clothes are covered in dust from the desert and whose shoes are worn out from wandering through many lands. One day, she happens to stumble upon a theatre. Candy finds the theatre to be an exciting and fascinating place, and soon she finds her way to the performers’ dressing room. The enchanting lights of the vanity mirror and the dazzling costumes inspire her to let her imagination run wild.

Suddenly, Candy remembers her long-held dream: she wants to meet the swans. Resourceful and energetic, she sets out to find the swans of an enchanted forest, and eventually finds her way there. However, not even Candy herself realises the true significance and consequences of this encounter.

The performance combines clowning and dance, and it also addresses difficult topics with gentleness and humour.

The Pond marks the first collaboration between Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth and Carl Knif Company. The original idea for the performance came from Gabriela Muñoz, one of the world’s most renowned clowns, who plays the role of Candy. Carl Knif last visited Hurjaruuth in 2019 when he created a stage adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland.

Language: non-verbal
Age recommendation: 4+
Duration: 50 min.

Premiere: 17 September 2026, Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth

Working group

Choreographer and director: Carl Knif
Written by: Carl Knif, Gabriela Muñoz
Performers: Gabriela Muñoz, Riku Lehtopolku, Anna Stenberg, Eero Vesterinen
Sound designer: Janne Hast
Light and set designer: Jukka Huitila
Costume designer: Valentina Muñoz
Audience engagement designer: Paule Aladin
Photos: Marko Mäkinen
Teaser: Jonatan Sundström
Production: Carl Knif Company & Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth
Supported by: Amos Anderson Fund, City of Helsinki, Finnish Arts and Culture Agency, Stiftelsen Tre Smeder, Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland

Performances

Thu 17 September at 6 pm (premiere)
Sat 19 September at 1 pm
Sat 19 September at 3 pm
Tue 22 September at 6 pm
Wed 23 September at 10 am
Wed 23 September at 6 pm
Sat 26 September at 1 pm
Sat 26 September at 3 pm
Tue 29 September at 10 am
Tue 29 September at 6 pm
Wed 30 September at 6 pm
Sat 3 October at 1 pm
Sat 3 October at 3 pm – relaxed and sensory-friendly performance
Wed 7 October at 6 pm
Thu 8 October at 10 am
Thu 8 October at 6 pm
Sat 10 October at 1 pm
Sat 10 October at 3 pm – artist talk after the performance
Tue 13 October at 3 pm
Wed 14 October at 3 pm
Thu 15 October at 6 pm
Sat 17 October at 1 pm
Sat 17 October at 3 pm

Dive

The dive into the world of The Pond begins at Hurjaruuth’s foyer before every performance. While waiting for the show to start you can get busy with activities related to the performance. All the materials are provided in the foyer. You only need to reserve a bit of time for independent creation!

Splash

At the Splash event you can meet the artists of The Pond after all morning shows starting at 10 am and after all Saturday performances. Duration approx. 15 minutes.

Joining both the Dive and the Splash is Paule Aladin, audience’s friend.