Skip to main content

Ihanat Company

Ihanat Company originated from weekly dance classes organised at Käpylä Comprehensive School for students with intellectual and learning disabilities. The dancers who have joined Ihanat’s activities are those who wanted to engage deeper with dance and performing. The company performs annually. Currently, the group includes dancers Vappu Virkkula and Sofia Johansson, together with Elisa Lejeune and Iiris Laisi.


The artistic direction of the company is shared between the dancers and the directors. The work and performances respect the current interests and concerns of the dancers.

2 x 2

The dance performance 2 x 2 is built around two duets, each inspired by the encounter with the other dancer through movement and a shared dance.

CHOREOGRAHY AND DANCE: Sofia Johansson, Iiris Laisi, Elisa Lejeune and Vappu Virkkula
DIRECTION OF CHOREOGRAPHIC PROCESS: Riina Hannuksela and Virva Talonen
COMPOSITION AND MUSIC: Aarne Riikonen
COSTUME DESIGN AND VISUALS: Riitta Röpelinen
LIGHTNING DESIGN: Ina Niemelä
DURATION: appr. 55 min
PREMIERE: Cultural Centre Caisa 2025
OTHER PERFORMANCES: X Dance Festival
SUPPORTERS: Kone Foundation and Helsinki City

PHOTOS: Pate Pesonius

Who are we?

Sofia johansson

Dancer-choreographer

iiris Laisi


Dancer-chorepgraher

Elisa Lejeune

Dancer-choreographer

Vappu virkkula

Dancer-choreographer

Other members of the Company:

Riina Hannuksela: choreographer, facilitator

Aarne Riikonen: composer, musician

Riitta Röpelinen: costume designer

Ina Niemelä: lightning designer

Virva Talonen: choreographer, facilitator

Previous works

The previous works of the company are A dance film trilogy GEN Z: Sininen (The Blue), MustA ja Pinkki (Pink) and a stage performance, based on the films GEN Z – Portraits (2023). The movies were created in collaboration with a dance film director Kati Kallio. Both the films and the stage performance premiered at Outsider Art Festival in August 2023.

Top row images from the film trilogy Z-Generation: Black, Blue, and Pink, and the stage production Z-Generation — Portraits (Oodi Helsinki). || Images in order from left: 1 & 2 Arttu Salo, 3. Kati Kallio, 4. Tuomas Vaahtoluoto


The pictures in the bottom row are rehearsal pictures from Demo 2021 and Sari Palmgren's Fenced Dreams 2017—2018 || Pictures in order from left: 1-3 Hannuksela and Lejeune and 4. Uupi Tirronen


Ihanat has also performed at events including the Community Dance Festival (2021), the Finnish Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities’ Study Days (2019), Sari Palmgren’s Fenced Dreams performances (2017 & 2018), X Dance Festival (2016–2018), an event by the Finnish Youth Cooperation Allianssi at the National Theatre (2018), and the Dida – Disability Art and Action event (2017).

The dancers of the group have also facilitated movement workshops alongside Riina for musicians and music teachers, teaching children and youth with disabilities. The dancers have acted as mentors for younger students in the Our World residency project.

The dance classes that gave rise to the group continue to be held at Käpylä Comprehensive School. These classes were organised in cooperation with the school and after-school staff, parents, and Zodiak – Center for New Dance between 2014 and 2022. Currently, the activities are continued by the association Yhteisö tanssii ry, and the classes are part of the Finnish Model for Leisure Activities.

Video below: The last class of Spring (teaser) 2017, cinematography: Heini Mäntylä


Updated 19 Sep 2025